The Perfect Game

If you know me, you know that I LOVE sports movies. A simple, utterly true and pure love, the kind that can only be given to cheesy storylines with manufactured inspiration and hope. This weekend, however, I saw a perfect example of what a good Sports Movie is, but it had the added bonus that it was based on a real life story. So you know the inspiration and smaltz is totally true. Squee!

If you haven't guessed yet, the movie is called "The perfect game," a little flick about a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico, who in 1957 managed to not only win the American Little League World Series, but their final game was a Perfect Game - in baseball this means a game where the opposing team does a no hitter, and they do not score a foul, not even gets a player into first base once.

The movie was pretty good - it interlaced footage from the original game with scenes from the movie, making it look very realistic. The kid actors were properly fresh faced and adorable - although having Disney actor J. Panetiere playing a little brown kid was interesting. I'll admit to not really knowing his heritage except that he obviously is of Italian descent. The rest of the cast was for the most part Latino. Little Jake Austin (who is not so little anymore) did a great job as Angel Macias, the star pitcher.

A couple of things - I still find it funny when directors have actors speak English with a heavy accent in order to let the audience know that they are speaking in Spanish. (I'm talking to you, Love in the time of cholera.) It did get confusing at times for the audience - after all, we hear the principal characters speak English all the way through, and it's hard to understand why they kids are all surprised and quiet when someone speaks to them in English. But the children are so cute with their little accents and earnest portrayal that I was able to get over that for the most part. The only other part that rubbed me the wrong part was towards the end when the Monterrey crowd chants for a second "Si, se puede!" after they learn that the children have won the Series. THAT, was a little too on the nose and annoying - in 1957, the famous chant was mostly used in the United States and around in regards to Labor and Civil Rights Issues. I don't really see a crowd spontaneously breaking into this song at the moment. They should've gone a little patriotic at the end.

The introduction of the storyline of Angel Macias' conflict with his father, although needed to give his character pathos was in my eyes, unnecessary. But it was executed somewhat okay, so whatev'.

Into the important part! The sport was very accurately portrayed, easy to understand even for those that don't follow baseball. I was very pleased and had the appropriate "AWW" feeling at the end of the movie. The tiny audience that watched the film with us clapped at the end, and I think, it was worth it.

After the movie we walked around Union Square for a bit, searching for a Mexican food place, as it seemed like the right cuisine for the night. We settled on Mexicana Mama on 12th between University and Broadway. Despite the incredibly loud table of six that was seated next to us, it was a very enjoyable meal. We had the vegetarian Burrito:

  It was quite different and enjoyable - instead of your usual filling of rice and beans and a scattering of lettuce for a vegetarian Burrito, this one had cheese, roasted potato and roasted sweet potato with a slight hint of black beans. Rice to the side with some havanero sauce to give it some calor.

All in all, a very good night in New York City.