Angels in the Outfield (1994)

Director:

William Dear

Writers (WGA):

Dorothy Kingsley (1951 screenplay) &
George Wells (1951 screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sport

Tagline:

It Could Happen.

Plot:

When a boy prays for a chance to have a family if the California Angels win the pennant, angels are assigned to make that possible.

Plot Keywords:

Angel | Team | Baseball | Friend | Coach

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Danny Glover	...	George Knox
Brenda Fricker	...	Maggie Nelson
Tony Danza	...	Mel Clark
Christopher Lloyd	...	Al the Boss Angel
Ben Johnson	...	Hank Murphy
Jay O. Sanders	...	Ranch Wilder
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Roger Bomman
Milton Davis Jr.	...	J.P.
Taylor Negron	...	David Montagne
Tony Longo	...	Triscuitt Messmer
Neal McDonough	...	Whitt Bass
Stoney Jackson	...	Ray Mitchell
Adrien Brody	...	Danny Hemmerling
Tim Conlon	...	Wally
Matthew McConaughey	...	Ben Williams
Israel Juarbe	...	Jose Martinez
Albert Alexander Garcia	...	Pablo Garcia
Dermot Mulroney	...	Mr. Bomman (Roger's Dad)
Robert Clohessy	...	Frank Gates
Connie Craig	...	Carolyn
Jonathan Proby	...	Miguel Scott
Michael Halton	...	Hairy Man
Mark Conlon	...	Photographer
Danny Walcoff	...	Marvin (Little Boy in Sandlot Game)
James C. King	...	Home Plate Umpire
Tony Reitano	...	Singing Umpire
Diane Amos	...	Woman Next to J.P.
Christopher Leon DiBiase	...	Teenager
Robert Stuart Reed	...	Guard
Ruth Beckford	...	Family Court Judge
Victoria Skerritt	...	Social Worker
Devon Dear	...	National Anthem Singer
O.B. Babbs	...	Mapel (Angels Player)
Mitchell Page	...	Abascal (Angels Player)
Mark Cole	...	Norton (Angels Player)
Chuck Dorsett	...	Usher
Carney Lansford	...	Kit 'Hit or Die' Kesey
Pamela West	...	Girl Angel
Oliver Dear	...	Rookie Angel
Lionel Douglass	...	Brother Angel
Bundy Chanock	...	Umpire
John Howard Swain	...	First Base Umpire
Marc Magdaleno	...	Home Plate Umpire #2
Steven Meredith	...	Toronto Player
William Dear	...	Toronto Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ron Roggé	...	Angel's Coach
Matthew I. Baker	...	Fan (uncredited)
David Courtney	...	Anaheim Stadium P.A. Announcer (uncredited)
Shawn Flanagan	...	Toronto Bluejay Player (uncredited)
David Maier	...	Batboy (uncredited)
Theodore S. Maier	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)
Johnny Martin	...	Toronto Bluejay Player (uncredited)
Tim Meredith	...	Toronto Blue Jay Player (uncredited)
Patrick Oldani	...	Photographer #1 (uncredited)
Dave Reda	...	Peanut Vendor (uncredited)
Tommy Savich	...	Baseball Coach (uncredited)
Joseph Quinn Simpkins	...	Hotdog Vendor (uncredited)
Seth Smith	...	Bubble Boy (uncredited)
James A. Swan	...	Bluejays Coach Black (uncredited)
Lew Temple	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)
Fairly Tull	...	Upscale Woman from Anaheim (uncredited)

Directed by
William Dear

Writing credits (WGA)
Dorothy Kingsley		(1951 screenplay) &
George Wells		(1951 screenplay)
Richard Conlin		(1951 story)
Dorothy Kingsley		(screenplay) &
George Wells		(screenplay) and
Holly Goldberg Sloan		(screenplay)

Produced by
Roger Birnbaum	....	producer
Richard H. Prince	....	associate producer
Joe Roth	....	producer
Holly Goldberg Sloan	....	associate producer
Irby Smith	....	producer
Gary Stutman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Edelman

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti

Film Editing by
Paul Dixon		(co-editor)
Bruce Green

Casting by
Pam Dixon

Production Design by
J. Dennis Washington

Art Direction by
Carlos Arguello
Thomas T. Taylor		(as Tom Targownik)

