Simple Reviews by Kim

Walking into the theater tonight I had no idea what to expect from Calvin Marshall. I expected the typical sports movie about the underdog who overcomes everything to win the big game and get the girl. In a way part of that is true but the typical sports movie it is not. Calvin Marshall could actually be about anything that a person is passionate about.

This humerus and poignant movie follows underdog Calvin (Alex Frost) as he takes his living and breathing passion for baseball and tries out for his junior college baseball team. Dedicated he is but skilled he is not. He forces Coach Little (Steve Zahn) into a sticky situation of allowing him to be on the team with his lack of skills. Coach Little is a former minor league player who spends most of his time at the local bar and bringing women back to the baseball field. He is still dealing with his own feelings of losing his dream when he is forced to make Calvin do the same. Calvin's passion for sports travels off of the field as well with his broadcasting of sports for the school which leads him to the women's volleyball team and Tori Jensen (Michelle Lombardo) the love of his life. Tori is the star of the team whose skills on the court are effortless and what Calvin dreams of for himself. Tori turned down countless scholarship offers to much bigger schools to stay closer to her family while Calvin is barely a member of the baseball team.

Alex Frost plays Calvin as nerdy and geeky as I've ever seen a baseball player. He has his awkward moments and I felt like at any point he could have joined the A/V club and fit right in but he had the swagger of a baseball player. Steve Zahn gave a career performance in this movie. Coach Little is a complex character who on the surface is a failed, alcoholic baseball wash up but has so much more going on underneath the surface. Zahn brings a humor to the character while maintaining a seriousness never before seen by him.  Michelle Lombardo is the complete package for the role of Tori. The obvious athleticism is matched by the sensitivity and caring she shows for Calvin and her sick mother. Jeremy Sumpter as Caselli is the dumb jock who has all of the skill and none of the brains provides a few laughs including a very funny physical comedy scene. Jane Adams and Andrew Wilson provide laughs and guidance for Calvin as his aunt and "uncle." Diedrich Bader as Fred Deerfield is the classic underachiever and oblivious city league softball player and little league coach has a way of making even the smallest accomplishment seem huge. Abraham Benrubi as Coach Dewey is the backbone of the baseball team and the only one ready to stand up and kick Marshall off the team.

Calvin Marshall is about facing the dilemma of changing your life when you realize you can not reach your dreams. It is a must see for any movie fan let alone baseball fan because it is the story not usually told.