6. A League of Their Own
🚨All of the 'You Changed My Life, Coach!' posts contain major spoilers🚨
'A League of Their Own' is a 1992 film starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna. Here's the Wikipedia page.
I've seen this film at least once before. Geena Davis plays Dottie Hinson, and baseball star in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League which was a real thing that happened in the USA between 1943 and 1954. Due to the Second World War's impact on baseball with many or most players being away somebody came up with the idea of a professional womens' league so that the fans could still watch baseball.
What happened to Geena Davis yeah? She was a really good movie star. Kind of like Tom Hanks as it happens. Like, a bankable and relatable actor who could get a film made and carry it. Geena Davis not having an equivalent career to Tom Hanks makes me a bit sad.
Tom Hanks plays a drunk asshole. Madonna is alright but it's a bit cynical to have her on the poster because her role isn't that large. Madonna does a great dance scene though. Rosie O'Donnell gives a better performance than Madonna as Madonna's sidekick. Lori Petty is a pivotal character as Geena Davis's sister and puts in one of the best performances in the film. Lori Petty played the lead in 'Tank Girl' how did that film get made? Hey it was the 90's and for example Warner Brothers released 'Pony Express Record' by Shudder to Think which is utterly bonkers. That's just how it was back then. Did the major media players of the time end up accidentally backing daring material because of Nirvana and such? Maybe.
Anyway. Back to inspirational sports films.
Against all odds rural farm person Geena Davis is seen playing baseball really well by a sleazy scout and he makes her an offer but she pushes back on him whilst milking cows - there's a condition: she has to bring her scrappy sister who isn't as good at baseball with her and then against all odds they both make it through the tryouts in the big city and they sign for the Rockford Peaches.
We learn the scrappy sister played by Lori Petty has a baseball weakness. Ooh.
Geena Davis proceeds to own baseball and drunk asshole Tom Hanks comes good and is a bit of a better coach and thankfully there's no love interest angle between Geena Davis and Tom Hanks.
There's some kind of drama where Lori Petty ends up getting traded to a rival team. And then she ends up winning the big tournament with that rival team which is an inspirational sports movie trope. Lori Petty overcomes her already established baseball weakness. Ooh. This works in the film's favour so that you know. We're invested in the Rockford Peaches and then at the last minute they are crushed by the odds that they had previously been triumphing against.
The baseball elements of the film are good. I appreciated the strength and athleticism that was often on display when the film (which was made nearly 30 years ago) could easily have settled into a 'girls can't play sport' pattern.
Also the sexism of the era the film was set it wasn't shied away from and isn't played for laughs. It's a film full of strong, and to an extent well-realised, female characters.
The ending is really abrupt and bad. It's a flash forward to Geena Davis reuniting with her former All American Girls Professional Baseball League colleagues after being a phenomenon who only played one season. I'd like to think if the same story was told today it would be better realised.
Nevertheless, this is a good example of the genre. There are a handful of really good performances. It's played fairly mild in terms of some of the themes it could have tackled. Geena Davis retires from baseball because her husband came back injured from the war, maybe that's a realistic representation of what would happen but she does just give up her baseball career immediately. Geena Davis's character was an absolute saint, maybe too much so.
Did the coach change lives?
Was there triumph against the odds?
Did people grow together through sport?
Definitely.
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