Hard Ball (2001)

An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.

Director:

Brian Robbins

Writers:

Daniel Coyle (book), John Gatins (screenplay)

Stars:

Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane, John Hawkes

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keanu Reeves	...	Conor O'Neill
Diane Lane	...	Elizabeth Wilkes
John Hawkes	...	Ticky Tobin
Bryan Hearne	...	Andre Ray Peetes (as Bryan C. Hearne)
Julian Griffith	...	Jefferson Albert Tibbs
Michael B. Jordan	...	Jamal (as Michael Jordan)
A. Delon Ellis Jr.	...	Miles Pennfield II
Kristopher Lofton	...	Clarence
Michael Perkins	...	Kofi Evans
Brian M. Reed	...	Raymond 'Ray Ray' Bennet
DeWayne Warren	...	Jarius 'G-Baby' Evans
Carol Hall	...	Pearla Evans (as Carol E. Hall)
Jacqueline Williams	...	Lenora Tibbs
Freeman Coffey	...	Darryl Mackey
D.B. Sweeney	...	Matt Hyland

Storyline

An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.

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Plot Keywords:

little league | coach | gambling | gang | death of brother | 

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Taglines:

In a place where all bets are off, he's got nothing to lose.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English German

Release Date:

14 September 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hardball

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£79,864 (UK) (21 June 2002)

Gross:

£79,864 (UK) (21 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fireworks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Nides/McCormick Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the league's team names are taken from tribes in Africa.

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Goofs

A boy's helmet gets knocked off twice during an argument on the field.

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Quotes

Jamal: So we go to the 'ship right?
Conor O'Neill: Yeah, we could.

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Connections

Referenced in HBO First Look: Constantine: Heaven, Hell and Beyond (2005)

User Reviews

Hope is always the better choice

This is a stressful movie, with the gambling addiction and the gambling machine on one hand, and street gangs on the other. I really like the kids and think Keanu Reeves plays it straight with them. New York Times and local reviewers aside--way aside, this movie is definitely worth a look. I spent eight years on Chicago's South Side, and i'm grateful a cinema team is willing to show some emotion about some of the stuff that is part of grim daily life. The plot formula is good: i don't like cold voyeuristic slice-of-life with this material. I like that the material is used with an up-beat ending. Let us enjoy the entertainment of it, and find some hope in it. Goethe said that hope is always the better choice. And i will say it here: Keanu Reeves can act.