You Gotta Believe

I never knew this was a true story until I read a few reviews here. The fact it was a true story inspired me watching. The only part I knew that was true is that this was a real little league team I didn't know about the father at all.

Now the set up for this team being a bunch of bodies who were just bad at baseball, I don't know If it is true. It was nice seeing that the team came together even though honestly that just wasn't well played out in the script. It kind of just happened.

They start playoffs and they literally showed us literally literally literally nothing after their first game until they're magically in the World Series. That's a really lame script. That is really really lame.

You know I wanna see how the kids felt and acted after their first game or any other game up until the World Series. They showed us nothing.

It's only good because the story of a bunch of nobodies making the World Series and watching the effect that dad has on them is inspiring. But the script was really, really poorly played out.

I wasn't expecting much when I went to see this movie, based on its trailers. Yet even with those low expectations, I quickly found myself bored and disappointed. My five star rating is probably being generous. The film had poor writing, poor camerawork and editing, and overall was very predictable. When the worst parts of a baseball movie are its baseball action scenes on the diamond, there is something wrong. If you combined aspects of "The Bad News Bears" with "Facing the Giants", this film might be the result. It is certainly aimed at more of a family audience, though probably more to older elementary and middle school-aged kids, due to a serious medical topic faced.

I'm not a baseball fan, but am a fan of inspirational movies based on true stories and this movie fills the bill. I thought the acting was incredible and the story touched my soul. Of course, it won't win any awards because only weird themes seem to garner that kind of attention these days but you will be thinking and smiling about You Gotta Believe long after its run at the box office. I am seeing YGB for a second time today. I hope the writer will continue finding worthwhile topics to bring to the screen. He seems to have the knack of making a sad situation into a "feel good" outcome. I've always been a fan of Greg Kinnear and think he was perfect for the role he played. More Lane Garrison/Greg Kinnear movies, please!!!

It's 2002. Bobby Ratliff (Luke Wilson) and Jon Kelly (Greg Kinnear) are coaches of a terrible Little League team in Texas. When nobody else wants to compete, they are asked to participate in a game which leads all the way to the Little League World Series.

This is based on a true story and that may be part of the problem. The true story requires the movie to center on Bobby Ratliff's ordeal whereas it is desperately trying to be The New Bad News Bears. They just need to get that girl pitcher. The kids are not able to distinguish themselves. It's the name Rocket, glasses, and skirt chaser. To be clear, that's all I truly remember from the three main kids. Don't even mention the rest of the team. This needs to be their movie, but it is not completely that. Ultimately, it is a problem that cannot be overcome.

Looking for something to see, I was intrigued by the premise of misfit little leaguers. Could this be an updated The Bad News Bears?

Nope. It's a whitewashed family film scrubbed of any edge, predictable beyond belief, and boring.

It was hard to find what the appeal would be for either adults of children.

This a true story that is supposed to be inspiring but instead is a poor tribute to the brave coach the film is honoring.

Greg Kinnear looks bored and tired. Luke Wilson fares better but the sappy script lets him down. The kids make little impression. The film builds no tension and you basically know how it will end after the first 20 minutes.

The film is also weirdly lit, and poorly edited.

I was the only one in the theater on the opening night preview. When a film opens quietly with almost no marketing, there is a reason.