Major League

release year: 1989
genre: baseball comedy
viewing setting: home DVD, 7/19/06 and home VHS, 12/8/01 (and numerous times previously)

synopsis: With nothing left to lose, the ragtag Cleveland Indians start to win.

impressions: This film combined two of my favorite things: baseball and comedy. It's one of the most re-watchable movies I have ever seen. It's funny, yet it's just serious enough to be taken seriously. I really liked the ever-present threat of demotion to the minors vs the glory of playing at the major-league level.

acting: One of the main things going for this movie is the wide assortment of characters, most of them players on the team. We've got the aging catcher looking for one more good season, the ex-con with a 100 mph fastball, the speedy but inexperienced rookie, the slugger who can't hit anything besides fastballs, the nonchalant veteran who's more interested in his portfolio than his team, and so forth. Top-notch performances by Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Corbin Bernsen, and Renee Russo, among others.

final word: A must-see for any baseball fan, and a classic of its genre.

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