MOVIES
A Lemgue of Their Own
Columbia, PC
***1/2
By Lee Williams -
Emerald Contributor
In a siimmrrr overrun with al
iens, lethal weapons, and re
turning batmen, A League of
Their Own is a welcome breeze
of comedy. It is kinder, gentler
summer film fare.
Although stars Geena Davis,
Tom Hanks, and Madonna do
rack up a fow scrapes, bruises
and halls to the head, rmhody
gets bombed, beheaded or
bashed by a Buick — an amaz
ing feat for any movie released
after June 1.
I ho film retraces tho begin
nings of Tho All-American
(»ir!s Baseball Loaguo und re
counts tho rough road loading
up to tho- league's first Worlil
Sorios. Bogan in 1<143 as a sort
of sports novolty to fill in the
void loft by tho male players
who had traded "fiats for bul
lets" to fight in World Wur If.
tho AADBL would run strong
for 11 seasons, and eventually
be honored by Tho Baseball
Hall of Kamo in 19HH,
Tho story opens with sisters
Dottle (Davis) und Kit (Lori Bet
ty) getting scouted off an Ore
gon dairy farm and Into tho big
loaguo. Scriptwriters Babaloo
Mandoll und Lowell Dan/, and
director Penny Marshall wisely
stay focused on Dottle and Kit's
relationship — the joy that the
sport brings out in one sister is
u joy that the other sister is
forced to hide.
Duvis is perfect as the gawky,
older sister — the better athlete,
but star-shy. Petty plays the lit
tle sister with the right mix of
sibling anger and sisterly love
The acting all around is first
rate — a true team effort —
from Tom Hunks as Jimmy
Dougan, the former player
turned-manager, who battles
the bottle off the field, to Rosie
O'Donnell's super-motor-mooth
Doris. (Fans of Madonna will
on joy her extended ciimiK), but
playing tho loam tramp is hard
ly a stretch.)
Director Marshall pulls to
gether all of her actors with a
gifted comodic hand, while, at
the same time, highlighting the
Inequalities between men’s pro
ball and women's pro-bull.
{Would the Yankees have dared
try the promo "(latch a foul, get
a kiss" if altendafti e for The
Babe had btan down?)
These were women In the
workplace, and the Issues
raised then remain germane to
day. (Child care then meant
bringing your kid on the road )
But the director must also
take credit for the Aim's only
flaw oversentimentality Deft
with comedy. Marshall seems
unsure with drama forcing
it She milks every millisecond
of sentiment out of the quieter,
emotional scenes, [lushing tight
the close-ups, and pouring on
the music, turning touching
scenes into moments of sap
This single error aside, it’s
still refreshing to find u
thoughtful and Intelligent sum
mer film, where the main goal
is to accomplish something, not
to destroy cars, monsters or
crazed criminals Score another
run for the women.
Bobcat slings ideological mud at Clay
NASHVILLL, Tenn. (Al’j — Comedian Bobcat
Goldthwait said his act may be as annoying as
Andrew Dice Clay's, but at least ho believes in
what he’s saying
"It’s always annoying to me when someone
hides behind a persona," Goldthwait said in an
Interview published Monday in the Nashville
Banner. "Dice is always 'Oh, it's just an act,'
Well, so what, if Hitler had had a character ho
would have boon OK? That drives me nuts."
Goldthwait screams his punch lines in a shrill,
hoarse voice that has become his signature He
tries to work in socially relevant topics like sex
ism and gay bashing
Cloy has raised hackles with jokes that some
havi! called sexist. racist or homophobic. His ap
pearance in May 1990 on Saturday Nit’ll! Live
caused cast member Nora Dunn and musical
guest Sinead O'Cxmnor to refuse to ap|icnr
(ioldlhwult said Clay goes only for the Jokes
that will bring the biggest reaction from an audi
ence.
"Ho doesn't really have a program or an ideolo
gy. I doubt." he said "I think if making fun of
shoes could elicit that response, that’s what he'd
be doing on stage because the response is much
more Important than anything he has to say."
Coldthwait has appeared in such movies us Po
lk* Academy, Strutted and Shakes the Clown
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