The Reel Review
With American men fighting overseas in World War II, a group of women form America’s first female professional baseball league – the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Based on the actual, real-life league, Penny Marshall directed the 1992 sports drama which stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell and Tom Hanks.
Davis and Petty play sisters Dottie and Kit, one who can pitch, the other who can catch and hit. Tom Hanks is coach Jimmy Dugan, a one-time home-run king whose playing career was ruined by alcoholism. Initially disinterested, as Dugan gets to know his talented female players he takes an active interest in their success. O’Donnell and Madonna are Doris and “All the Way” Mae, spunky best friends and the team’s centerfielder and third baseman. Megan Cavanagh is Marla Hooch, an incredibly introverted slugger and second baseman whose personality blossoms as a result of the confidence she gains from being on the team.
While many of the characters are stereotypical archetypes, it is their charming personalities that makes A League of Their Own such a great film. With a rousing score and Madonna’s “This Used to Be My Playground” underscoring the team’s fitting and emotional reunion finale 35 years later, A League of Their Own is an endearing and timeless slice of Americana with an enormous heart.
REEL FACTS
• Tom Hanks has previously said A League of Their Own, which is the most successful baseball movie of all-time ($132 million), is his favorite of all the movies he’s done.
• When Penny Marshall hired Madonna for the film, Debra Winger, who was to star as Dottie, was enraged. After a dust-up, Marshall bought Winger out of her contract for $3 million and replaced her with Geena Davis just days before filming began. Within weeks, Davis, who years later would vie for a spot on the U.S. Olympic archery team, had mastered the game of baseball.
• Penny Marshall cast her daughter Tracy Reiner (Pretty Woman, That Thing You Do!) as Betty Spaghetti and her father Garry Marshall as the owner of the Rockford Peaches team.
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