Can you, for the sake of a warm-hearted animated kids' movie, accept a talking baseball? Before you answer you should know that, besides the audience, only the protagonist (ten-year-old Yankee Irving) can hear the ball (or see the eyes and mouth that suddenly appear on his … er, face). You should also know that the ball's name is "Screwie," and that he's voiced with vaudevillian gusto by Rob Reiner. I should probably also mention that the ball's eyes roll as much as he does, and he frequently bickers with Darlin', a talking baseball bat (naturally).

Superfan Yankee Irving (Jake T. Austin) and his new pals Darlin' (Whoopi Goldberg) and Screwie (Rob Reiner)

Superfan Yankee Irving (Jake T. Austin) and his new pals Darlin' (Whoopi Goldberg) and Screwie (Rob Reiner)

Sound a little corny? It is. But, judging from the reactions of the children in the theater, Screwie is a homerun with the under-ten set. If there are some kids in your life, Everyone's Hero may make tolerating a little cornball (sorry) humor worth your while.

The film is set in Depression-era New York. Times are tough, but Babe Ruth and the Yankees give the locals something to cheer about as they head into the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. No one loves the home team more than Yankee Irving (voiced by Jake T. Austin, from TV's Go, Diego! Go!). Yankee's dad Stanley (Mandy Pantinkin) is a custodian at Yankee Stadium; he shares his son's passion for the sport and even lets the boy have a look at the Babe's famed bat, Darlin'. Unfortunately, when the bat is stolen shortly thereafter, Yankee is blamed and his dad is fired.

Yankee sets off on a quest to find the bat and take it (by rail and bus) from New York to Chicago in time for the final game of the World Series. For much of his long journey his only company is Screwie (the aforementioned talking baseball), whom he's recently discovered in the neighborhood sandlot. Eventually they're joined by the Bambino's diva-esque bat, Darlin' (voiced with a southern accent as thick as molasses by Whoopi Goldberg). Along the way the unlikely trio gets some help from Marti Brewster (Raven-Symone), the spunky daughter of Negro League star player Lonnie Brewster (Forest Whitaker). The Brewsters both help Irving get closer to Chicago and, more importantly, improve his batter's stance.

Screwie the talking baseball and his bubbly personality

Screwie the talking baseball and his bubbly personality

Yankee's nemesis is Lefty Maginnis (voiced by the always wonderful William H. Macy), a Cubs pitcher ordered by the club's underhanded owner (an uncredited but unmistakably manic Robin Williams) to steal Darlin' in a successful effort to squelch the Bambino's home run streak. Lefty is as hapless as he is duplicitous, and his numerous collisions with various trains and related objects constitute the sort of comic violence I was never allowed to watch as a kid. (This is why I know nothing about the Road Runner or Bugs Bunny. But I digress.) Judging by the hysterical laughter at the screening I attended, such slapstick animation is very, very funny. Especially if you're eight years old.

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Cartoon contusions aside, Everyone's Hero is remarkably wholesome. Its original director and champion was Christopher Reeve, who loved the story for its emphasis on perseverance and family. After Reeve's death in 2004, his wife Dana stepped in as an executive producer, and also voiced the character of Yankee's mother. Even after Dana's death in 2005, the production team and cast remained committed to the project, and reportedly worked hard to retain the Reeves' original vision for the film. "No matter where life takes you, always keep swinging" is the movie's tagline (taken from dialogue between Yankee and his dad)—and a good summary of the commitment that brought the movie to fruition.

Marti (Raven-Symone) and Screwie teach Yankee the physics of the perfect pitch

Marti (Raven-Symone) and Screwie teach Yankee the physics of the perfect pitch

A friend took one look at the poster for Everyone's Hero and called the computer-generated graphics "cute," and that's a pretty fair summary of the film's style. Though the animation is as slick and smooth as any modern CGI film, the look of it is vaguely reminiscent of old Christmas specials. (Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how much you liked the way the humans looked in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Frosty.)

I've been trying to figure out why I had so much trouble with that talking bat and ball. If toys can talk in Toy Story, and cups and saucers can sing and dance in Beauty and the Beast, why do Screwie and Darlin' seem so cheesy? Maybe it's because balls and bats are so resolutely un-anthropomorphic. Or perhaps it's because the sudden animation of inanimate objects—and why only Yankee can perceive it—is never explained. Most likely it's because Everyone's Hero goes about its business without the slightest hint of the kind of irony that helps grown-ups swallow the fantastical in a Shrek or a Toy Story. Everyone's Hero has a truly childlike innocence and purity, and, though I find it oddly jarring, upon reflection it does some rather appropriate for a children's movie.

