“I got something to ride behind…my dad.”

Synopsis: A Little League baseball team of misfits dedicate their season to a player’s dying father. In so doing, they accomplish the impossible by reaching the World Series finals in a game that became an ESPN instant classic.

The baseball team is struggling. Really struggling. The boys from Fort Worth are unable to run, catch, pitch, or hit effectively. Bobby Ratliff (Luke Wilson) has taken on the role of coach, while his close friend and the actual coach, Jon Kelly (Greg Kinnear), is preoccupied with his legal career, sitting at the end of the bench. It seems Jon has too much on his plate to focus on baseball. As the last game of the dismal season concludes, Kliff (Patrick Renna) approaches Jon with a proposal for the boys to join the official Little League tournament. Why? It appears no one else is willing to step up. Quite the curious situation, almost like a plot hole.

After the game, Bobby is playing in the yard with his sons, Robert (Michael Cash) and Peanut (Joaquin Roberts), when he suddenly collapses. The prognosis is grim: cancer. A brain tumor. Melanoma. He has only a few months left to live, and the treatment will be challenging. Upon hearing this devastating news, Jon decides to take on the role of coach for the tournament, knowing how much Bobby cherishes watching Robert play. He enlists the help of another dad, Mitch Belew (Lew Temple), as his assistant, and local card-shop owner Sam (Martin Roach) joins the effort. As Bobby undergoes chemotherapy, Jon rearranges the team, and Mitch trains them hard, though chaos ensues when a fly ball hits a kid in the head and a bat accidentally shatters the window of Jon’s Benz.

The first game is pure chaos. The opposing team’s cocky coach and star pitcher are ejected, leading to a surprising victory for Our Boys. They catch a break when a top pitcher from the other team drops out, and they exploit every opportunity to turn the tide, such as one player who can’t hit but consistently draws walks because the sun glinting off his braces distracts the pitcher. They bond during a musical montage set to “Rawhide.” Bobby finds the determination to attend every game, even if it means rearranging his treatment schedule.

Will the team win the World Series final? Will Bobby live to see it? You will just have to watch the movie to find out.

You Gotta Believe was released in 2024 is 1hr 44min, and is rated PG. Can be seen on Amazon Prime Video from $5.99, Apple TV from $5.99, Fandango at Home from $5.99, Google Play Movie from $5.99, and Netflix with a subscription.

• Director: Ty Roberts
• Writer: Lane Garrison
• Stars: Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, and Sarah Gadon.

We give You Gotta Believe

Inspired by a real life story about the 2002 Fort Worth Little League baseball team that enjoyed an improbable run to the World Series—Kinnear and Wilson are seasoned veterans who could navigate this kind of material effortlessly, yet they manage to make this simple story work. Here we find the bond of a father and son, unity and determination of a team that found strength and courage amidst some seemingly impossible odds. They finally learned it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose but how you play the game that counts. What I grasped from this film is how it captured the human spirit not only of the little league team, but in the heart of Bobby. This is a good movie for family night. Oh yes, please bring a box of tissues—you’re going to need it.

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