A League of Their Own may not boost its material into the level of pop myth as, say, last year's great female buddy movie, "Thelma & Louise," did. It's a bit too concerned with being likable to make that kind of bold leap. But if A League of Their Own doesn't knock the ball out of the park, it's a clean hit, with extra bases written all over it. [1 July 1992, p.41]
However flawed, this film proves two things: Davis is still peaking as a lead, and Hanks is in a league with funny male leads of any movie era. [1 July 1992, p.1D]
The movie has a real bittersweet charm. The baseball sequences, we've seen before. What's fresh are the personalities of the players, the gradual unfolding of their coach and the way this early chapter of women's liberation fit into the hidebound traditions of professional baseball.
Is briefly entertaining but shows mainly that sports films featuring women are no better than those featuring men. Much of the problem belongs to director Penny Marshall, who reaches for the cliche, and for the easy way out, each time the movie seems to be about to make a serious statement about women or about baseball. [3 July 1992, p.3G]
Penny Marshall’s gangly fourth film benefits from a fresh, unusual subject, the joy of baseball being played by women having the time of their lives and a wonderful central performance by Geena Davis. Downside includes contrived plotting, obvious comedy and heart-tugging, some hammy thesping and a general hokiness.
A League Of Their Own is probably The Most Emotional And Heartwarming Sports Movie i've ever watch, though i kinda confused about the poster that it shows Davis, Hanks, and Madonna rather than Davis, Hanks, and Lori Petty, it doesn't mean that Madonna was bad in the film, she was incredible, but i think Lori Petty character is way bigger and important than Madonna, besides that, A League Of Their Own is not only an exciting baseball movie, it have a deeper story and a deeper meaning, this is a wonderful film, it's unexpectedly emotional, everybody was amazing, salute to all the real players and to this movie.
Awash in sentimentality and manic energy but only occasionally bubbling over with high humor, A League of Their Ownhits about .250 with a few RBI but more than its share of strikeouts.
A comic look at the first season of the women’s baseball league in 1943 [based on a story by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele], Penny Marshall’s gangly fourth film benefits from a fresh, unusual subject, the joy of baseball being played by women having the time of their lives and a wonderful central performance by Geena Davis. Downside includes contrived plotting, obvious comedy and heart-tugging, some hammy thesping and a general hokiness.
Once the teams are picked, most of the obvious plotting possiblities pop up: the attempts of the women to skirt the strict behavior code, the marriage and departure of one of them, the death of another’s husband at war, the gradual improvement of their play and resulting growth of popularity and respect, and the inevitable, cornball showdown between rival sisters.
Adding a little testosterone to the recipe is Tom Hanks, a former big-league star who sees life from so deep in the bottle that he virtually sleeps through practice and the initial games.
Of the large cast, Rosie O’Donnell stand out as the brash, smooth-fielding third basewoman, and Megan Cavanagh makes an impression as the dumpy slugger who finds unexpected romance on the road. A brunette Madonna plays a predictably sassy and irreverent type who shows her underwear whenever she can, and Lori Petty is irritatingly petulant as Davis’ cry-baby little sister.
Despite the lavish budget, period feel isn’t fully realized, as locations are pretty much restricted to ballparks and boardinghouses. An extraordinary effect is created by the appearance of Davis’ character as an older woman at the beginning and end. Davis reportedly dubbed the line readings.