The Perfect Game

Last updated
The Perfect Game
Perfect game.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by William Dear
Written byW. William Winokur
Produced byDavid Salzberg
Mark W. Koch
Christian Tureaud
Jason French
Starring Clifton Collins Jr.
Cheech Marin
Emilie de Ravin
Jake T. Austin
Moises Arias
Jansen Panettiere
Ryan Ochoa
Louis Gossett Jr.
Bruce McGill
CinematographyBryan F. Greenberg
Edited byChris Conlee
Music by Bill Conti
Production
companies
IndustryWorks Pictures
HighRoad Entertainment
Prelude Pictures
Lone Runner Entertainment
Independent Producers Alliance
Distributed by Lionsgate
Image Entertainment
Release dates
  • March 21, 2009 (2009-03-21)(Guadalajara)
  • April 16, 2010 (2010-04-16)(US)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.8 million

The Perfect Game is a 2009 American drama film directed by William Dear, based on the 2008 book of the same name written by W. William Winokur. [1] The film is based on the events leading to the 1957 Little League World Series, which was won by the first team from outside the United States, the Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Mexico, who defeated the heavily favored U.S. team. [2] Mexican pitcher Ángel Macías threw the first, and so far only, perfect game in championship game history.

Contents

Plot

César Faz (Clifton Collins Jr.), moves to Monterrey, Mexico, after he is let go by the St. Louis Cardinals from his job as a clubhouse attendant. There he meets local children being led by Padre Esteban (Cheech Marin), enjoying baseball; he takes pitcher Ángel Macías (Jake T. Austin), under his wing and brags about his own pitching skills and how he used to coach the Cardinals. Ángel convinces César to help recruit and coach Monterrey's first-ever Little League team. With César's skills and Padre Esteban's support, the boys hone themselves into a competitive team worthy of international competition. At the final game of the World Series of Little League, Monterrey defeated the team of West La Mesa, California, 4–0. Enrique Suárez (Jansen Panettiere), hit a grand slam home run, and Ángel Macías pitched a perfect game, a feat that has not since been repeated in Little League World Series history.

When the team arrives in the United States, they are met with racism, a language barrier, and visa troubles. Though the underdogs, the team scores a series of victories that endear them to the media, and new fans. They befriend a sports reporter, Frankie (Emilie de Ravin), and groundskeeper Cool Papa Bell (Louis Gossett Jr.), who then assist the boys in reaching the final game.

Cast

Actor Jake T. Austin in 2008 Jake T. Austin 2008.jpg
Actor Jake T. Austin in 2008

Background

The film is based on a true story about a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico, who became the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series in 1957. Their team was Industriales de Monterrey, nicknamed "Los pequeños gigantes" (The little giants). Before traveling to the United States, the Little League team of the Industriales de Monterrey Baseball Club, played two seasons on the local 4 team Little League circuit before qualifying, as the second Little League team coming from outside of the United States and Canada; they participated in the southern area regional tournaments, which qualified them for the Little League World Series, held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The Industriales won all qualifying tournaments, to many rather unexpectedly, and advanced to the Little League World Series as the first Mexican team. There, they made it to the finals and defeated the highly favored team from La Mesa, California by a score of 4–0. The pitcher from Monterrey, Angel Macías, threw the first and only perfect game in championship history. [3] The Industriales de Monterrey little league team was so dominant that year, that they were able to repeat their success in the following year in the 1958 Little League World Series.

The film scenes in Monterrey, which is the leading industrial center, one of the largest Mexican cities for over 100 years and a major center for science and research in Mexico, depicted the city as a two-burro village where the children played ball in the dirt choked streets with pigs and chickens serving as bases. The border between Mexico and Texas was portrayed as an out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere border crossing along a dirt road, instead of a bridge border-crossing over the Rio Grande. The digital work to recreate the separate looks for the United States and Monterrey in 1957 was done by Post Logic Studios. [4]

