The Dove Foundation described the baseball drama, One Hit From Home as “hard subjects explored in moving ways.” After watching the film, I could not have put it better myself. It seems that regardless of social standing, class, or creed, life will throw you a curve ball at some point. It’s just a matter of how you cope with the challenge.
Major league ballplayer, Jimmy Easton, is dealt a devastating blow through a career ending knee injury. With all sense of direction removed from his life, he decides, on a whim, to return home. While wallowing in his own self-pity at the local dive, he gets into a bar-brawl.His punishment is fitting: community service! The local college ball team needs a new coach and the authorities feel that Jimmy is just the man for the job.
Dealing with disappointment
Anyone who has had to deal with major disappointments will know that one’s first reaction is to want nothing more to do with the cause of your heartache. In this case, Jimmy has no interest in coaching the team – a team who desperately needs his help. As the story unfolds, we meet Brandon, an unbelievably talented young player, whose abusive father makes his life particularly difficult off the field.
God’s life coaches
God often places people in our lives unexpectedly to help us deal with our issues. Jimmy’s “couldn’t-care-less” attitude and Brandon’s resentment towards his new coach for this, makes the two individuals a seemingly incompatible pair. However, the guys have more in common than they care to admit. Will they work out their differences and succumb to God’s plans, or will they choose to remain on their separate paths?
Sharing our gifts
We are blessed with spiritual gifts and with practical talents. Whether it’s playing baseball, painting a picture or cooking up a storm, we all have something that we are really good at. Just as we have a responsibility to pray for or encourage people, we also have a duty to share our talents with others, as keeping them to ourselves would simply be selfish and pointless. One Hit From Home not only challenges the viewer to deal with their own issues, but also to look for opportunities to share their experiences with someone who might really benefit from them.
This review first appeared in JOY! Magazine, July 2012