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
Paul Abascal	....	hair stylist
Scott H. Eddo	....	key makeup artist
Diane Hammond	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard H. Prince	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
L. Dean Jones Jr.	....	assistant director
Sazzy Lee Calhoun	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Sazzy Calhoun)
Robert J. Mooney	....	first assistant director: second unit
Irby Smith	....	second unit director
Jay Smith	....	second assistant director
Shannon Wilson	....	second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Kristin Argue	....	drapery
Dean Backer	....	leadman
Peter Bankins	....	property master
Marc Campisi	....	set dresser
Oliver Dear	....	storyboard artist
John Lister	....	set dresser
Doni McMillan	....	set dresser
Jim Poynter	....	assistant property master: San Francisco
Gary E. Roloff	....	swing gang
Karen Sorum	....	paint foreperson
Eugene M. Texeira	....	set dresser
Don Watson	....	on-set dresser
Dwight Williams	....	construction foreman
Teresa Williams	....	stand-by painter
Loren Hillman-Morgan	....	scenic crew (uncredited)
Ken Sly	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Drew Struzan	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Doug E. Williams	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Elton Ahi	....	sound engineer
Elton Ahi	....	sound mixer
Ulrika Akander	....	dialogue editor
Agamemnon Andrianos	....	sound effects recordist
Steve Bissinger	....	sound effects editor
Willie D. Burton	....	sound
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	dialogue editor
Susan Dudeck	....	dialogue editor
David Jobe	....	foley mixer
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recordist
John A. Larsen	....	supervising sound editor
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator (as Marvin E. Lewis)
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas P. McNamara	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Meier	....	cable person
Donny Miele	....	assistant dialogue editor (as Donny Blank)
David Grimaldi	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jan Aaris	....	special effects coordinator
Danny Bellens	....	special effects foreman
Geoff Heron	....	special effects assistant
Frank W. Tarantino	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Ken Bielenberg	....	technical director
Steve Braggs	....	digital effects artist: PDI
Shawn Broes	....	visual effects editor
Michael Collery	....	visual effects developer
Aaron Dem	....	production coordinator: PDI
Sean Dever	....	2D digital effects
Robert Dyke	....	visual effects consultant
John Hanashiro	....	lead film recordist: PDI
Doug Nichols	....	animation producer
Cary Phillips	....	software research and development
Giedra Rackauskas	....	visual effects supervisor
Wendy Rogers	....	lighting supervisor
David Rosenthal	....	scanner and digital camera operator: PDI
Alonzo Ruvalcaba	....	visual effects coordinator
Larry Weiss	....	computer graphics animator
John N. Campbell	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Brian Hanable	....	digital effects compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Kevin Bailey	....	stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunt coordinator
Lisa Dempsey	....	stunts
Eversley Forte	....	stunts
Johnny Martin	....	stunts
Mike Martinez	....	stunts
Tim Meredith	....	stunts
Jeff Mosley	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Adams	....	additional camera operator
Steve Bellen	....	camera production assistant
Eric Blum	....	electrician
Pat Blymyer	....	gaffer
Kurt Braun	....	Steadicam operator
Tom Connole	....	camera operator: second unit
Joe Crowley	....	gaffer: 2nd unit
Robert Del Boccio	....	assistant camera
David E. Diano	....	camera operator
Patrick Figueroa	....	grip
Bob Finley III	....	gaffer: second unit
William Hampton	....	generator operator
Frank Helbig	....	electrician
Don L. Henderson	....	grip
Horace Jordan	....	camera operator: second unit
Robert Kositchek	....	director of photography: second unit
Robert LaBonge	....	camera operator
Robert LaBonge	....	director of photography: second unit
Michael E. Little	....	extra camera operator
Tim Marshall	....	best boy electric
Tim Metivier	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Rob Morey	....	assistant camera
Mark Nakahara	....	electrician
Frank Parrish	....	second assistant camera
Bill Pelkey	....	electrician
Dennis Pope	....	best boy grip
Wesley Riley	....	grip (as Wesley E. Riley)
Mark Santoni	....	film loader
Kelly Diehl	....	remote head technician (uncredited)

Animation Department
Rex Grignon	....	animator
Raman Hui	....	animation director

Casting Department
Amy Gerber	....	casting associate
Nancy Hayes	....	local casting
Nina Henninger	....	assistant local casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	costume supervisor
Andrea Cooper	....	costumer
Barbara Kassal	....	costumer
Susan Nininger	....	specialty costume designer
Joseph Roveto	....	costumer
Renee Alaina Sacks	....	costumer (as Renee A. Sacks)

Editorial Department
James A. Brewer	....	assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Robert W. Hedland	....	assistant editor
Mark L. Levine	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Joanie Diener	....	music editor
Ralph Ferraro	....	orchestrator
Richard McIlvery	....	scoring stage manager
Maria Newman	....	musician
Andrew Silver	....	preview music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Joseph R. Thygesen	....	assistant music editor
David Vanacore	....	trailer composer