Reception

The film has received mixed reviews. Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times said he felt that "the film did a nice job of telling the story of the surprise upset when a youth ball team from Monterrey, Mexico, won the 1957 Little League World Series." He also commented that, "although the story seems like a fable, it reflected true events." He further expressed concern over Lionsgate's suspending the original release date. [5] Ben Apatoff of MLB.com felt that the film was a strong family movie that appeals to baseball history buffs or any person who could relate to a child in love with the game. [1] Roger Ebert wrote: "You sort of know how these underdog sports movies turn out. Doesn't matter. The Perfect Game so expertly uses the charisma and personalities of the actors, especially the young ones, that it's thrilling anyway." [6]

A. O. Scott of At the Movies said, "[From] the second minute of the movie I knew every single thing that was going to happen and there was not a single surprise." [7] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "The movie feels fraudulent, whether it's sticking to the historical record or going its own way with the customary composites and revisions and fabrications." [8] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 43 reviews are positive, with an average score of 5.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "It's bogged down with an unfocused script and countless sports movie cliches, but The Perfect Game still manages to charm with its unabashed sweetness and a stirring final act. " [9]

Release

The film screened at the 2009 Guadalajara International Film Festival, [10] with Eva Longoria invited to the preview. [11] Louis Gossett Jr. was also in attendance for the premiere. [12] The film was originally to be released in theaters on August 8, 2008, but it was bumped from that date, [5] which Lionsgate said was due to marketing monies another party pledged but did not deliver. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect game (baseball)</span> Baseball game in which at least one team has no baserunners

In baseball, a perfect game is a game in which one or more pitchers complete a minimum of nine innings with no batter from the opposing team reaching base. To achieve a perfect game, a team must not allow any opposing player to reach base by any means: no hits, walks, hit batsmen, uncaught third strikes, catcher's interference, fielder's obstruction, or fielding errors which allow a batter to reach base.

Alphonse Dante Bichette Sr. is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the California Angels (1988–1990), Milwaukee Brewers (1991–1992), Colorado Rockies (1993–1999), Cincinnati Reds (2000), and Boston Red Sox (2000–2001). He was also the hitting coach for the Rockies in 2013. He batted and threw right-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little League Baseball</span> Youth sports organization

Little League Baseball and Softball is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania,, that organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. The Series was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania; while the postal address of the organization is in Williamsport, the Series itself is played at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Volunteer Stadium at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Nicolás de los Garza</span> City in Nuevo León, Mexico

San Nicolás de los Garza, sometimes known only as San Nicolás, is a city and coextensive municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León that is part of the Monterrey metropolitan area. It has become primarily a city for residences and family houses, although it still has several factories that tend to relocate to the periphery of the metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, behind Monterrey, Guadalupe, Ciudad Apodaca and General Escobedo.

<i>Angels in the Outfield</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by William Dear

Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 American family sports fantasy comedy-drama film directed by William Dear. It is a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. It stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd, and features several future stars, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrien Brody, Matthew McConaughey, and Neal McDonough. It was followed by two made for TV sequels, Angels in the Endzone and Angels in the Infield. It was released less than a month before the 1994 MLB Baseball Strike, which forced the league to cancel the playoffs and the World Series.

<i>Little Big League</i> 1994 American film

Little Big League is a 1994 American family sports film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield, and Ashley Crow. The film is director Andrew Scheinman's first and only feature film directorial project.

<i>Mickey</i> (2004 film) 2004 American film

Mickey is a 2004 American baseball drama film that stars Harry Connick, Jr., directed by Hugh Wilson, and written by best-selling novelist John Grisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clifton Collins Jr.</span> American actor

Clifton Craig Collins Jr. is an American film and television actor. He is a Primetime Emmy Award, Independent Spirit Award, Satellite Award, and four-time ALMA Award nominee, and a Screen Actors Guild Award winner. Prior to 1999, he was credited as Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jansen Panettiere</span> American actor (1994–2023)

Jansen Panettiere was an American actor, known for his roles in films The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Perfect Game, The Martial Arts Kid, and How High 2. He has also provided several voice roles, including Periwinkle in the sixth and final season of the Nick Jr. children's live-action/animated TV series Blue's Clues, young Stripes in Racing Stripes, young Rodney Copperbottom in Robots, Truman X in the Nickelodeon animated TV series The X's, and Shovelmouth Boy in Ice Age: The Meltdown.

