The original Kid from Left Field.is an enjoyable but undistinguished movie. It certainly didn't cry out to be remade.
Nor is there anything in this remake that justifies it.
Some of the scenes simply repeat those in the first version. Others introduce a new but undeveloped plot line. In the first version, the boy. Christie, meets a woman who works in the Bisons' front office, which allows us to have a woman in this basically boy's story. In the new version, she is replaced by a white woman social worker, who is convinced that the boy's widowed father is not taking care of him well. Nothing is made of the fact that she is white and the boy and his father are black, which is a real let-down, as it could have allowed the movie to deal with a new theme that would have justified its existence.
Some of the minor characters are rewritten in an obnoxious way. Ed McMahon's team owner comes in a very poor second to Ray Collins'.
There is also a lot of soupy background music here, used to make already tear-jerkng scenes that much more lacrymose. Why they went for that I don't know. I found it objectionable.
As I said, the original, while enjoyable, is not a great movie. This version is longer by 20 minutes, and slower paced. Just nothing here to recommend it.
Nor is there anything in this remake that justifies it.
Some of the scenes simply repeat those in the first version. Others introduce a new but undeveloped plot line. In the first version, the boy. Christie, meets a woman who works in the Bisons' front office, which allows us to have a woman in this basically boy's story. In the new version, she is replaced by a white woman social worker, who is convinced that the boy's widowed father is not taking care of him well. Nothing is made of the fact that she is white and the boy and his father are black, which is a real let-down, as it could have allowed the movie to deal with a new theme that would have justified its existence.
Some of the minor characters are rewritten in an obnoxious way. Ed McMahon's team owner comes in a very poor second to Ray Collins'.
There is also a lot of soupy background music here, used to make already tear-jerkng scenes that much more lacrymose. Why they went for that I don't know. I found it objectionable.
As I said, the original, while enjoyable, is not a great movie. This version is longer by 20 minutes, and slower paced. Just nothing here to recommend it.