The majority of sports dramas are based on the same narrative structure: the underdog finds a way up top to face the impossible, and even though they don’t always win, the lesson is still valid. It is all possible through the magic of compelling characters, a sweet musical score, and, most of all, a story that can make the viewer feel a bit of emotion.
You Gotta Believe, the latest film from storytelling duo Ty Roberts and Lane Garrison, is not a huge change to the formula described above. It’s a film that isn’t supposed to break barriers and indulge in innovative storytelling. However, it is always about balance, and You Gotta Believe does a great job of juggling true facts with those that are entirely fictional. This distinction becomes altogether irrelevant in the end when the film becomes an inspiring story about teamwork and not baseball. There are no fancy shots or plotlines that’ll fool you. It doesn’t need to do that.
Instead, You Gotta Believe goes for a safe storyline about personal resilience and the strength of a good team facing adversity that’s not a sports competition or a big match. This time, it’s a matter of life and death, and a group of children trying to understand what those adversities mean when all they’re supposed to do is keep their eyes on the ball and nothing else.
In You Gotta Believe, Little League coach Bobby Ratliff is trying to keep his team afloat. They’re not very good players, and this includes their sons. The other coach, Jon Kelly, is not exactly paying attention to what the team is supposed to be doing, and he seems to be in only because his son is a player.
However, Bobby receives a cancer diagnosis that will change his life and put his life into another perspective. No longer able to lead the team, coach Kelly will have to take the reins and lead the team into whatever comes next. As the kids find out that their coach is facing a horrible illness, they decide to inspire him and play their way up to the 2002 Little League World Series.
It’s unbelievable but yes, this is a true story. I’m sure Garrison and Roberts took some liberties to make a film that follows the pace of great baseball films like The Bad News Bears, The Sandlot, and The Rookie. But in the end, it is all about the execution of the film’s premise while trying to make it a believable and emotionally effective movie. The ending will make some shed a tear or two, and though it feels a bit manipulative, there’s not a workaround. Ratliff passed away peacefully after battling skin cancer, one year after the Fort Worth team lost the 11-inning game with a score of 2-1.
The film does need a few tweaks. The players’ characters are not well-written and could have used some dramatic work. The grown-ups are not very good either because the film feels a bit rushed in landing its third act. While some viewers should know Ratliff’s story, others will have to take it all the way home and see how the story concludes.
In terms of performances, it follows indie film standards and doesn’t drift off the path it’s supposed to stay in. Actors Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear are good in their roles but not good enough to stand out. Patrick Renna (Ham in The Sandlot) does a great job in a cameo-like performance.
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
