Once upon a time, a Little League baseball team, made up almost entirely of young Latinos and coached by an unknown Latino coach, played the one and only perfect game in the history of the Little League. And one other time, a tender-hearted movie about that game–The Perfect Game–was made. And almost nobody saw it. But now…
It’s true: The Perfect Game is based on the true story of a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series. Made in 2009, it stars a wide range of up-and-coming young Latinos and a few of the best Latino character actors in Latino Hollywood: Clifton Collins, Jr., Cheech Marin, Carlos Gomez, Jake T. Austin, Moises Arias, Ryan Ochoa, Gabriel Morales, and Carlos Padilla are just some of the members of the team.
Cheech Marin and Clifton Collins, Jr.
Sure, it’s more than a little sentimental, and you’ve seen similar stories of the underdog rising to unexpected victory before–many times–but it’s great to see it again, especially with Latino kids and adults in the heroic roles. Some critics called it a “perfect family film” and “uplifting,” and that may be going a little far…but it’s certainly worth including in your Latino Film collection.
Watch it on Netflix View Instantly here or pick it up on DVD here.
It may not be perfect, but it’s touching and true…and well worth a look.
