Undrafted

Year: 2016

Actors: Austin Kane, Joseph Mazzello, Tyler Hoechlin, Chace Crawford

Duration: 90 min

The playoff game is between the DBs (Diamondbacks, but that's too long) and the Bulldogs. The league only has six active teams but the winner goes to the finals in Ocean City, Maryland. These are not professional players, or at least they're not supposed to be.Maz is one of several players who are late for the game. Others who are keeping track are watching what is happening in the pro baseball draft. There have been more than 30 rounds and Maz was not chosen, but it's not over.Ty is supposedly the coach but he is a buffoon and doesn't exactly command respect. Later in the movie, other players act more like a coach. Garvey is the catcher and tries to act important but the others make fun of him. David (Andy on "The Goldbergs") is also not respected but he doesn't seem to have a problem with it. He does get a chance to be a hero.One of the players is a veteran who was injured after a brief pro career. I can't remember if he played for a major league team but he was at least minor league.Palacco is an immigrant. Zapata may be but this is not made clear. Dells is Ty's brother, the closer, who ends up being the opener and then is told he is not allowed to get tired. And the opponents know he has choked in the past.Maz does arrive, with his father Joe (played by Jim Belushi) and he's not quite certain whether he wants to play, now that the draft is over and he was not chosen. Joe is supportive of his son regardless of what happens. He sits with Murray, whose son is a player who has a temper (his name might be Patrick).The other team arrives on a really nice bus. DB players recognize players who were already drafted by major league teams and they call foul. The Bulldogs have a legitimate roster with 50 players, though the DBs weren't aware of most of these players earlier.When it is finally time for the game to begin, there is not much action at first. There is arguing, philosophy, advice, ranting, and pretty much everything except the game itself.Some players have to overcome major obstacles. Some are out of the game. But some are up to the challenge and show what they are made of. The Bulldogs do not have as easy a time beating the other team as one might expect in this kind of movie, and before it is all over, there is a bench-clearing brawl so bad the cops get involved.Although there is a "home movie" at the end which looks very much like the ending if the actual movie, and a description of what the player went on to accomplish in life, this is a work of fiction, as it says at the very end of the credits. The name of the man whose life is described appears to be the same as the name of the writer and director, who also plays the father of one of the players. However, this man's name is only similar to that of the main character.

Genre: Action   Comedy   Drama   Sport