The Marksmen

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.

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!

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.

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

After reading "skinnyjoemerlo" from Chicogo comment dated 2001 here on IMDb I didn't followup by securing a copy of the Marksmen. I dismissed an interest that had been originally developed in me to see the marksmen by a group of film buffs who highly recommend it. Members of this group really know films both historically and have been very enlighting with their analysis of the story content .

Many times they have saved me the price of admission and worst; wasting my time. Skinny Joe from Chicogo forgets that there is other than the big cities that make a film successful... we call it the "Great American Heartland". Films like this don't make it to the publics attention because the distributors view a real heartfelt storyline that reflects the interest of the Heartland as if it had no commercial value. I watched it last week at a friends home. This film will make you reflect on what really makes you happy. If your from a small town, or were from a small town,or as many people I meet today, that are from a large city who have matured and want to experience the peace ,friendliness, and belonging that the American Heartland provides ...See this film. P.S. I was born and raised in Philadelphia Pa. and live in NYC.. I know the difference!!!