8/10
Behind the too-provocative title and cover is a lovely romance and a great baseball tale, too
8 August 2010
Danny (Drew Johnson) and Melissa (Corinna Harney) have been friends since childhood. Growing up in Las Vegas, they were each other's first "puppy loves", too. But, once they hit high school, Melissa started to go in one direction and Danny in another. For her part, Missy wanted to walk on the wild side with other guys and Danny was pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Even so, they stayed in touch. However, when Melissa's mother died, her dad began drinking and, eventually, tried to beat her up. Therefore, she left town to live with an aunt and the two childhood pals could no longer communicate on a daily basis. As Danny inched closer to his dream, as a pitcher for an outstanding college baseball program, Missy got involved with a Swengali like young man who pushed her into modeling as a pin-up. But, Melissa came back to a long ago desire to become a teacher and a poet, trying to straighten out her mess of a life. Will the two "first loves" meet each other again? This is truly a very fine film encased in the wrong marketing package. With no real stars, the producers obviously felt they had to sensationalize their promotion of this flick. Hence, the risqué title and cover. Too bad, for some movie fans will dismiss it outright, as I almost did, which would be a shame. There is very little objectionable material but, instead, viewers will discover a sweet story of young people finding their way in life when cards are stacked against them. It is also a very good baseball story, telling it like it is in the world of professional sports. Then, too, themes of forgiveness and "tomorrow is another day" are front and center, always welcome lessons. Yes, the production was probably made on a lower budget and the sets, costumes and camera work are average, nothing more. But, with a heart-grabbing story and very good direction, most everyone will declare this movie to be a winner. If you like romance, baseball, or films that feature characters "overcoming odds", you will find this one swings for the fences and hits it out of the park, enjoyment wise.
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