BOTTOM OF THE 9TH: A Swing & A Miss

Sports films often have one common goal; showcasing downtrodden main characters that need practice and encouragement of their talents, and using said sport as a central role to define who the main characters become.

Bottom of the 9th, Raymond De Felitta’s indie film takes this concept one step further with Sonny Stano (Joe Manganiello), an ex-con who was just released for murder in his teens (a manslaughter incident occurring in 1999). Once a baseball prodigy on his way to the majors playing for the New York Yankees, Stano must navigate through life nearly two decades later, redeeming himself in the eyes of the world and those he holds dear.

This film is riddled with clichés and predictability, but still garners an applause for its heartfelt intent and depiction of real life relationships in times of uncertainty.

Prisoner turned player

The underlying message in this film, besides finding the determination to pursue your dreams, focuses subtly on the transitions of prisoners once they are released. Scenes such as when Sonny looks at the world as if he’s on a different planet after being released, carrying a box that is pretty much all he’s accumulated over his time in prison, or his fascination with his late mother’s fridge once he moves into her apartment for a fresh start.

Sonny’s entire existence is off-kilter and it tends to be uncomfortable for the audience watching him struggle to find his groove after being locked up for most of his early adulthood. The film definitely utilizes sympathy for this tragic hero as he navigates the streets of New York, reassembling himself in a new age.

Not only is Sonny newly freed and grappling the world around him, he is virtually left to do it alone, feeling discombobulated as he recognizes the feelings all ex-cons feel once they have been freed. The adjustment is substantial and it is intriguing how Raymond De Felitta organizes various clues to draw this issue in a more prominent light.

Another subtle instance of noting the time that has passed, everything at a food market is significantly more expensive than Sonny has money for. Que Angela (his childhood sweetheart played by Sofia Vergara), who rises to the occasion, pushing the plot forward and offering to pay for his produce.

At bat: Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara

The cast selected for this film was picked well, creating a range of talents in order to compose this heartfelt film; featuring Dennis O’Hare for some comedic relief as Sonny’s hard-boiled parole officer or Xavier Scott Evans as wild and crass, but talented rookie ball player, Manny, who Sonny is assigned to as a sort of mentor but ends up leaving an impact on the entire team.

However, the main focus was on Manganiello and Vergara, their real-life relationship adding to the complexity of their characters’ on screen romance. Vergara is displayed as a sweet and gentle woman from Sonny’s past and her role is virtually to persuade him to try the things he’s terrified of, despite her own personal bustling lifestyle. It is interesting to see her almost immediately open up to a man who she last saw behind bars while juggling her teaching job and a daughter from a previous relationship.

Their relationship appears as Romeo and Juliet-esque, especially when her cousin (who is a police officer ironically) forbids Sonny to see Angela anymore, claiming she’s been heartbroken and put through enough already. Which, does not align with Angela’s nature as she appears strong-willed and confident. If this portion of the plot was expanded upon, perhaps we could have seen the reality behind her past, but that is mostly left up to interpretation.

Conclusion: Bottom of the 9th is a catch 22

The film itself has good traction, yet falls into a routine of repetitive “I can’t do this, I can do this, I can’t do this, I can do this” and the back and forth of it leaves the viewer slightly disconnected from the storyline, feeling overwhelmed. There is also some character arcs that feel needless, my main concern being on Angela’s daughter (Savvy Crawford), who mostly offers a youthful presence and finds the heroic good in Sonny as both a man and a baseball player, despite his past.

The element of flashback was used graciously throughout the pivotal points of the film to explain Sonny’s past and reflects on how terrible he feels about the ordeal, having nearly two decades to think about his mistakes. It also adds to the history of Sonny and Angela’s relationship, which helps push their current reunited spark further.

Despite this film’s dramatic pull, it also proved to be educational about baseball, one of the scenes that stick out while also detailing Sonny’s character as one who lives and breathes the game, is when he entails the way to read the pitcher for certain types of throws; fastballs, curveballs, so on and so forth. Small elements in scenes such as these are intriguing to an audience that may not know that much about the sport, which is something I can appreciate in any film.

Overall, Bottom of the 9th may be plagued with a slow moving plot and a sweet ending tied in a bow without much true resolve, it does have the characteristics of what makes a compelling sports drama, which is all about pursuing a dream and having the determination to do so.

What is your favourite baseball film to date? Moneyball? The Sandlot? Let us know in the discussion below!

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