Movie Review: Major League

Major League
Paramount Pictures, Mirage Enterprises, Morgan Creek Productions, USA, 1989.

In Cleveland baseball them Indians has not won the league in 35 years. Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton) inherits the team and wants to move the team to Miami. First she has to end the deal with city of Cleveland, and the deal will be broken if there is a major drop in audience. So the team needs to fail so badly that the audience will stay at home. What they need is a team of losers, former stars and misfits. Colourful bunch of players arrives: has-been baseball star Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), voodoo-man Cerrano, weak-armed Eddie Harris (Chelcie Ross), sloppy-fingered snob Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen), wannabe-player Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) and jailbird Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen).

Rachel Phelps

Eddie Harris and Roger Dorn

Ricky Vaughn and Jake Taylor

Against all odds the tough but fair coach Lou Brown (James Gammon) begins to get the motley crew on the winning track. Rachel tries dirty tricks to keep the team losing but they will not be discouraged. As a romantic sideplot Jake's old flame Lynn Wells (Rene Russo) is getting married and he decides to do something to repair the past. Also Ricky gets in a mess with Dorn's sexy wife Suzanne (Stacy Carroll).

Pedro Cerrano

Willie Mays Hayes

Lynn Wells

In the 1980s several variations of "Police Academy" were made and why not, there is always fun in watching a band of goofy underdogs outdo themselves. Every player has his own obstacles to overcome and there is always room for self-growth. The team even becomes interested in classical literatuire. Okay, in comic form but still. In the 1980s comedy style everything goes to achieve the feel good ending, so the story does not have great surprises but entertaining sports comedy does what it is supposed to do.

Lou Brown

Suzanne Dorn

Amusing characters are performed by many familiar faces. Tom Berenger is seldom seen in comedic roles and also here he is in mostly dramatic role, still cracking jokes with the others. Before Wesley Snipes became an action star, he did a career in comedies, this is a bit different role than he is usually seen. His character is energetic but somewhat gullible. Charlie Sheen has the role of bad boy, who becomes a sports idol.

Rating: Good

Starring: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Charles Cyphers, Chelcie Ross, Dennis Haysbert, Andy Romano, Bob Uecker, Steve Yeager, Peter Vuckovich, Stacy Carroll, Richard Pickren, Kevin Crowley, Mary Seibel, Bill Leff, Mike Bacarella, Skip Griparis, Gary Houston, Ward Ohrman, Marge Kotlisky, Tony Mockus Jr., Deborah Wakeham, Neil Flynn, Keith Uchima, Kurt Uchima, William M. Sinacore, Richard Baird, Julia Milaris, Roger Unice, Michael Thoma, Patrick Dollymore, Joe Liss, Gregory Alan Williams, Peter Ruskin, Michael Hart, James Deuter, Jack McLaughlin-Gray, Tim Bell, Joe Soto, Ted Noose, Lenny Rubin, Thomas P. Purdoff, Jeffrey J. Edwards, Alexandra Villa, Michelle Minyon, Alex Flores, Michael F. Twarog, Ted White
Director: David S. Ward