The Babe (Brian Dennehy) get his Darlin' back, thanks to Yankee

The Babe (Brian Dennehy) get his Darlin' back, thanks to Yankee

The period piece aspect of Everyone's Hero is a refreshing departure from what's been proffered in animation of late. The film is most successful when it succeeds in capturing 1930s America—in scenes, for example, when Yankee encounters some benevolent hobos or when he meets the Babe in a swank Chicago hotel. Unfortunately, some sloppy writing in other scenes undermines the film's full potential (Darlin' asks for a mochaccino, various characters use some decidedly un-depression-era slang). And the somewhat stock soundtrack would have been way cooler if it had committed itself more completely to the period.

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Five days after screening Everyone's Hero, I'm still cringing a little, in my grown-up, jaded way, at the cute, corny, earnestness of the film. My 8-year-old co-screener, Ben, is still grinning in his uncynical way, at the memory of Yankee, Darlin', Screwie and their great adventure. I've got to admit, even though I didn't have that much fun watching a talking baseball, I sure enjoyed watching my son watching a talking baseball. And afterward, when he thanked me for taking to the "best movie ever," I felt like a bit of a hero myself.

Talk About It

  Discussion starters
  1. Throughout the movie, Yankee learns a lot about the actual mechanics of baseball from some great players. In the end, a combination of dreaming big, learning from the best, and practice helps him improve his game. Is there something in your life you dream of doing well? Are you seeking out people who are good at it, and letting them teach you? Are you willing to practice as well as dream?

  2. Yankee's dad tells him that no matter what happens, he should keep swinging. Is there a parallel between that advice and 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 or Philippians 3:13-14?

  3. Yankee's decision to try to find and return the bat on his own makes for a good story, but was it really the best decision? What would have happened if he had tried again to tell his dad who had the bat and asked for his help?


The Family Corner

For parents to consider

Everyone's Hero is rated G. There is some slapstick cartoon violence, and the main character faces some mild peril. There are some benign flatulence jokes. Most families will find the film's content appropriate even for very young children.


What Other Critics Are Saying
compiled by Jeffrey Overstreet

from Film Forum, 09/21/06

When a young boy travels a thousand miles to help Babe Ruth's New York Yankees win the World Series, he lives out an inspiring adventure that teaches him, and us, lessons about persevering against all odds. That's the story of Everyone's Hero, a film that reaches the big screens at last after receiving a lot of support from someone who knew a lot about perseverance—Christopher Reeve.

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Jenn Wright (Looking Closer) writes, "Basically, it's a good animated feature. Definitely entertaining enough for the adults. … It's honest and clean, and … recalls an era when things like baseball and hard work were things that mattered to ten-year-old kids and their struggling parents—as well as loudmouth foul balls—whose dreams can become reality when they just keep swingin'."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "There's been a boom in exceptional animated family fare this year, but when it comes to heart and a winning message, none hit the ball out of the park like Everyone's Hero. … The unabashedly sentimental film is a wonderful affirmation of familial love—especially between father and son—and gently reminds us that heroism is about having the courage to 'keep swinging' despite the curve balls life throws at you."

Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) says, "Not counting the misbehavior (running away from home!) mostly played off as slapstick, it's got great heart, cute animation and pristine messages. And though the laughs don't come as often or as hard as they do in the likes of Cars and Over the Hedge, the final 20 minutes of Everyone's Hero make up for what's missing with tenderness."

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says, "Everyone's Hero is a delightful animated drama that will strike a chord with such dreamers and entertain the whole family. With a star-studded cast, breathtaking animation … and an entertaining portrayal of several sweet, inspiring life lessons, this is a movie that should draw fans from two to ninety-two this season."

Some mainstream critics call it a strike-out, while others think it's a home run.

from Film Forum, 09/28/06

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) says, "Everyone's Hero isn't just Reeve's last film, it's also a tribute to the late filmmaker from the colleagues and family who finished the film in his name. As a memorial, Everyone's Hero is a little, well, forgettable—old-fashioned, sweet, but ultimately disposable family fare with echoes of better films from Toy Story to The Iron Giant."

Everyone's Hero
Our Rating
3 Stars - Good
Average Rating
 
(3 user ratings)ADD YOURSHelp
Mpaa Rating
G (for sexuality, nudity and language)
Directed By
Colin Brady, Christopher Reeve, Daniel St. Pierre
Run Time
1 hour 27 minutes
Cast
Jake T. Austin, Brian Dennehy, Whoopi Goldberg
Theatre Release
September 15, 2006 by 20th Century Fox
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