The Marksmen

Mostly hard to watch because it isn't available anywhere. I have a VHS copy of it, but it's hard to get my hands on a working VCR.

This was filmed in my home town in Wisconsin. My Brother and several of my friends and acquaintances were in it as extras. I admit, it was cool seeing my home town on the screen, but that is where my fondness for this movie ends. I gave it 2 stars because I have a bias about the location. People that gave it higher ratings are just plain dumb.

Most of this movie is about Tommy coming home and getting involved in the world of Men's Fastpitch Softball. WOW!!!! The on-field parts of this movie sucked! What made it even worse was that at the time Wausau was a legit hotbed for men's fastpitch softball. One of the teams from the Wausau League at the time was very literally the best men's fastpitch team in the world (County Materials won 2 World Championships and was runner up 2 more times between 2000 and 2006). There were several leagues and a lot of highly competitive teams. THERE WAS EVEN A TEAM NAMED THE MARKSMEN!!! Why didn't Jay seek any input from the local talent to add some authenticity to his movie? The elite softball guys in the movie didn't have any lines - so they must have been ringers in softball, right? Wrong! They sucked. As a fastptich player myself, I was insulted to see the disrespect shown to the game I loved. There were 40 guys that could have stepped in and given an authentic pitching performance, but instead they went with the flat and embarrassingly fake portrayal by the "experts"

I'm writing this review of a 1997 movie in 2022 because I want to show my kids and some friends this movie that was filmed in Wausau at places where we actually spend a LOT of time. My kids might not ever get to see it because I can't find a VCR and I can't even order it on Amazon on DVD.

Actually, was anyone involved with this all-out disaster thinking at all? My personal guess no, and if they were, I'd rather not know about what.

My brother and I decided to watch it just for fun, because we heard alot of it was filmed where my grandfather lives which is in the central wisconsn area. Wow,it was plain unbelievable. Horrible beyond all our expectations. I can now tell anyone who's interested: You must see this for yourself to realize the sheer magnitude of it's badness. I give up. I'll never understand how this movie managed to get made, or released, for that matter. I never thought I'd give anything a 1, but this is indeed as worthy candidate as I've ever seen. so 1* is my vote, and I'd rate it lower if it were possible. Wow. Watch and learn.

For most of these actors (and non actors) first film it was wonderfully done. Jay Schillinger did a great job with this movie! This movie didn't get the attention it deserved. It as a great plot line and shows off life in a small town in Wausau quite well, with most of the actors in the movie being from Wausau.

The movie was big here in Central Wisconsin because the extras were people from around here. Even some of the actors and actresses were from around here. It was especially big in my church, because Jay Schillinger goes there. It was fun to see him at church after the movie came out. And it was fun to tease my pastor because he played the pastor in the movie. The movie itself is ok. You have some actors that are beginners, you can tell that, but the story is cool. The way they say "Wausau" is not right. Wausau is a hard word to say, but it's not with a "saw" and the end, it's more of a "suh". Tommy's facial expressions are not that good....especially when he's angry, but he's hott! I was kind of laughing during the movie because the actors aren't that good, but the dialouge and scenery changes make it better. The scenery changes are totally not right. You go from Wausau to Rothschild, to Mosinee, which are farther apart than they make it look. Overall, I'd give the movie a 6.5

This movis is in the tradition of 'Rocky' and 'The Karate Kid.' It tells the story of Tommy Madden (JAY SCHILLINGER), a small town hero forced home upon the death of his mother to face a past he'd rather forget.

Set against the beautiful backdrop of scenic Wisconsin, THE MARKSMEN is a universal story about returning to our roots. After a four year absence, Tommy faces a grieving father, Hank (STEVE KANALY), an unscrupulous coach, Sam Weber (MARTIN KOVE) and his former high school sweetheart, Allison (MARTHA BYRNE).

Can Tommy rebuild his relationship with his father? Can he face his old girlfriend and explain why he left without a phone call or a letter? Finally, can he raise his arms once again in triumph against a foe who knows the deep secret that pulled him away from all he ever truly loved? Can he and all these people finally hit "the mark"?

It's only by facing his fears and trusting those he cares about that Tommy soon realizes there really may be no place like home. I give the filmmakers a lot of credit here because this part was very effective.

You see, running away is always easy. And, it's worked for Tommy in the past. When he stands on the field of life amongst his peers and the group of men who trust him, can Tommy make the right decision or will he flee into obscurity? Beautifully photographed with a soundtrack you won't forget, THE MARKSMEN is a must see!