Une équipe hors du commun

Little did I know as a child that a professional women's baseball league even existed.That just goes to prove what little recognition these ladies have gotten over the years.This film finally pushes them over the top in terms of getting that recognition.Excellent perception and direction by Penny Marshall here in recreating this long ago time;a time of war when the nation needed the simple pleasures of life more than ever,to help them escape,at least temporarily,the horrors of the goings on overseas.With most of the male professional ball players overseas,our beloved women were called upon to fill the void,and boy did they ever fill it!It makes me wish, in some ways,that I could have been there to see it all.A fine comic performance here by Tom Hanks,as Jimmy Dugan, the somewhat reluctant and ignorant(at least,at first) manager of the Rockford Peaches. Outstanding performances as well from Madonna,Rosie O'Donnell,Geena Davis,and Lori Petty.A finer tribute could not have been made.Well done.

Like many others, I didn't know anything about a wartime female baseball league so the story was fascinating to me. The film is beautifully told and is very touching and funny. The plot follows the women who made up a professional girls' baseball league during the second world war when the guys went fightin'. And then of course the war is over, and the guys come back - then what happens to the women with their glimpse of independence and a life outside the kitchen?

There are lots of good character arcs, particularly the two sisters, Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty), and the washed up has-been, Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks with about 2 stone extra on him for the role.

The flashback structure works so well you can't imagine doing it any other way. All the actors do a great job, but for me, Lori Petty as Kit, Dottie's kid sister, steals the show. She is brilliant.

Watch out for occasional glimpses of Tea Leoni as a Racine hitter.

Apparently all the injuries seen were sustained by the actors themselves. You can believe it too - they really look like ball players. First-rate editing makes it genuinely exciting sport.

The film could have been a stinker - there are many cliches and it's pretty predictable, but it's handled with great sympathy and sentiment without treacle by Penny Marshall. Twists and subplots would have been out of place - this is a classic feelgood and entertains without dragging on.

I give this 7 out of 10. On a rainy afternoon it's great entertainment.

An ex-baseball player reminisces on her time playing.

This is an enjoyable tearjerker and comedy with strong character moments.

'A League Of Their Own' has a good, albeit fictionalised, character-driven story about the formation of the All America Girls Professional Baseball League. The plot is driven by the friction between siblings Dottie and Kit, the humorous arc of manager Jimmy Dugan, and the struggle to sell female baseball to a wartime audience.

Geena Davis leads it well as Dottie and is plausible as a dutiful old-fashioned wife who is slightly conflicted because she's the best player in the league.

Lori Petty portrays Kit's inferiority complex so well she crosses the line to become annoying in some scenes, however it is an effective character arc.

Tom Hanks has the best material and makes the most of it with a hilarious portrayal of a cynical, aggressive, alcoholic manager, with enough humanity to get away with behaviour that most men could never.

All the support cast are great, particularly Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Rosie O'Donnell, Bitty Schram, and Tracy Reiner. I never believe for a second that Madonna is anyone other than Madonna in a baseball movie, but she is entertaining.

There are a number of emotional moments and you need a heart of stone not to appreciate some of them. The ones that connect with me involves a character leaving her father for the first time and another receiving the dreaded wartime telegram. By the end of the film though it feels to me like the writers overdo the sentimentality.

Technically it is as good as it can be when using actors to portray professional athletes. The cinematography and visual storytelling are strong throughout. The baseball scenes are very well edited. There are several decent montages that are expected in sports movies.

For me its a 7.5 but I round upwards.

'A League of Their Own' is a film about an all-female baseball team during the second World War. This film follows the stories about the team of females and their perspective on life and society (as women) during this time in history. I am not a fan of sports or sport-related films, but I did enjoy this one. I think that this film had enough elements for a wider audience to enjoy it. It also is able to combine comedy with drama and history, and it makes an exciting and engaging film with characters that are three-dimension and easy to care about. I think that this is an exciting film, and even if you dislike sports, the film has plenty more to offer for any viewer.

Set at the start of World War 2, Geena Davis and Lori Petty are recruited to the first professional baseball league for women. The sisters struggle to keep the league going against the odds, while their own personal rivalry begins to escalate.

I don't pretend to know much about baseball, so if this element is poor i wouldn't really notice, but i did feel that it was a good setting for the story.

Quite touching and well directed, i was surprised how compelling this movie was. All in all the strong cast and pleasant script makes this a good movie, with a little for everyone.

8/10