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Everyone's Hero By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- There's been a boom in exceptional animated family fare this year, but when it comes to heart and a winning message, none hit the ball out of the park like "Everyone's Hero" (20th Century Fox). Based on a story by Howard Jonas, the film was to be directed by the late Christopher Reeve, who felt a deep connection to its simple themes of perseverance and overcoming adversity and who is credited as executive producer. The Depression-era fable centers on young Yankee Irving (voiced by Jake T. Austin), a 10-year-old boy who idolizes the great Yankees slugger Babe Ruth (Brian Dennehy) and is the butt of the other kids' cruel jokes because of his puny size. When his father, Stanley (Mandy Patinkin), who works as a janitor at Yankee Stadium, is fired after the Babe's prize bat is stolen, Yankee, aided by a magical talking baseball, Screwie (Rob Reiner), sets out to retrieve the swiped stick -- which can talk (courtesy of Whoopi Goldberg) and is nicknamed Darlin' -- hoping to get his dad's job back. Along the journey he learns life lessons from hobos (Richard Kind and Ed Helms), a tomboy (Raven-Symone) and a busload of Negro Leaguers (including Forest Whitaker). William H. Macy provides the voice of Lefty, the Chicago pitcher who steals the bat on the orders of his boss Napoleon Cross (an uncredited Robin Williams), who believes his Cubs team will have a better chance of beating the Yankees in the 1932 World Series with the Babe minus his lucky lumber. (The film has the series going to a deciding seventh game, when in fact the Yankees swept the Cubs four straight.) Yankee's mom, Emily, is voiced by Dana Reeve, Christopher's late wife. Directors Daniel St. Pierre and Colin Brady -- who built on work started by Christopher Reeve -- avoid those annoying pop-culture references that clutter so many animated movies, putting their trust in the story. In evoking a Norman Rockwell-esque past, the animation is vibrant but not too hip. The unabashedly sentimental film is a wonderful affirmation of familial love -- especially between father and son -- and gently reminds us that heroism is about having the courage to "keep swinging" despite the curve balls life throws at you. Like the song goes, "You gotta have heart." This movie's got miles and miles and miles of heart! The film contains a mildly gross sight gag. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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