The Final Season (2007)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

David M. Evans

Writers:

Art D'Alessandro (story) &
James Grayford (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

Plot:

Kent Stock disrupts his life to become coach of the Norway High School baseball team and try to lead them to victory.

Plot Keywords:

Coach | Team | Baseball | Baseball Coach | Rural Life

Cast

Sean Astin	...	Kent Stock
Jesse Henecke	...	Principal Halbestrom
Powers Boothe	...	Jim Van Scoyoc
Owen Patchen Evans	...	Owen - The Batboy
Brett Claywell	...	Patrick Iverson
Nick Livingston	...	Kevin Stewart
Roscoe Myrick	...	Sammy Wilson
Alexander Roos	...	Steve Myers (as Alexander 'Sandy' Roos)
Jonathon Stoner	...	Jason Steffen
Christopher Cyronek	...	Brett Griffin
Rob Schemmel	...	Gerry Spitz
Chris Olsen	...	Eddie Fitz
Ric Swann	...	KZIA Radio Announcer
Preston Boothe	...	Brent Fitz
Marshall Bell	...	Harvey Makepeace

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, thematic elements and some teen smoking.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

Company:

Final Season, The

Trivia:

Mike Boddicker who played for Norway High School and in the major leagues with Boston and Baltimore had his son James Boddicker play Richie Iverson. His daughter also sang the national anthem at the final game.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Cardboard figures used to fill out the crowd at ball games are occasionally noticeable.

Quotes:

Polly Hudson: Baseball is not just for boys.

Movie Connections:

References First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

Coming Home

cliché'

What I find tired and Cliché' about all this is the critics response. Though not necessarily an Oscar film, the movie is enjoyable and though obviously some of the story was embellished, the things that they would say are cliché' actually happened. The reviewer posted in the IMDb page calls it a rub in Iowa's face. As an Iowan, I didn't feel that way. It does however point out the idiocy of allowing politicians be in control of education and schools, they always seem to think Money = good education, sports is a big part of the education process and obviously this was not a good choice for a town that loves its baseball. Sorry but I don't share the opinion that this pleads the death of underdog films. It points out an Amazing accomplishment, against all the odds and that is exactly the attraction of underdog films... Unfortunately it seems that there was a lack of good planning on the promoting/advertising of the film.