Alan Arkin and Graham Greene are terrific in this poignant, funny look at friendship, regret and unrealized dreams played out against a background of baseball as it was before multimillion-dollar contracts and prima donna stars. Baseball scout and retired pitcher Harry Willette may not seem too lovable at first (cantankerous might be a better description), but it's a measure of Arkin's talent that the better we come to know him, the more we care about him and where he is in life. Greene offers a deadpan and laconic portrayal of Harry's deceased best friend and former catcher, Raymond Maracle, and delivers some of the best laughs. The other supporting roles -- from Josh Charles as Harry's nephew to Ann Wedgeworth as a faded baseball groupie and director Charles Haid in a small, explosive cameo as an old nemesis -- are perfectly cast and beautifully played. All in all, a baseball road trip well worth taking.
Review of Cooperstown
