Hardball

“Keanu Reeves (John Wick franchise) and Diane Lane (Justice League) score in this uplifting story of triumph over adversity that “hits an emotional home run.” Conor O’Neill (Reeves) is a down-on-his-luck gambler in debt to dangerous loan sharks. Desperate for cash, he reluctantly takes a job coaching a youth baseball team. The “team” turns out to be a ragtag group of tough-talking kids from Chicago’s inner city. Secretly, Conor plans to desert the team after he wins a big bet. But the stakes are higher than Conor imagined: the kids need someone to believe in. As Conor wrestles with his past, the kids start to teach him some lessons that will forever change his future – that responsibility and trust must be earned and hope can appear in the most unlikely places.”

Keanu Reeves has had an eclectic career, known for his care and consideration in choosing the roles he plays, as well as enormous generosity toward those who help craft those films into being. Not only does he choose box-office smash hits, but smaller roles that interest him, and I don’t think there could be a better role to fit all his traits than Hardball. One of those he somehow found the time to star in between the Matrix franchise, Hardball may not be as well known as some of the classic roles he has played, and continues to play, but it certainly packs an emotional punch, delivering all around great performances and a true, and heartbreaking story.

Reeves’ character Conor O’Neill isn’t really a likeable guy. He’s a drunk, a gambler, obsessed with finding shortcuts in life to get ahead. His gambling addiction has cost him big time, as he owes two different loan sharks large sums of money, with no way to repay it. As he begs one of his rich friends for money, again, he’s offered $500 a week to take his place as coach to an inner-city baseball team. As you might imagine, this opportunity changes his life, as well as the kids, as both eventually find their places and real purpose, which none of them had before.

There is definitely a formulaic story in Hardball that we’ve seen before. Down on his luck coach gets paired with an equally down on their luck team, making each side better for it. While this is the underlying story, one of the more interesting things about it is the resistance of Reeves’ character to change. There isn’t just one instance of backtracking in his old ways, it’s constant. While other films of this type may have the coach and kids finding their stride early on, Hardball is more realistic in its approach to the story and its characters, with the coach not even really paying attention to the kids or his team until much later in the film. Although I’m certainly not used to Keanu Reeves playing such a unlikeable character, he really plays into it, which then makes the change he goes through all the more impactful, for the audience and for the kids in the story.

Another sizable difference in this type of story is the background of the kids on the team. All living in low-income high-rises in inner-city Chicago, we’re subjected to the tragic lives they lead, being bullied and attacked as they try and get home, to a family that’s forced to live on the floor in fear of bullets coming through the windows. This life affects each kid very differently, and we get to see how Reeves’ character influences them, even if it’s just by being present, having an adult male in their lives to look up to. This part of the story takes a very emotional turn at the end, taking me by complete surprise. An emotional rollercoaster is an understatement, but it just goes to show how effective these films can be given the right people involved.

As much as I enjoyed the film overall, there are a few points to the story that just seemed to magically work out, when it would have been more compelling, and more real, if they hadn’t. Without giving too much of this portion of the story away, this one moment in particular was just a ‘too good to be true’ moment, and kind of diminishes any lessons O’Neill may have learned about his gambling.

Video

Hardball is presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. The transfer looks pretty good, but it does look as though it’s only been upscaled from the DVD release, with no new scans from the source. Despite that, it’s clear and detailed, with grain kept at a manageable level. Colors are rich and vibrant, especially the uniform colors on the baseball field.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The track sounds good, with a nice balance between the surrounds and center channel. The surrounds are utilized nicely for some atmospheric effects and sounds on the baseball field. At times, the track doesn’t achieve a very deep range that you’d expect to hear from a roaring crowd, or even the soundtrack.

Special Features

Extras are transferred over from the DVD release, which includes:

• Commentary by Director Brian Robinson and Writer John Gatins
• The Making of Hardball
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Video: “Hardball” by Lil’ Bow Wow, Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Zane and Sammie
• Theatrical Trailer
• Interstitials

Not much extra went in to the production of this Blu-ray compared to the previous DVD release, and that becomes a bit obvious on the technical side of things. However, it’s great to have this in High-Definition for the first time, giving those who haven’t seen it a chance to experience the emotional story. With a great starting price point on release, this is one to grab if you’re a fan of inspirational stories, or of Keanu Reeves.