The Final Season

It’s interesting to note that The Final Season ultimately establishes itself as a surprisingly rousing inspirational sports drama, as the film suffers from an opening hour that’s almost unwatchable due to the proliferation of overly (and egregiously) familiar and downright melodramatic elements. The movie revolves around the last season of a beloved high school baseball team – their funding has been cut by the city – and the efforts of their green coach (Sean Astin’s Kent Stock) to lead them to victory. Director David Mickey Evans has infused The Final Season with an exceedingly earnest sensibility that’s initially awfully tough to take, with the hackneyed bent of James Grayford and Art D’Alessandro’s screenplay certainly not helping matters (eg there’s a subplot revolving around a rebellious teen who learns the meaning of teamwork and friendship after joining the team). The baseball sequences prove to be a highlight even through the film’s less-than-enthralling stretches, and it subsequently goes without saying one’s interest slowly-but-surely climbs as the focus shifts to team’s efforts at making the playoffs. Astin’s expectedly sturdy performance effectively anchors the proceedings, yet it’s hard to deny that Powers Boothe, cast as former coach Jim Van Scoyoc, dominates every single one of his lamentably scant scenes. An admittedly stirring climactic game caps off the film quite nicely, which does ensure that The Final Season essentially manages to overcome the entirely underwhelming nature of its first act.

**1/2 out of ****