Crafted to be a family-friendly tale of overcoming great odds and believing in yourself, The Perfect Game hits all the right notes for the inspirational sports film. Plus, it boasts a remarkable cast led by Clifton Collins Jr., Cheech Marin, David Koechner, Emilie De Ravin, Bruce McGill, and Lou Gossett Jr. along with a talented collection of child actors. No one can say The Perfect Game doesn’t have a lot going for it, and with William Dear (Harry and the Hendersons) at the helm, the only real failure comes from its extras and its script, with the latter being the most egregious problem. Really odd pacing and lots of jumps make it a somewhat disjointed story, but the cast helps the audience ignore it.
Removed from his towel boy position with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cesar (Collins) heads back to his hometown in Monterrey, Mexico where he falls into a dark hole and wallows a bit. His self-pity soak comes to an end as a group of young boys approach him and, after learning that he has experience in the major leagues (on which he exaggerates his own importance), they ask him to coach their little league game for the upcoming World Series. Four weeks later, Cesar and Padre Esteban (Cheech Marin) have taught the kids all they need to know about baseball and hit the road on the way to their baseball destiny. One by one, American teams bow out as the team from Mexico gain worldwide attention and makes its underdog story the stuff of legends, culminating in the chance to pitch a perfect game.
The baseball story, despite being a true story, feels like every formulaic sports movie rolled into one combined with themes of racism, gender equality, and faith. The messages are delivered with all the subtlety of a bulldozer and at times it’s a bit too much. With all the different side stories of morality, none of them gets the attention they deserve and so they all feel as shallow as they are. Further compounding the matter, but keeping in mind that the film does take place in 1957 and racial issues were at a much cruder place, the extras who wander in with one or two lines as examples of bigotry deliver their lines like it’s a Sunday special, each relishing their moment on camera – and it shows. All at once, the point has gotten lost because it’s only lip-service to begin with and the extras can’t just give an honest reading.
Back to the story, while it’s got every cliché a sports and period piece film can have, the biggest grievance is in how the story progresses. Perhaps the full games and more time on the field was shown in the original footage but got left on the editing floor, but it’s just as likely that the script, in an effort to make sure a lot of plotpoints are explained and the team gets to the World Series with 10 minutes to spare in the film’s runtime, cuts down on a lot of the important stuff. One example being the practices. We see Cesar coaching the kids here and there, but we’re supposed to believe that in four weeks he got them from kids who knew nothing substantial about the game and had no real knowledge of the techniques to a team capable of beating a bunch of other 12-year-olds who’d been playing in the leagues for years. Of the coaching he we do see, a lot of it is Cesar telling the kids to take laps or very brief snippets. It’s one thing to do a montage and have it span a few months, but if you’re going to tell us its four weeks then the practice sequences need to be developed much better.
Instead, the script wastes time with story lines about a disapproving father, Cesar’s romancing of the local beauty, faith, and Cesar’s past with the Cardinals. If the main story is going to suffer because you decide to include too many distractions, then cut out the distractions. As is, The Perfect Game feels cluttered and poorly structured.
On the other hand, you can’t argue with the terrific performance by Clifton Collins Jr. and Cheech Marin, who play well off one another and make believable role models. Emilie De Ravin also excels as the sassy reporter forced onto a sports beat, only to find the story to be the biggest one she’s ever covered. With those three generating enough dramatic credibility for the film, the decent performances from the child actors (Ryan Ochoa, Gabriel Morales, Moises Arias, Jake T. Austin, Jansen Panettiere) are much easier to take. There’s usually a certain level of leeway you have to afford the younger stars, as they tend to over deliver their lines as they haven’t yet grasped nuance or understatement, but as is their boundless enthusiasm makes them fit the part.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
There’s not much beyond an audio commentary by Director William Dear, a brief behind the scenes featurette, and the trailer.
"The Perfect Game" is on sale August 2, 2011 and is rated PG. Children & Family, Drama, Sports. Directed by William Dear. Written by W. William Winkour. Starring Cheech Marin, Clifton Collins Jr, Emilie De Ravin, Jake T Austin, Moises Arias, Gabriel Morales, Ryan Ochoa.
