Where Hope Grows (2014)
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A disgraced former baseball player finds a path to redemption through an unlikely friendship with a man with Down syndrome.
The story
After freezing at home plate, professional baseball player Calvin Campbell retires from the Detroit Tigers and retreats to his hometown in Louisville, Kentucky. He puts his life on hold for years, struggling with alcoholism and personal failure. His daughter, Katie, seeks attention from unhealthy relationships due to her father's absence. While at a supermarket, Calvin meets "Produce," a joyful fruit and vegetable boy with Down syndrome. Produce's optimistic attitude begins to impact Calvin's life, leading to a unique friendship as Calvin seeks a listening ear and Produce offers a new way of dealing with disappointment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Calvin Campbell, a retired baseball player, lives in Louisville, Kentucky, struggling with alcoholism and a sense of failure. His daughter, Katie, turns to unhealthy relationships to fill the void left by her father. Calvin meets "Produce," a cheerful man with Down syndrome who works at a supermarket. Produce's contagious joy begins to influence Calvin, who starts to find hope through their friendship. However, Calvin's struggles continue, and he faces a moment of deep hopelessness when his daughter admits she has given up on him. After apologizing to Produce and attending Alcoholics Anonymous, Calvin resolves to quit drinking. The story follows Katie's interactions with a boy named Colt, who eventually attempts to sexually assault her; Produce intervenes to save her. Later, Produce is hit by a car driven by a man named Milton. Both Produce and Milton are hospitalized. In a flash forward, it is revealed that Calvin became a minor league baseball manager, Produce survived and became the team's bat boy, and Milton passed away. The film ends with Calvin dedicating his ceremonial first pitch to Milton.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Dowling
- Writers
- Chris Dowling · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kristoffer Polaha; Billy Zabka; Brooke Burns; Kerr Smith; Danica McKellar; McKaley Miller; David DeSanctis
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- Redemption; Friendship; Overcoming Addiction; Faith; Disability
- Tone and mood
- Dramatic; Inspirational
- Setting
- Louisville, Kentucky; contemporary period
- Premise and plot tags
- Sports; Drama; Inspirational; Down Syndrome
- Reception
- Where Hope Grows received mixed reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 50% · review count: 14; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Production trivia
- The film was released in the United States on May 15, 2015.; The film grossed $1.2 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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