*** Official "HARDBALL" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Hardball". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of "Hardball" should be posted to this thread .
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy
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[Edited last by Robert Crawford on September 14, 2001 at 03:13 PM]

 

[Patrick Sun]

(No spoiler protection - I'm assuming people who read this thread have already seen "Hardball")
On a small scale, this film reminds me of the tragedy at the WTC. You have a man, Connor O'Neil, with a serious gambling debt problem, and in order to get some quick cash, he's roped into coaching a baseball team in the projects, filled with scary housing projects, drugs, gangs, guns. That Connor is able to quit the quick-buck gambling habit and finally turns that page into adulthood where he places his baseball player's concerns before his, the transformation is a gradual one, and the impact of him putting others before him is gratifying to watch as it unfolds.
In this film, one of the baseball players is the victim of a gang gunfight and in his death, the spirit and joy of playing a simple game like baseball extends outside the lines of a baseball field to fuel not only Connor's inter-personal growth, but the team as well as they learn to work together as a team, and taking it to the other team in hopes of a championship.
The parallels of this story with the ongoing drama that is unfolding in real life at least fills me with hope that we as Americans can overcome this tragedy, work together, and somehow succeed in the huge task of eradicating terrorism as much as possible, even though it has cost us the lives of so many innocent people.

 

[JohnS]

I would have LOVED to see the R rating of this film!
Did anyone else think there were a scene or two missing, with the one kid that quit the team and then joined the gang.(Coffey was the kid's name I think!)
It seemed like there was the missing transition.
I'm just really glad to see a harder edge movie like this, involving kids and sports.
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