Review of Undrafted (2016) by John T — 27 Jul 2016

Amateur-looking baseball flick with a great heart. It's a story of a small town amateur regional league team made up of 12 guys all with different backgrounds who find themselves as underdogs in the "semi final playoff game for the Orange County, Dutchess County, Ulster County, Westchester County Midsummer Intermural Amateur Baseball Association sponsored by the Knights of Columbus." But the main story revolves around John Mazetti, the team's star player who that day, learned he was not drafted in the 40 rounds (plus compensatory picks) of the MLB draft, essentially ending his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. The dysfunctional team has to deal with their disappointment as "(Mazetti) getting drafted would have been like all of us getting drafted." Mazetti, himself, has to decide if he even wants to go out there at all. The dysfunctional team fractures and heals and fractures again throughout the game before the final showdown in the seventh (yes, seventh) inning drama to decide the game and Mazetti's future.

Don't expect too much and you'll find yourself enjoying it. There was a lot to be desired with the script, but the actors were all talented with the exception of, ironically, the writer/director/actor with the highest pedigree, Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park's Timmy). Mazzello based the film on the real life story of his brother, John Mazzello. The movie attempts to build dynamic characters, but they come off as merely inconsistent, and the relationships and conflicts feel forced at times. However, if you let yourself feel what the movie was trying to express, it's actually pretty enjoyable. It's a good story. I would have liked to see more done with the father-son relationship between John Mazetti (Aaron Tveit) and Jim Mazetti (Jim Belushi). The film delivers a touching montage, which in about 90 seconds of screentime saved the heart of the film whereas if it had been a more central theme it might have actually left the movie with a more positive critical reception. Don't expect phenomenally realistic baseball, either, as it falls short in that category as well. Much like Mazetti, the film has all heart it needs but lacks the skill and muscle to make it in the big leagues.