Films are like wine if made the right way they get better with time.  I remember when I was young seeing Hardball when it first came out in theaters, and as an eight-year-old, I just didn’t appreciate it. Critics and the general audience didn’t even like it. Then I saw it when I was 16, and it began to grow on me. I was enamored with Keanu Reeves’ monologue to the kids about how “showing up” is one of the most essential things in life. That brings me to today as I saw it for the third time in my life, realizing that this film can now be used as a tool to motivate people to give back to their communities.

Movies can flourish over a long period.
For example, there is a young Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Fruitvale Station), a rising star in cinema in one of his earliest films. You also have the guy who played Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son and Neo from The Matrix in the same movie. Put two and two together, and over time, a film can flourish. This movie is who Keanu Reeves is in real life. He gives back to the community and takes pride in being a good person, and because of his reputation as a good person, this film will gain further popularity in years to come. Moreover, as careers flourish of any artists, their earlier works can thrive with them despite not being accessible at the time of the release.

The logline on Netflix states:

“A gambler agrees to coach a Little League baseball team from a notorious Chicago housing project if a friend will lend him money to square his debts.”

Keanu Reeves’ character, O’Neill, is reluctant at first about his new responsibility, but as we see him change, he learns of what huge impact he has on these kids. The story doesn’t even show how great of a coach he is. In fact, he is a terrible coach. But, the point is that when kids have someone to look up to they will perform their absolute best. That is why it is fantastic to see these kids win in this story despite what their struggles are growing up on the south side. The movie shows that kids can overcome anything if they have an “outlet” to escape and a great role model that inspires them.