bnorthup
10-23-2001, 12:10 AM
Hard Life, Hard Ball
***1/2
By Katherine Northup
Freshman at Helena High
“Hardball” was a wonderful film about helping others, having a good time, and survival. Why is it that every time I don’t want to see a movie, it actually turns out all right?
This film about a “loser” who coaches a kids' baseball team portrays life in its most real sense. Life’s hard all over, not just in the high society. It isn’t only the grown ups who get hurt. What you do around kids rubs off on them and effects the way their choices later on in life.
“Hardball” is about a man named Conor O’Neill (Keanu Reeves) who has ruined his life by gambling. He is in deep crap because he owes two ‘bookies’ over a thousand bucks, but can’t pay it.
When he goes to a friend in the investment business for a loan, the fiend tells him that he won’t loan him anything, but he will pay Conor $500 every week to coach a kid’s baseball team in the Chicago Housing Authority league. O’Neill doesn’t want any part of this, but is forced to because he has no other source of income other than gambling.
The kids as it turns out are all African Americans who were raised in the ghetto. O’Neill has some problems getting the boys to cooperate, but eventually they start to trust and like each other even though O’Neill still claims that he is just coaching them for the money.
He runs into some qualms with the teacher of two of the boys. The teacher, Elizabeth Wilkes (Diane Lane) won’t let them play ball unless they read two books, one of which being Wrinkle in Time.
To impress Elizabeth, Conor volunteers to help tutor the children. The movie never really shows whether or not O’Neill helps the boys with reading or not, but the boys do read the book.
I thought it was incredibly sad when one of them says that the girl and her mother in the book are stupid because they think the dad will come home, because where he comes from, “ain’t nobody’s dad comes home where I’m from.”
Eventually O’Neill pays off his debts, gains trust and love from the baseball team, and gets Elizabeth to be his girlfriend, but not without many hardships along the way.
I’m not sure who should see this movie. It has kids in it and therefore people seem to think that it is kids who should see “Hardball.”
I’m not so sure I agree.
There is a ton of language in this movie that many conservative folks would say isn’t appropriate for kids under 13, but others would argue that it is just ghetto talk. Some of the younger kids in the theatre were laughing at moments that would normally be thought sad. I found it very inappropriate.
There are a lot of violence and drugs in “Hardball.” I think it is a good idea not to disillusion children with a “perfect world” image, but not until they seem ready to handle it.
I guess I would recommend this movie to people of ages 14 and up. I don’t think anyone younger would get the full extent of the movie. It’s not meant to be funny or cute. This shows a pretty good picture of how things are in other places in the world and some of it even spills over into Montana.
My advice to those of you who do see “Hardball” is to bring a handkerchief. It was a wonderful movie. “Hardball” isn’t the sort of movie you save for a time when you just want something to pass the time. I loved it and I hope you will too.
***1/2
By Katherine Northup
Freshman at Helena High
“Hardball” was a wonderful film about helping others, having a good time, and survival. Why is it that every time I don’t want to see a movie, it actually turns out all right?
This film about a “loser” who coaches a kids' baseball team portrays life in its most real sense. Life’s hard all over, not just in the high society. It isn’t only the grown ups who get hurt. What you do around kids rubs off on them and effects the way their choices later on in life.
“Hardball” is about a man named Conor O’Neill (Keanu Reeves) who has ruined his life by gambling. He is in deep crap because he owes two ‘bookies’ over a thousand bucks, but can’t pay it.
When he goes to a friend in the investment business for a loan, the fiend tells him that he won’t loan him anything, but he will pay Conor $500 every week to coach a kid’s baseball team in the Chicago Housing Authority league. O’Neill doesn’t want any part of this, but is forced to because he has no other source of income other than gambling.
The kids as it turns out are all African Americans who were raised in the ghetto. O’Neill has some problems getting the boys to cooperate, but eventually they start to trust and like each other even though O’Neill still claims that he is just coaching them for the money.
He runs into some qualms with the teacher of two of the boys. The teacher, Elizabeth Wilkes (Diane Lane) won’t let them play ball unless they read two books, one of which being Wrinkle in Time.
To impress Elizabeth, Conor volunteers to help tutor the children. The movie never really shows whether or not O’Neill helps the boys with reading or not, but the boys do read the book.
I thought it was incredibly sad when one of them says that the girl and her mother in the book are stupid because they think the dad will come home, because where he comes from, “ain’t nobody’s dad comes home where I’m from.”
Eventually O’Neill pays off his debts, gains trust and love from the baseball team, and gets Elizabeth to be his girlfriend, but not without many hardships along the way.
I’m not sure who should see this movie. It has kids in it and therefore people seem to think that it is kids who should see “Hardball.”
I’m not so sure I agree.
There is a ton of language in this movie that many conservative folks would say isn’t appropriate for kids under 13, but others would argue that it is just ghetto talk. Some of the younger kids in the theatre were laughing at moments that would normally be thought sad. I found it very inappropriate.
There are a lot of violence and drugs in “Hardball.” I think it is a good idea not to disillusion children with a “perfect world” image, but not until they seem ready to handle it.
I guess I would recommend this movie to people of ages 14 and up. I don’t think anyone younger would get the full extent of the movie. It’s not meant to be funny or cute. This shows a pretty good picture of how things are in other places in the world and some of it even spills over into Montana.
My advice to those of you who do see “Hardball” is to bring a handkerchief. It was a wonderful movie. “Hardball” isn’t the sort of movie you save for a time when you just want something to pass the time. I loved it and I hope you will too.