Video/DVD Review: Little Big League

By Teresa Talerico

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that although this movie is mostly family-friendly, it does include some profanity -- the worst being “goddamn” -- and a scene where a young boy watches a steamy adult movie where two female characters remove their tops to reveal their bras. It also features numerous product placements, including beer and cigarette ads.

Families can talk about how Billy inspires the team with his boyish enthusiasm and obvious knowledge of baseball. Which scenes illustrate maturity beyond his years? Which scenes remind us of the fact that he’s still just a kid? Billy's situation is unlikely, but how would a kid handle it? How would Billy balance school and his job, which involves away games that are played out of state? Would your parents let you travel alone and have your own hotel room? Also, how does the movie incorporate brand-name products into various scenes?

When an 11-year-old boy inherits a baseball team from his grandfather, he helps the players rediscover their passion for the sport and the fun of the game. He also learns that it’s no fun to grow up too fast. Billy Heywood (Luke Edwards) is a baseball enthusiast thanks to his grandfather (Jason Robards), who owns the Minnesota Twins. When the elderly man dies, he leaves the team to Billy in his will. Billy appoints himself team manager. Although the players and the pitching coach are initially skeptical, he eventually wins them over with his vast knowledge of the game, his love of the sport, and his assistance in ending their losing streak. Meanwhile, his best friends feel abandoned and his mother worries as Billy becomes increasingly swept up in his exciting new world -- and seems to forget that he's still a kid.

Young and old baseball fans -- and even many non-fans -- will enjoy this feel-good family comedy, which features a number of ballpark scenes as well as cameos from several Major League players, including Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson, who were both with the Seattle Mariners when the film was made.

A few standout comic moments: the team helps Billy with his math homework; Billy and his friends step onto the field at the Metrodome; Billy investigates his players’ hotel-room shenanigans and ends up throwing water balloons with them. Some parts may seem a bit syrupy to adults and older kids -- and Billy's story, of course, requires some major suspension of disbelief -- but overall it’s an enjoyable movie with both funny and tender moments.