An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling, and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.
It’s easy to forget the small films Keanu Reeves made in between his blockbuster hits such as “Speed,” “The Matrix,” and the Bill & Ted movies. I never got to see “Hardball” upon its theatrical release in 2001 but I’m glad I got to finally watch it and while it is not groundbreaking in any sense of the word, it is enjoyable and a perfect movie night for the whole family.
Reeves plays Conor O’Neill, a gambler who lives in Chicago and who owes a lot of money to two different bookies. When he reaches out to his old friend Jimmy (Mike McGlone) for a loan, he refuses to help him, knowing that he will forever be in debt but he offers him the opportunity to coach a group of troubled African-American fifth-grade baseballers for $500 a week for 10 weeks. Initially, Conor refuses, stating he is no good with kids but Jimmy tells him to take it or leave it. Reluctantly, he accepts.
Naturally, Conor is true to his word and doesn’t know how to handle kids but with the help of one of their teachers, Elizabeth Wilkes (Diane Lane), Conor learns how to be a good coach, a good listener, and most importantly, a good friend to the troubled youths. As the kids begin to improve with Conor’s guidance and influence, he is excited to take them all the way to the championship, and regardless of whether they win or lose, they have come together as a team and overcome all obstacles in their way.
While “Hardball” is clichéd and follows all the stereotypical tropes associated with movies of this ilk, think “The Mighty Ducks,” “Angels in the Outfield,” and “The Rookie,” it is still enjoyable thanks to Reeves’ arrogant yet likable demeanor. In the beginning, he turns up and lets the kids do whatever they want, as long as he receives his paycheck but we all know as the story progresses, so will he, and progress he does, putting the needs and obligations of the kids before his own.
Diane Lane appears intermittently as Reeves’ love interest and while they do share onscreen chemistry, sadly, she is not in the film long enough for the two to form any kind of enduring connection, and this might have been done intentionally, allowing Conor to focus more on the kids instead of allowing a romantic liaison to interfere with his coaching of the kids. In the end, “Hardball” teaches us the importance of family and friendship, and that even self-centered, pretentious screwups like Conor, deserve a second chance. Watch out for a young Michael B. Jordan.
Now available on Blu-ray for the first time