Juan Carlos Cacho Gutiérrez is a Mexican former professional footballer and current manager of Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diablos Rojos del México</span> Mexican League baseball franchise in Mexico City

The Diablos Rojos del Mexico are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their home games at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, which has a seating capacity of 20,233 people. They have won a league leading seventeen league championships, including back-to-back championships three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little League World Series in Mexico</span> Youth baseball competition in Mexico

Qualification for the Little League World Series in Mexico, whereby teams based in Mexico compete to select a champion to participate in the Little League World Series (LLWS), has occurred since 2001. In 2001, when the LLWS expanded to 16 teams, the Mexico Region was created as one of eight international regions, resulting in Mexico's Little League champion receiving an automatic berth in the LLWS. Mexico previously competed as part of the Latin America Region, from 1958 to 2001, whereby the champion from Mexico had to compete against teams from other countries in order to secure a berth in the LLWS.

The 1957 Little League World Series took place during August 21 through 23 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, defeated Northern La Mesa Little League of La Mesa, California, in the championship game of the 11th Little League World Series (LLWS). Ángel Macías threw the first and, to date, only perfect game in an LLWS championship.

<i>Eastbound & Down</i> American television series

Eastbound & Down is an American sports comedy television series that was broadcast on HBO, and created by Ben Best, Jody Hill and Danny McBride. It stars McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher who, after a career downturn in the major leagues, is forced to return to his hometown middle school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a substitute physical education teacher.

The Latin America Region has competed in the Little League World Series since its creation in 1958. Until 2001, the Latin America Region included Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2001 – when the Little League World Series expanded to sixteen teams – Mexico and the Caribbean were given their own regions. The region is open to all countries on the Latin American mainland, but is typically contested by the teams from Panama and Venezuela. Since the 2001 split, the region has been represented by either Venezuela or Panama at the Little League World Series, as of 2019.

The 1958 Little League World Series took place on August 19 through 22 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, won its second consecutive Little League World Series (LLWS) by defeating the Jaycee Little League of Kankakee, Illinois, in the 12th championship game.

<i>The Least Among You</i> 2009 American film

The Least Among You is a film based on the true story of Presbyterian Rev. Dr. Charles Marks' formative years, written and directed by first time writer/director Mark Young. It explores issues of self-determination in the face of systemic racial persecution in the United States in the mid-1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">César Vargas</span> Mexican baseball player (born 1991)

César Vargas is a Mexican professional baseball for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He has previously played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estadio Mobil Super</span> Stadium

The Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey, officially known as Estadio Mobil Super and popularly known as Palacio Sultán, is a baseball stadium in Monterrey, Mexico. It is the home venue of the Sultanes Monterrey Mexican League baseball team. It holds 21,803 people, making it the largest baseball stadium in Mexico and the third-largest in Latin America.

References

  1. 1 2 Apatoff, Ben (July 17, 2009). "Little Leaguers make waves". MLB.com. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  2. Morrison, Jim (April 6, 2010). "The Little League World Series' Only Perfect Game". Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  3. Marilyn Beck, Stacy Jenel Smith (August 6, 2008). "Clifton Collins Jr. on "The Perfect Game"". The National Ledger. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  4. "Post Logic Studios Completes Digital Intermediate and VFX Work for The Perfect Game". postproductionbuyersguide.com. Post Production. July 9, 2008. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  5. 1 2 Goldstein, Patrick (July 24, 2008). "Lionsgate's 'Perfect Game': Bumped to season's end?". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  6. Ebert, Robert. suntimes.com, "The Perfect Game". Accessed 26 April 2010.
  7. "At the Movies". Archived from the original on 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  8. Phillips, Michael (April 15, 2010). "'Perfect Game': Real-life baseball fable turns into an easy out". Chicago Tribune.
  9. "The Perfect Game - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  10. "Film Festival widens its reach". Guadalajara Reporter. March 20, 2009. pp. paragraph 14. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  11. "Eva Longoria absolument divine... pour son retour au pays". wabayn.com (in French). March 23, 2009. pp. paragraph 2. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  12. "Mr. Gossett attends the Guadalajara Film Festival". louisgossett.com. March 21, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  13. Jorn, John (August 14, 2008). "Lionsgate's novel plan of attack: Blitz 'em". Los Angeles Times. pp. paragraph 11. Retrieved 2009-07-19.

Further reading