Movie Review: The Perfect Game

UPDATE APRIL 14
As I prepare my review for this wonderful film, I thought I'd revive the excellent review of a friend of mine who attended a screening over a year ago (original date of this post was 7/08), and never lost faith that this film would be released.
Leticia Velasquez

A guest post by Lynn Mary Wilson who attended a preview of this film

In 1957 North America, baseball was, as it is today, filled with miracles of all sizes. In The Perfect Game, based on a true story of baseball and miracles, a ragtag group of young altar boys in Mexico without hope of baseball but living in a culture filled with miracles and formed by an unlikely padre played remarkably by Cheech Marin, unfold their story. It may be just in time to rescue modern baseball fans of all stripes from apathy, cynicism, disgust and maybe even football. Many things have not changed in baseball or in life - men have fallen to envy, prejudice and corruption in every age - the real story is in the redemption of fallen or disheartened or oppressed or angry men and The Perfect Game is a unique kind of redemption story - a story of faith, hope, charity and a little romance - and the victory of the underdog that is more timely now than half a century ago. There is even a great little subplot about women in sports journalism.

Uplifting us from the sandlot of Monterrey to the glory of Ebbets Field, this is a movie to cheer about. In fact, at the screening I attended, that's just what happened in the audience! People love a story of men who believe in a cause and fight for it, and this is one story and one cause that should have no detractors. There WAS prejudice in 1957 in all quarters, but that did not stop one faithful priest and his flock from giving one desperate man (Clifton Collins, Jr.) a reason to believe and some good work to do. In the process, from a most unlikely corner of the continent, comes a story that reminded a nation what it means to seek and to find not only the American dream, but the God Who is behind it all. It bears repeating that the story has not changed much over the years.

This movie was to have been released on August 8th, 2008, but has been put on the backburner. If you believe in the power of miracles, please contact Lionsgate to vote for release of this movie sooner rather than later.