This is the second of three posts dedicated to the Agnes Moorehead Blogathon being held over at In The Good Old Days of Hollywood. Tnx Crystal for letting me take part!
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“You told me once, “A man has to know where he’s goin’!” Where are you goin’, Monte? ” – Ethel
Number of Times Seen – 2 (10 Oct 2001 and 6 Dec 2016)
Brief Synopsis – A struggling up and coming pitcher is injured in a hunting accident but is still determined to continue playing despite his new disability. Based on a true story.
My Take on it – As a fan of baseball, I saw this film about 15 years ago because of the uniqueness of Stratton’s story in the history of the sport.
I honestly didn’t remember much of it from then and decided to give it a rewatch for this blogathon.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t feel as if it was properly treated here and the way things are presented feels much more mediocre than it probably should.
Jimmy Stewart, who usually is great in most of his roles, feels average here and doesn’t give us enough emotion for us to root for his character more than we do.
The one standout here is Agnes Moorehead as Stewart’s supportive mother who gives quite a memorable performance as she tries to help her son through all of the different patches of his life.
Bottom Line – The story is treated with kid gloves the whole time and doesn’t feel as groundbreaking as it probably should be. Stewart is ok here and unlike in most of his films, he doesn’t shine. Moorehead is the only real memorable character of the film as Stewart’s supportive mother.
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Although Agnes Moorehead plays James Stewart’s mother, in real-life she was only 8 years older than him. (From IMDB)
Rating – BAFTA Worthy
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