At face value, "Little Big League" is nothing more than a kiddie story. The plot (teen inherits baseball team from grandfather and becomes manager) is wacky, the characters are stereotypes ("for the team" vs. "out for money"), and the ending is almost exactly what you would expect.
Yet, putting those "serious critiques" aside, this is, as a baseball fan, one of my favorite films of all-time! The reason? It is able to capture the kind of humor that baseball fans will seize upon as their own. Whether it be on-field tricks, clubhouse shenanigans, or the real-life "adventures" that players experience when not between the two white lines, all those areas are spot-on in their portrayal of the lighter side of America's pastime.
The way I perceive this movie is as a nice little compliment to the Kevin Costner baseball persona. Whereas Costner (in films like "Field of Dreams" and "For The Love Of The Game") re- creates the almost religious-like passion for the game of baseball that many fans have, this film does a similar deed...but from the comedic perspective. For nearly every character that steps in front of the camera, you could (at some point in history) find a real-life major league counterpart.
Thus, if you are a fan of baseball (especially the Minnesota Twins!) and are able to put your cynicism aside for about an hour and a half, this film will completely charm you with its hilarious antics and great baseball message (even if it is dripping in schmaltz).
Yet, putting those "serious critiques" aside, this is, as a baseball fan, one of my favorite films of all-time! The reason? It is able to capture the kind of humor that baseball fans will seize upon as their own. Whether it be on-field tricks, clubhouse shenanigans, or the real-life "adventures" that players experience when not between the two white lines, all those areas are spot-on in their portrayal of the lighter side of America's pastime.
The way I perceive this movie is as a nice little compliment to the Kevin Costner baseball persona. Whereas Costner (in films like "Field of Dreams" and "For The Love Of The Game") re- creates the almost religious-like passion for the game of baseball that many fans have, this film does a similar deed...but from the comedic perspective. For nearly every character that steps in front of the camera, you could (at some point in history) find a real-life major league counterpart.
Thus, if you are a fan of baseball (especially the Minnesota Twins!) and are able to put your cynicism aside for about an hour and a half, this film will completely charm you with its hilarious antics and great baseball message (even if it is dripping in schmaltz).