An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Roger Bomman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his friend J.P. are staying with foster mother Maggie Nelson (Brenda Fricker). His father leaves him behind after his mother's death telling him that they would be a family again when the California Angels win the pennant. That may as well be when-hell-freezes-over since coach George Knox (Danny Glover)'s team is hopeless basement dwellers. Hank Murphy (Ben Johnson) is the owner. Ranch Wilder (Jay O. Sanders) is the broadcaster trying to get Knox from an old grudge as players. David Montagne (Taylor Negron) is the team's new public relations. Mel Clark (Tony Danza) is the aging pitching star. Roger prays to God for help and angels are sent to help the team. Al (Christopher Lloyd) is head angel and Roger is the only person who can see them.The story is functional but there are a few problems. It's more compelling if a bad team wins because they improve. It's less compelling if angels come and help them. There is less drama that way. There are a few interesting actors as players. Adrien Brody and Matthew McConaughey don't do much. Neal McDonough plays an idiot pitcher badly. He's no comedian. Tony Danza is the bigger star back then. Danny Glover is way too unlikeable. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is quite an actor even as a kid. He keeps the movie interesting for the most part.

Much, much more than just a baseball movie... One of the great films from the great 1994 year of movies, this takes a rather big step towards addressing the possibilities of the meaning of life, faith, belief, heart, friendship, family, love, fun, & entertaining unbearably goofy comedy! And I'm glad to this day it has!I'm a guy from Japan, born the 90s, and this is one of my top favorite Disney movies! Always has been & will continue to be!! This is just one of those MANY sports film that were plain *awesome* from the 90s! (Though I personally wouldn't count "Mighty Ducks" - I never was really a fan of hockey - I sort of think it's an overrated sport.) I'm actually going by the lines of "Cool Runnings", "The Big Green", "Rookie of the Year", etc. I even hear this movie actually had the BIGGEST film premiere in 1994, with the movie grossing more than DOUBLE than what they started with in their budget!! Isn't that saying something? ;)I'm sure in many ways that not only people who play baseball, or believe in God can relate to this film; I even believe children who are ORPHANS can relate to it, too - I'm sure they want films they can relate to as well! And there may also be people who just KNOW there must be a bigger & deeper meaning to life than just getting glory, making money, & dying.Before I forget to mention, man oh man, is Randy Edelman's music so uplifting! I think the man deserves an Oscar nomination for at least SOMETHING! (I mean, this is the same guy who did the "Beethoven" movies, a "Tall Tale", "The Big Green" & "Dragonheart"!) I thin almost 50% of this film owes it's thanks to his GENIUS score! The guy is surely underrated - he deserves more attention from Hollywood than he's getting.I give credit to this movie for INTRODUCING me not only to the sport of baseball, but also the California Angels, big Hollywood names as Danny Glover (with always the loyal & friendly character to support the main characters throughout whatever story there may be), Joseph-Gordon Levitt (LOVE how he's always kept that same innocent boyish face, lol), Christopher Lloyd, Adrien Brody, Matthew Mcconaughey (BOTH Oscar winners today!), and Tony Danza. I mean I didn't know it was them at the time - but now of course I do, with such modern-day access to information on the Net these days. I guess they were just really good at playing their characters!(But if I had to say if there was downside to this movie, I would have to say that people don't "become angels" when they die, as the film suggests - in fact, angels are just meant to be ministering spirits for us ~ Hebrews 1:14. Either Heaven or Hell or our destination after we die.) And I might wanna add, the way the ANGELS are depicted themselves in this film is indeed impressive! The effects surely do hold to this day! I mean, they are just GORGEOUS to look at! When I was a very young, I really thought that's how they looked. But hey actually, they're actually more amazing than THAT! Yes, I am sure serious. But that's another long story...Again, I'm fan of and I still love Joseph Gordon-Levitt; he is RENOWNED for being in this film in my memory! But I''ll be honest when I say I hate or seriously DISLIKE a lot of the recent films he's been in (ie. Looper, Inception, Don Jon, etc.) As if he almost WANTS to ruin our childhoods of him. I can't believe he would go to great lengths and such deep measures by including himself in this great, wholesome, family movie that encourages good behavior, loving relationships, stronger faith in Heaven, God, angels, etc., but then gets into OTHER films that are not only just all-round atrocious, awful, disgusting, filthy, and encourage BAD behavior, but even misuse & take the Lord's name in vain! Unfortunately, that happens all the time, and I'm sick of it! Rarely are there ever films these days, except for "Facing the Giants" that really praise and upholds the name of Lord. But I guess as always, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". (Prov. 1:7) Ugh, with "Don Jon"........... &@!$#% that movie!!!But on the bright side, I even find that quote that Maggie says near the third part of the film about a "football player kneels to thank God after a great game", I immediately knew it seemed to foreshadowing Tim Tebow, a great sports player of today!And I find it just RUDE & BIGOTED for thee Nostalgia Critic to come across this movie, and think it "silly & simplistic" that boy ask God for a family & helps a baseball game win, "when there's starving children in Africa" or "war in the Middle-East". CUT IT SOME SLACK, Critic! God could clearly say the same thing about US (we) people! Have you forgotten that God is all places at all times??? God CAN send His angels for supernatural interventions; God tries even WORKING THROUGH people to feed starving people or bring peace to the Middle-East - it's just that most of us are too far caught up in our everyday lives or self-indulgence we just don't notice it, nor is it reported by the mainstream media.But DITTO to that last quote by AL the Angel - "We're always watching!" DITTO, to that, man! Ditto and amen!With this film whether like "Beauty & the Beast" and "The Lion King", as I get older & older, it only gets better & better! I'll say "CHECK IT OUT" to those who still haven't! :DDD(And I wrote this review since I'm convinced NO ONE ELSE would - so I'm glad I did.)9/10

"Angels in the Outfield" may be an entertaining movie, but it doesn't do anything unexpected. The subplot involving the foster home that these two kids reside at is an excuse to move the plot forward, just so manager George Knox and these two kids can be united as a foster family. After all, the movie has to have something besides the baseball anyway, right? This kid may have wished for angels to help his favorite baseball team win, but this is such an obvious plot, that there isn't any suspense through the entire film. This is because you know they're going to save the day, so nothing is really at stake. The press conference scene is especially predictable. I'm not saying I didn't like the movie (I've seen it several times). I'm just pointing these things out.*** out of ****

You know, this movie isn't that great, but, I mean, c'mon, it's about angels helping a baseball team. I find the plot line to be hilarious anyways, this kid's dad says he'll take him back if the angels win the pennant (because he knows they won't) Kid prays to his fake god to help the angels win, god helps the whole time (via the angel Christopher Lloyd, RIP) And in the end, his dad doesn't take him back and rides off on his motorcycle right in that kids face. it's hilarious until Danny Glover adopts it and it's friend.I guess the upside is that the old lady is left alone to die with her stitchin' projects and her stories. The real winner here, though, is god. Because later he got a job as a writer for numerous prank shows.As a kids movie, it gets a 7. As a movie about the mysteries of blind, stupid faith, and the nature of "god," it gets a 10.