In You Gotta Believe, winning can be life or death.
Set in 2002, You Gotta Believe follows Coach Bobby Ratliff (Luke Wilson), an upbeat Little League coach that is struggling through another losing season. However, when Bobby finds out that he’s battling cancer, he turns the coaching reins over to his friend Jon Kelly (Greg Kinnear), a disinterested assistant who hasn’t taken the team seriously. But Bobby’s battle lights a fire under Jon and provides motivation for the team. Suddenly, winning seems possible… if they’ll only believe.
Based on the true story, You Gotta Believe is entertaining, inspirational fare. Directed by Ty Roberts, there’s a purity to the film that it maintains throughout its runtime. This is the sort of story that wears its heart on its sleeve. Though that can feel formulaic, there’s also something endearing about the project that should entertain families. However, maybe the most surprising thing about Believe is its cast. While Kinnear and Wilson have dipped their toe into this style of film in the past, the inclusion of Sarah Gadon and Molly Parker helps to keep the characters afloat.
Nevertheless, if there’s a flaw to Believe, it lies with the script itself. While it does its best to engage the difficult topics of cancer and death, one can’t help but feel like it pulls its punches. Even though Wilson and Gadon do their best to sit in the seriousness of the moments, the film’s inspirational tone doesn’t really allow these scenes to land with the intensity that they deserve.
Instead, the best moments of the film lie on the field. As Kinnear begins to round his team into form, one can’t help but enjoy the ride. Admittedly, baseball is a sport that usually translates well onscreen. With an emphasis on individual moments and matchups, the sport has a natural intensity that generally works cinematically. In this space, Believe springs to life. Baseball scenes are shot effectively and tension exists within the games, even if the outcome never really seems in doubt. What’s more, Kinnear’s general affability plays well as an (initially) uninspired Coach Kelly who must rediscover the power of belief. Even at times when the script falls flat, Kinnear ensures that one can’t help but root for the underdogs.
And, as the title suggests, belief is essential to this story.
By balancing the dual storylines on and off the field, Believe wants to tap into the realities that people face on a daily basis. Yes, Coach Kelly and his team may be fighting their way to the top of the mountain, but Bobby is fighting for his life. Held up against one another, the film wants to create conversation about what it means to be a winner in the face of overwhelming odds. Of course, not all victories are easy. And Believe wants the viewer to recognize the power of believing in something more while showing the cost that can come with fighting our fiercest battles.
In the end, You Gotta Believe serves its target audience well. With a solid cast and an inspirational tone, the film manages to plays the game to win. It’s sweet, fun and enjoyable. At the same time though, one can’t help but wish that they’d show a little more hustle when it comes to the more challenging topics instead of leaving it all on the field.
You Gotta Believe is available in theatres on Friday, August 30th, 2024.