Transportation Department
Dennis Janovici	....	transportation coordinator
John R. Lopez	....	driver

Other crew
Nellie Adami	....	set production assistant
Saundra Marie Ardito	....	second assistant accountant
Lisa S. Beasley	....	crowd promotion
Lark Bernini	....	production coordinator
Joanie Blum	....	script supervisor
Lauren Crasco	....	production assistant
Jason Andrew Davis	....	production assistant
Christopher Desmond	....	first aid
Ned Dowd	....	head of production: Caravan Pictures
Jack W. Haddox	....	production auditor
Eric Fox Hays	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Maxwell	....	assistant chef
Michael Maxwell	....	head chef
Aaron Skalka	....	production assistant
Veronique Vowell	....	location manager
James J. Wilhelm	....	craft service
Ronn Brown	....	assistant wrangler (uncredited)
Susan Adele Colletta	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer (uncredited)
Mark Dinicola	....	film recordist (uncredited)
Mitchell Nyberg	....	set coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Caravan Pictures
• Walt Disney Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1994) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (Sweden) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Laurenfilm (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1998) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney (1995) (Greece) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cinema Research (additional visual effects)
• Cinesite Digital Film Center (additional visual effects)
• IPA The Editing House (additional visual effects)
• Pacific Data Images (PDI)
• Praxis Film Works (additional visual effects)

Other Companies

• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Tomkats Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | South Korea:All | USA:PG (Certificate #33157)

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Caravan Pictures

Trivia:

The movie centers around the then-California Angels in Anaheim, but was filmed at the Oakland Coliseum due to the fact that the NFL season was taking place and the then-Los Angeles Rams were using the stadium in Anaheim. The Coliseum was not being used as the Raiders had not yet returned to Oakland.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just prior to the final game, a lady in the stands is shown with an Angels baseball cap, wings, and an angel costume on. Just seconds after, she is shown walking into the stands.

Quotes:

[first lines]
JP:Roger, do you believe in heaven?
Roger Bomman:I guess. That's where they said my mom went.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nostalgia Chick: City of Angels (#4.23)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

It's All Right

Future Stars in Amiable Family Dramedy/Fantasy

Although I don't usually go for relentlessly heartwarming fare like this, I happened to catch the 1994 version of ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD (AitO) on cable one Saturday morning just as it was starting. Being an Adrien Brody fan, I was curious to see what Brody was like as a youth of 21 (20 when he filmed it, I suppose) in this early role as Danny Hemmerling, utility infielder for the California Angels (in the 1951 original, the hard-luck baseball team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The name change is a nice touch, since it turns the title into wordplay). I decided to give the flick a chance, and it turned out to be a pretty painless, even amiable experience, with a decent balance of laughs, tears, sweetness, and baseball-based excitement. Also, my 7-year-old daughter liked the angel effects! :-) Directed by Mike Nesmith's frequent collaborator William Dear, AitO is the story of Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a foster child who prays real hard after his ne'er-do-well dad (the convincingly sleazy Dermot Mulroney) sarcastically says they'll be a family again once the last-place California Angels win the pennant. Soon Roger starts seeing real angels at the Angels' games, led by Christopher Lloyd, whose usual zany, eccentric irreverence keeps AitO from plummeting irretrievably into The Schmaltz Zone. Crusty manager George Knox (Danny Glover in world-weary, exasperated mode) is a hard sell, but once the team starts winning, he believes Roger's angel sightings, and soon Knox has Roger and his cute li'l pal and fellow foster kid J.P. (the adorable Milton Davis Jr.) at every Angels game for good luck. Knox even starts toning down his own temperamental outbursts and profane language, as much to appease the angels as for the kids' sake, resulting in a funny bit when he starts dressing down an umpire in his usual way but starts editing himself as he goes along. Predictable obstacles ensue, such as obnoxious sportcaster Ranch Wilder (Jay O. Sanders) trying to make trouble for Knox because of the angel angle. Sure, it all works out fine for our heroes in the end, but they're so darn amiable you don't mind! :-) Baby-faced Brody has a couple of good lines (I especially like his exchange with Glover about the emotional impact of the National Anthem at a ballgame) as well as a cute bit where a pretty blonde angel massages his shoulders before he goes up to bat. Brody isn't the only future star in AitO's lineup: his teammates include Matthew McConaughey and Neal McDonough, and of course, young Gordon-Levitt went on to co-star in TV's 3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN as well as such films as 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. The always-amusing Taylor Negron and Oscar winners (but not for this film :-) Brenda Fricker and Ben Johnson lend able support. If you're a baseball fan who wants to rent a movie appropriate for the kids and check out some notable young actors before they became stars, AitO '94 will do nicely.