A League of Their Own

This fictionalised account of the All American Girls' Professional Baseball League (formed in 1943, with male players lost to the war) captures heartbreaks, home runs, and little vigour. Things start promisingly as a scout (Lovitz) scours the country recruiting players, including farm-girls Dottie and Kit (Davis and Petty), dance-hall hostess 'All the Way' Mae (Madonna) and bouncer Doris (O'Donnell). As they train, rivalries emerge, focusing too heavily on Kit's jealousy over sister Dottie's physical and social advantages. Marshall piles on the sentiment, notably in framing sequences which see the film unfold in flashback and culminate in a tearful reunion; even worse, scriptwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel neglect the ensemble, emphasising a sense of historical occasion over character development. As the cynical manager/coach who learns to love his team, Hanks has more to wrestle with, but Madonna makes do with a spot of dancing.