Hardball (film)
Encyclopedia
Hardball is a 2001 American dramedy film
directed
by Brian Robbins
. It stars Keanu Reeves
, Diane Lane
and D. B. Sweeney
. The screenplay by John Gatlins is based on the book Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Daniel Coyle. The original music score is composed by Mark Isham
. The film is known in some parts of the U.S. as "Little Sluggers."
) is a gambler who has bet on his dead father's account and is now severely in debt. In order to repay the debt, he must coach a baseball
team of troubled kids in the ABLA
housing projects of Chicago. He had decided that once he repaid his debts, he would leave the team, but soon Conor connects with the kids and finds it harder to leave than he thought.
for defamation, alleging that the film inaccurately portrayed him as a down-on-his-luck gambler with suspicious ties who took on youth baseball simply to repay a debt. Muzikowski did not win his lawsuit against Paramount Pictures (see Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures Corp., 477 F.3d 899 (2007)).
. It peaked at #55 on the Billboard 200
and #34 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Brian Robbins
Brian Robbins
Brian Robbins is an American actor and producer, director and screenwriter. He often collaborates with Mike Tollin.-Biography:...
. It stars Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
, Diane Lane
Diane Lane
Diane Lane is an American film actress.Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at the age of 13 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine...
and D. B. Sweeney
D. B. Sweeney
Daniel Bernard "D. B." Sweeney is an American actor.-Early life:Sweeney was born on Long Island, New York and raised in Shoreham by an educator father and a municipal government employee mother. He attended Shoreham-Wading River High School and both Tulane and New York University...
. The screenplay by John Gatlins is based on the book Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Daniel Coyle. The original music score is composed by Mark Isham
Mark Isham
Mark Isham is an American trumpeter, synthesist, and film composer. He works in a variety of genres, including jazz, electronic, and film.-Life and career:...
. The film is known in some parts of the U.S. as "Little Sluggers."
Plot
Connor O'Neill (Keanu ReevesKeanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
) is a gambler who has bet on his dead father's account and is now severely in debt. In order to repay the debt, he must coach a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team of troubled kids in the ABLA
ABLA
ABLA was a public housing development made up of different public housing projects in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Housing Authority. The name "ABLA" was an acronym for four different housing developments that together constituted one large site...
housing projects of Chicago. He had decided that once he repaid his debts, he would leave the team, but soon Conor connects with the kids and finds it harder to leave than he thought.
Cast
- Keanu ReevesKeanu ReevesKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
as Connor O'Neill - Diane LaneDiane LaneDiane Lane is an American film actress.Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at the age of 13 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine...
as Elizabeth Wilkes - D. B. SweeneyD. B. SweeneyDaniel Bernard "D. B." Sweeney is an American actor.-Early life:Sweeney was born on Long Island, New York and raised in Shoreham by an educator father and a municipal government employee mother. He attended Shoreham-Wading River High School and both Tulane and New York University...
as Matt Hyland - John HawkesJohn Hawkes (actor)John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
as Ticky Tobin - Bryan C. HearneBryan HearneBryan Christopher Hearne is an American actor from Staten Island, New York who debuted on a couple minor roles. Things started looking up for the young actor when he landed a guest role on the NBC show Third Watch in 2000, portraying the emotional pre-teen gangster, Kenny who died in the end of...
as Andre Ray Peetes - Julian Griffith as Jefferson Albert Tibbs
- Michael JordanMichael B. JordanMichael Bakari Jordan is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as teenage drug dealer Wallace on the HBO drama television series The Wire, for his role as Reggie Montgomery in All My Children, as quarterback Vince Howard on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights, and since...
as Jamal - A. Delon Ellis Jr. as Miles Pennfield II
- Kristopher Lofton as Clarence
- Michael Perkins as Kofi Evans
- Brian M. Reed as Raymond 'Ray Ray' Bennet
- DeWayne Warren as Jarius 'G-Baby' Evans
- Sammy SosaSammy SosaSamuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
(cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) - Yung Leek as Malik 'Yungin' Gholston
Controversy
The film was based on a nonfiction novel that tracked the experience of Robert Muzikowski, a real-life youth baseball coach. Muzikowski sued Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
for defamation, alleging that the film inaccurately portrayed him as a down-on-his-luck gambler with suspicious ties who took on youth baseball simply to repay a debt. Muzikowski did not win his lawsuit against Paramount Pictures (see Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures Corp., 477 F.3d 899 (2007)).
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on September 11, 2001 by Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. It peaked at #55 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #34 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.