Angels in the Outfield (1951)

What a baseball movie should be
Tired of all those sappy, mystical, messianic- driven "baseball" movies? Heard enough phrases like "build it and they will come?" Just for the heck of it, watch this one and get a taste of a little grit, a lot of laughs, and a dose of realism. It puts the story of baseball within the context of people's lives- their struggles and their triumphs- through the use of good character development and believable relationships. While angels become part of the plot(I know- how realistic can that be? -you ask), this is nonetheless an honest perspective on the challenges that face us all; it makes the statement that, whether in baseball or in life, we can control our own actions. It just so happens that the film's depiction of ballplayers is also more authentic than what you'll see in more recent "sport" films. This is a great movie from a time when a good story was the starting point for a script. It's got drama, pathos and humor- with excellent performances, especially from the main star,...

Angels in the Outfield Wins in any Season
I loved this movie. It's cliche to say, but they don't make 'em like this anymore. A decent, but also very funny movie that doesn't get too soppy about the kid-melting-the-heart-of-a-tough-guy thing. Made when Hollywood was not afraid of people who believed in the power of prayer, and were able to cheer when a man recognized his need for redemption. Listen for the ingenious use of garbled voice-over to cover the colorful language of the "hero." I especially enjoyed the court-room debate over the existence of angels. This movie is family friendly, but has an intelligent, mature script. I'd give it 5 popcorns, two hankies, and a resounding, "Praise the Lord." Just smile, and enjoy it.

One of the Best Baseball Movies
You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this very well written, directed and acted movie that just happens to be about baseball. The script is intelligent, funny and thoughtful all at the same time. Paul Douglas, Keenan Wynn and Janet Leigh are all at the top of their game for this one. What I liked most is the complete lack of "special effects" - you never see the angels helping the Pittsburgh Pirates, which makes it so much more preferable to the weak gimmick-laden Danny Glover remake of a few years ago.

A plus is all of the location shooting in Pittsburgh in its heyday in the early 50's, including Forbes Field, one of the great old ballparks that was replaced by the god-awful Three Rivers Stadium, since replaced by one of the "new-old" ballparks that tries to recapture the feel of places like Forbes Field.

This is a great movie for the whole family, and has one of those feel-good foundations that charges movies like "Miracle on 34th Street", only this...

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