The Movies

1 Hardball

$8 million2 weeks in release$19.2 million to date

PLOTA compulsive gambler becomes the coach of an inner-city little league baseball team.

Living for others helps one find satisfaction.

CAUTIONRated PG-13 for bad language (mostly from foul-mouthed children) and some violence.

$5 million7 weeks in release$80 million to date

PLOTPost-WWII ghost story about a woman with two kids and a missing husband living in an old Victorian mansion.

Your own fears can be worse than the actual danger.

CAUTIONRated PG-13 for frightening moments of suspense.

$4.4 million2 weeks in release$11.6 million to date

PLOTThriller about two teenagers who become suspicious about the couple that adopts them after their parents' death.

Paranoia isn't necessarily an irrational fear.

CAUTIONRated PG-13 for horror, violence, drug content, and bad language.

$3.54 million3 weeks in release$22.6 million to date

PLOTMartial arts-based update of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers.

Courage can help one through great challenges.

CAUTIONRated PG-13 for sex and intense action violence.

$3.52 million8 weeks in release$215.6 million to date

PLOTCops from Hong Kong and L.A. reunite to chase a gangster who bombed an American embassy.

Even the best people need to learn a few new tricks.

CAUTIONRated PG-13 for action violence, bad language, and some sexual material.

Hardball was the first successful movie released after the Sept. 11 bombings-and its somber tone fits the mood. It darkly mixes elements of Remember the Titans into the old Bad News Bears formula with Keanu Reeves managing a group of foul-mouthed 9-year-olds from the south side of Chicago. The coach takes over to settle a gambling debt, and his addiction to sports betting takes up much of the movie. The kids live in housing projects and baseball is their only safe recreation. They live with danger, violence, and gunfire as part of everyday life. All in all, this is not the upbeat experience hinted at by Hardball's catchy title. The language and graphic content make the movie completely unsuitable for young children. For adults, this is simply depressing. Even the big win at the end is overshadowed by tragedy: a little kid dying in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting. Slowly, we see the coach finding his desire to help troubled kids, but that point gets lost along the way. Subject matter so noble deserves better craftsmanship.