The Big Green (1995)

When the cast is removed from his severely broken arm, clumsy 12-year old Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is shocked to find his arm has become a 100 mile per-hour thunderbolt. His throw from the bleachers directly to home plate alerts the last place Chicago Cubs and before you can shout "play ball!" he is signed as their new ace pitcher. With a few pointers from an aging star pitcher (Gary Busey) young Henry actually manages to pull of the impossible. Product Description

Little Giants - football + futbol = The Big Green

Let's be honest. You already know the beginning, middle, and end to this movie. You know it even if you haven't watched it. Nonetheless, is an enjoyable, albeit incredibly predictable Disney sports flick. Basically, it's Little Giants with a European translation of Football.

When the film begins, an attractive, teacher named Anna Montgomery (Olivia d'Abo) arrives in a small town as a visiting teacher - sort of a teaching abroad half-year deal from England, but without the bad teeth. Anyway, she's a horrible teacher; so she decides to teach her lessons via soccer indoctrination. The kids would rather be doing something more fun, like covering themselves in Cheetos and letting birds eat off of them.

Anyway, the kids name their team after their field in a nearly-stolen-from-Mighty-Ducks concept, and the teacher gets them to play soccer. Naturally, the kids suck when they first begin to play. They're so bad it's almost as if each kid suffers from vertigo or something; they completely lack any sort of athletic ability or coordination. And, the fat, red-headed kid from Sandlot plays a goalie who is afraid of the ball (like Goldberg the goalie from Mighty Ducks), and sees opponents as ninjas, terminators, and zombies (like visions of puppyheads from Waterboy).

Soon enough, just as the sun rises, the movie follows the Disney movie sports formula. The kids that sucked start to win, lose to the best team in town inevitably coached by a jerk, the kids learn life lessons, insert goofy character (Steve Guttenberg), at least one kid on the team overcomes some sort of difficulty, and the good guys vs. bad guys finale for this genre. I'll let you guess who wins.

It's typical, easy to pick apart for a paint-by-numbers script and mediocre acting, but it's still fun enough to enjoy. April 1, 2008

the big green

This was a christmas gift for a relative. As far as I know, he is enjoying it. Thank you and have a prosperous new year! January 19, 2007

Good Soccer Movie

This movie is very entertaining. My daughter really enjoyed it since she plays soccer and could relate to the kids learning to play and be a team. Lots of slap-stick comedy that anyone would enjoy. November 10, 2006

Not a good movie for boys

While looking for a movie that would have good role models for boys, I had high hopes for this one, but it's typically Disney. The stupid, petty, and poor players are boys, and the smart, "good", and athletic players are girls.

This is not a good movie if you looking for role models to be examples for young boys April 12, 2006

Snore-fest...

So boring! Totally predictable--your average "feel good" sports movie. A new teacher arrives in a small town and decides to teach the misfit kids that inhabit it soccer. They're horrible when they first try. She then announces to them that their first game is the next day (I believe... i know the game is soon). They're all worried. They lose to the "Knights" (see? predictable NAME too). Somehow they end up in the finals, against the Knights again. They defeat them and receive a huge trophy that looks more like they won a pro sports championship instead of a kid's soccer league competition.
I never really understood the name of the team... "The Big Green?" Isn't the field in the middle of their town The Big Green? And what does that have to do with the team name whatsoever? Okay, maybe I'm missing something, but...

I watched the game while I was sick. Hoping it'd make me feel better. My parents liked it and insisted I didn't enjoy it because I felt crummy, but it we wasn't just me--it was the movie too. Don't invest in it--find something your kids would REALLY like. September 6, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...