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With: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Charles Cyphers, Chelcie Ross, Dennis Haysbert, Andy Romano, Bob Uecker
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Written by: David S. Ward
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Directed by: David S. Ward
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MPAA Rating: R
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Running Time: 107
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Date: 04/07/1989
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Just a Bit Outside
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
This ramshackle, dim-bulb, goofball movie is probably the funniest baseball comedy outside of the original The Bad News Bears. Written and directed by David S. Ward, an Oscar-winner for his screenplay for The Sting, Major League (1989) starts with a wobbly premise. A shallow trophy wife inherits the Cleveland Indians from her dead husband, and she wishes to sell it, but according to the contract, can only do so if attendance drops to a certain level. So she begins stocking the team with the biggest losers available. From there, of course, comes comedy gold. Tom Berenger is the catcher with the bad knee who couldn't make it in the Mexican Leagues. (Rene Russo co-stars as a love interest for him.) Charlie Sheen (previously in Eight Men Out) is "Wild Thing" Vaughn, a former inmate with a crazy, uncontrollable fastball. Wesley Snipes is Willie Mays Hayes, unable to hit anything but ground balls, but a speedy base runner (and stealer). And Corbin Bernsen is Roger Dorn, who hopes to retire soon and doesn't really care to play. James Gammon is terrific as coach Lou Brown, barking at the players in his gruff voice ("I'm deeply moved!"). The movie was a modest-sized hit, and two sequels, about which nobody cared, followed. Apparently real-life ballplayers to this day revere this as a cult classic and frequently quote its dialogue.
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