I drove out to the far exurbs (Ashburn, VA, in Loudoun
County, at a new Regal) to see “Home Run” because it is a baseball movie. And
the film, from director David Boyd, is, not surprisingly, a Christian film,
that the theater owners prefer to exhibit in more rural and “conservative” and
often religious communities.
If you’re going to make a faith-based and socially
conservative movie, fine. Please build
characters that you can like. Have a real plot and suspense. “Abel’s Field”, a few weeks ago, did
that.
But this film turned preachy toward the end as a lot of
people, whom some people would see as “losers”, stood up and announced their
submission to “Him” in what was supposed to be a faith-based twelve-step
program. No problem with that – I don’t
think that’s what happens. The film isn't just "religious" or faith-based; as Bill Maher says, it's "Religulous".
The film opens as a young Cory is bullied by his father on
the family farm by the “six strikes” rule.
He does learn to be a good left-handed hitter. Cut to the modern day, and Cory hits what
should be an inside-the-park home run but misses third base because he is drunk
and is called out on appeal. That one
scene in the film was technically effective.
He throws a tantrum, injures a batboy, and is suspended on
condition of completing a twelve-step program.
But he keeps drinking during the program, and even causes injury in an
auto DWI wreck.
Cory is played by Scott Elrod, who looks appealing enough,
until the high-definition digital images in Regal’s outstanding new projection
system show that he shaves his forearms.
Justin Timberlake seems to have done that.
The film does convey the intimacy and dynamics of young
family life at times, and suggests the idea that it can draw others in.
The setting of the film, Oklahoma, in and around Tulsa,
looks appealing enough.
But the filmmakers had to “greek” all the MLB team
names. Apparently MLB wouldn’t license
their trademark use in this film for any reasonable price. Was that because of the “religious”
purpose?
The official site (Samuel Goldwyn Films) is here.
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