Overview
A broken bone turns into a lucky break for a twelve-year-old Little Leaguer when his healed arm is capable of delivering a 100 m.p.h. fast pitch! Soon the pint-sized dreamer is the Chicago Cubs' new star, and his last-place team is headed for victory.
Awards:
Main Cast & Crew:
Daniel Stern - Director
Thomas Ian Nicholas
Gary Busey
Albert Hall
Amy Morton
Dan Hedaya
Bruce Altman
Eddie Bracken
Daniel Stern
Robert Gorman
Details
- Format: DVD (New Box Art)
- Run Time: 103
- Color Format: Color
- UPC: 024543029212
- Genre: Comedy
- Rating: PG (MPAA)
- Release Date: January 2002
Movie Reviews
Synopsis:
Henry Rowengartner is a 12-year-old Little Leaguer whose love of baseball far outstrips his prowess on the field. Everything changes, however, after Henry breaks his arm during one of his Little League games. When his arm heals, Henry discovers that he has been magically transformed into an unstoppable pitching machine. Suddenly, the once-klutzy kid is pitching for the Chicago Cubs and everyone wants a piece of the action.
Notes:
Filmed in Chicago, Illinois, in DeLuxe color and Panavision; original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Locations included Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park, which doubled for Dodger Stadium.
Former major league pitcher Tim Stoddard acted as technical advisor and had a cameo as a Los Angeles Dodger pitcher. Other baseball players who appeared in cameos included Pedro Guerrero of the St. Louis Cardinals, Bobby Bonilla of the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants star Barry Bond.
Feature film directorial debut for actor and TV director Daniel Stern. Stern directed ten episodes of the TV series "The Wonder Years" and provided the show's nostalgia-drenched voice-over narration. Stern's acting credits include roles in "Breaking Away," "Diner," "Blue Thunder," "City Slickers," and both "Home Alone" films in which he played the bumbling burgler Marv.
Rated BBFC PG by the British Board of Film Classification.
Copyright 1993 Twentieth Century Fox.
Major League Baseball logos licensed by Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.
Available to rent in the UK.
Reviews:
"...A slick featherweight comedy.....An appealing central performance by [Nicholas]..." - 07/07/1993 New York Times, p.C14
"...The whole film wants to carry the viewer along with the soft, warm charm of a daydream. Adding to the thrill is the employment of former and current baseball players in cameos..." - 06/01/1994 Sight and Sound, p.58
"...ROOKIE is a diamond daydream made of enduring stock parts..." -- Rating: B+ - 01/21/1994 Entertainment Weekly, p.58
