La force du silence

... about Little League baseball pitcher Chuck (Joshua Zuehlke) who, after taking a tour of a nuclear missile silo, has a terrible dream about nuclear Armageddon that inspires him to refuse to pitch anymore games as long as nuclear missiles exist in the world.

His story gets picked up nationally, where it strikes a chord with NBA superstar "Amazing Grace" Smith (Alex English). He decides to refuse to play as well, and he moves to Chuck's small hometown. They are soon joined by more professional athletes, as the world's sportspeople all take up the cause. Their innocent campaign has consequences, though, such as angry locals, as well as disapproval from the highest levels of power.

Co-starring William L. Petersen and Frances Conroy as Chuck's parents, Jamie Lee Curtis as Amazing Grace's sports agent, Lee Richardson as a shady financier and power-broker, and, in his first big screen role in 7 years, Gregory Peck as the U.S. president.

This is silly stuff, operating at a child's level of naivete. The message is a nice one, if in no way practical. There were a few of these anti-nuke films in the waning days of the Cold War, and most were terrible. The acting is passable in this one, if nothing memorable, and there aren't any stand-out moments scriptwise, either. It's technically well-made, with Robert Elswit on cinematography and Elmer Bernstein providing the score.

Possibly worth it for a historical perspective, albeit a pedestrian one.

Hey, there are worse reasons to make a movie than the hope that a kid and a few professional ballplayers might be able to change the world. Is Alex English a fantastic actor? No... but he's believable. And if you are willing to suspend your disbelief about the plot, you can have an amazing ride with this movie. It's a great idea... and the movie plays it off pretty darned well.

Nothing wrong with a movie that make you believe that a dream could happen.

When this movie came out in the late '80s, it spoke out about nuclear proliferation. But the central themes of passion and commitment resonate beyond the time and the cause. Even if you don't agree with or understand Chuck's refusal to play Little League until all the nuclear silos are cleared, you have to believe in his determination to be the one person who makes a difference.

You don't have to be a sports fan or a political activist to be affected by this film, which combines laughter, tears, dedication and not a few plot twists. Newcomers to the fandom of William Petersen will appreciate his performance as a very conflicted father, trying to do right by his family and his country.

Interesting concept for a story that is never fully realized by the end of the film. The relationship between the pro basketball player and his young fan has a father-son feel to it that would be used again with more depth ten years later in Donnie Brasco(1997). Mike Newell gives an interesting message about the fight and sacrifices one takes for his/her cause. Wonderfull use of famous sports athletes and anouncers as themselves. Alex English does alright in the role of the fictional famous Pro basketball player, Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace & Chuck(1987) is a good family film but average as an experience in film viewing.

I saw this movie years ago and have never forgotten it.

The story is of a young boy protesting nuclear weapons by refusing to play Little League baseball. Professional players join in his fight when they hear of his cause. While in this day and age its somewhat unlikely, it offers a great feeling of hope, of truly believing in something, and sacrificing luxuries for the greater good of the world. I love this movie, its not flashy but it touches the heart. Maybe I am a sap, but I don't think I have had one viewing of this movie without being brought to tears. See this movie at least once. Its worth it.

If you show this movie to your children, there is an emotional (but not graphic) death in this movie.