Hardball (2001)
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A debt-ridden gambler agrees to coach a team of troubled youth from Chicago's housing projects to pay off his bookies.
The story
Gambler and ticket scalper Conor O'Neill finds himself in significant debt to two bookies after a secret bet on his late father's account. To repay the debt, he agrees to coach a youth baseball team of troubled fifth-grade children from Chicago's ABLA housing projects for $500 a week. The team faces immediate challenges, including a shortage of players due to school requirements and internal hostility among the kids following a heavy first-game loss. Conor must work to unite the players and improve their performance while navigating threats from his bookies and attempting to kindle a romance with their teacher.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Conor O'Neill, a gambler in debt to bookies, agrees to coach a youth baseball team of troubled fifth-graders from Chicago's ABLA housing projects to earn money. The team struggles with a lack of players, internal friction, and poor performance. Conor works to build team chemistry, eventually leading them to victories. However, his stress peaks when he makes a $12,000 bet to cover his debts, facing threats from the league president and bookies. Despite a period of friction where Conor briefly threatens to quit, he eventually wins his bet, pays off his debts, and focuses on the kids. He secures new uniforms and leads them to the championship. In a tragic turn during the semi-finals, a young player named G-Baby is killed in a gang gunfight after a winning hit. Conor delivers a moving eulogy for the boy. The team chooses to play the championship game in G-Baby's honor, wearing black armbands. They ultimately win the championship, and Conor finds personal growth through the experience.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian Robbins
- Writers
- John Gatins · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Keanu Reeves · Conor O'Neill; Diane Lane · Elizabeth "Sister" Wilkes; D. B. Sweeney · G-Baby
- Genres
- sports comedy-drama; drama; comedy
- Themes
- redemption; teamwork; overcoming adversity
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; dramatic; comedic
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; drama; comedy; youth sports; baseball
- Source material / true-story basis
- Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Daniel Coyle
- Reception
- The film received mixed to average reviews from critics, with a 41% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 48/100 score on Metacritic. However, it was well-received by audiences, earning an A- on CinemaScore. It was a box office success, topping the charts shortly after the September 11 attacks.
- Production trivia
- The film topped the box office the weekend after the September 11 attacks.; The film was shot in Detroit.; The soundtrack peaked at #55 on the Billboard 200.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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