| A League of Their Own | | Cast : | Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty | | Director : | Penny Marshall | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 01, 1992 | | DVD Released Date : | June 04, 2002 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 29, 2005 | | Summary | "Girls can't play baseball!" | Content
 | Penny Marshall's film about the first women league during the course of World War II, brought the women out of the kitchen and onto the baseball diamond to play and amuse the people while the boys are fighting overseas. At first, the league is ridiculed and made fun of, but some star players really bring in the crowds and show that indeed girls can play baseball. The Rockford Peaches, a team of consisting of a vixen, a former Miss Georgia, and two sisters that have a intense rivalry that consists of the younger sister being constantly in the bigger sister's shadow as the teams star catcher. With a deadbeat, washed out, former baseball player as their manager, The team forms a bond that isn't broken over the course of years. When they go to the playoffs, the sisters rivalry comes to a head as the sisters have to prove who is the better baseball player.
Penny Marshall simply has made a marvelous film that combines emotion, drama, and comedy effectively. She can take a actor and make them have some fine acting done. She effectively makes the characters seem real and realistic. She doesn't make the characters seem fake and wooden. She adds dignity and emotion to the ball players and adds a sense where we see the ball players as women. She also can feeling strange and wonderful when the movie is over because you have experienced the women as both ballplayers and humans.
Tom Hanks gives one of his most unique performances to date. He proves that he has the staying power and the guts to take a character and add his own characteristics to it. He is a marvolous character actor. Geena Davis was a solid actress. Her performance was probably one of the best of her career. She really has the acting chops. Madonna was very imperessive in her role, and she hasn't amazed me lately in her roles. But, she really pulled out a solid performance in this film.
Penny Marshall really proved that she is one of Hollywood's best female directors. Like I said, She adds a certian diginity to her characters and makes them human. She has a soft side and it shows in her movies. The film is a solid look at a league that was ridculed and it rised above the chains and formed some solid all american players. I have to say, very impressive, Ms. Marshall. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 11, 2005 | | Summary | Great Film | Content
| I really enjoy this movie. Every time I watch it I find something new, see something that I never noticed before.
It is really a classic and I suggest that everyone (man, woman, child) watch it.
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| Rating | | | Date | February 24, 2005 | | Summary | Life in the AAGPBL | Content
| I was reading the comments about the DVD version of this movie, and noticed some comments from another viewer that I could not let go by without my two cents:
"Notice that we first see Kit as a softball pitcher. How she made the transition from throwing underhanded to being one of the best overhand hardball throwers in the league in just a few months is...well, doubtful."
The original league did play a modified form of softball/baseball that changed over time. It was originally a modified fast pitch softball which was played with baseball rules, including leading off bases. The pitching distance and the base paths were, however, longer than regulation softball. It was originally called The All-American Girls Soft Ball League, then it was All-American Girls Base Ball League. Finally it became the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. I'm sure that they learned the official rules in spring training.
"And the outfits they wore! Ever try to slide into second trying to break up the double play without sliding pads or even jersey pants? I don't think so. The girls were bare-legged. To Marshall's credit she does show one girl with a huge strawberry bruise on her thigh."
The girls did play in skirts. Their official uniform consisted of short flaired tunic, satin tights, knee-high baseball socks and cap. They did nurse strawberry bruises. They did wear their "Red Badge of Courage"... red lipstick. In the early years, they did attend charm school, received a makeup kit, and the league contracted Helena Rubenstein's Beauty Salon to meet with the girls during spring training.
"for those viewers who have actually played baseball, the way many of the young women threw and caught the ball was again, shall we say, doubtful. Marshall employed as extras some young ladies who could actually play a little and we see some shots of their style and grace, but the only star who could even pretend to play at that level would be Rosie O'Donnell. Madonna has some athletic ability, but to imagine her patrolling center field and hauling down long drives strains credibility."
Well, do you expect professional actors to become professional ballplayers overnight?
I suggest that anyone interested in this interesting era of women in sports visit the official AAGPBL website. I have paraphrased much information that I read on their site and hope that they do not object.
Okay... buy the movie, but learn the real story, too. The movie isn't EXACTLY the way it was. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 02, 2005 | | Summary | Great Baseball Movie! | Content
| A League of their Own is one of the greatest moives ever. It is based on a true story. I love how it shows how girls playing baseball started back in the 50s. It not only shows how baseball grew in just one year but also how two sisters who seem to be always competeing against each other learn to grow to appreciate and love each other very much. It is a heartwarming movie that you can never get sick of. You can also find yourself resiting the lines of the movie.
I have many favorite parts of the movie but one of my favorite is when the coach, Jim Duggan, yells at one of the girls that messed up a play and she starts to cry. He repeats back to her "There's no crying in baseball." Then later on, the same girl makes another mistake and the coach doesn't yell at her this time just informs her that she needs to work on that on the off season. Just that part can show you that Jim Duggan, who didnt think girls playing baseball was possible, learns to appreciate his players and wants to help them succeed in playing that game.
I play softball and ever since I saw that movie when I was younger, I feel in love with the game. Whenever i'm having a bad day or I am in a slump and feel really down about my performance, I just watch that movie and it cheers me up or makes me what to practice harder to get out of the slump.
You should definitely purchase this movie and you will realize how great it truely is!
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| Rating | | | Date | December 31, 2004 | | Summary | Wonderful Historical picture | Content
| This movie is a masterpiece. It belends The history of the AAGPBL seemlessly with the music of Hans Zimmer, Billy Joel and more, as well as the amazing acting. I think that probably the best character as well as performence in this movie goes to Megan Cavanaugh as Marla Hooch. If you see the deleted footage on the wonderful DVD, you see her playing for Raciene looking like a beauty, nothing like her ugly duckling start in Colorado. I also props have to be given to Lori Petty for her performance as Kit.
Penny Marshall does a wonderful job of directing this film. If you don't cry at the end you are not human.
And if all this doesn't convince you, Madonna has one of her only 2 good acting performances in this movie! |
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