Angels in the Outfield (known simply as Angels in some countries) is a 1994 remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The film stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd, and features appearances from future stars, including Adrien Brody, Matthew McConaughey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Neal McDonough.
Unlike the original, which focused on the Pittsburgh Pirates as the team in heavenly need, the 1994 remake focuses on the California Angels, who started play ten years after the original film was released in 1951. The film does, however, make a connection to the Bucs by having its world premiere at the Pirates home at the time, Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.[1]
Plot
Best friends Roger (Gordon-Levitt) and J.P. (Milton Davis, Jr.), who live in a short-term foster care facility, ride their bikes around the home field of baseball's California Angels. When they return home, Roger's father (Dermot Mulroney) is there. Roger asks when they will be a family again. Sarcastically, his father tells him it will be when the Angels win the pennant, being that the Angels are in last place.
That same day, the Angels' manager, George Knox (Glover), yells at his team because of its 15-game losing streak. After another loss, Knox is interviewed by Ranch Wilder (Jay O. Sanders), the team's broadcaster and a former player who injured Knox's knee and ended his playing career. They argue and George punches him in the eye.
That night, Roger asks God to help the Angels win the pennant so he can be reunited with his father. The next day, Roger and J.P. go to the stadium, instead of watching from a tree as they usually do. In the game, Roger sees two real angels pick up Angels outfielder Ben Williams (McConaughey) and help him catch a ball that would've been a home run. Roger asks J.P. if he saw it, but J.P. says no.
A man named Al (Lloyd) shows up next and tells Roger that he is the head angel. He claims Roger is the only one who can see them. In the bottom of the ninth, Triscuitt Mesmer (Tony Longo) comes up to bat and an angel holds the bat with him. Mesmer hits a home run and the Angels end their losing streak.
After the game, Roger meets manager Knox and tells him what he saw. Knox begins to think that Roger is a good luck charm and invites him to another game. Next day, Roger sees an angel beside the team's worst hitter, Danny Hemmerling (Brody) and tells Knox to put him in. Knox refuses at first, since he had Ray Mitchell (Stoney Jackson), his best hitter, at bat. But he figures that he has nothing to lose. To everyone's surprise, Hemmerling hits an inside-the-park home run, thanks to the angel and 19 errors from the Oakland Athletics.
Knox gives Roger and J.P. season tickets. The next game, Roger sees an angel with Mel Clark (Danza), a pitcher who hasn't played in nearly a decade due to cancer. Roger tells Knox to start him, Clark throws a shutout, and the Angels win their third straight game.
The Angels end up in first place with two games left in the season. They play the second-place Chicago White Sox, meaning the Angels will win the pennant if they beat them at least once. Roger, however, has to be at a hearing during the first game, so no one is there to tell Knox where the angels are, and the Angels lose, leaving them with one last chance to win the pennant.
The problem grows worse when Roger's father gives up custody of him, leaving Roger heartbroken. Ranch Wilder sees J.P. crying and hears him saying something about angels. J.P. tells him how Knox uses Roger to tell him where the angels are, information which Ranch takes to the press.
Hank Murphy (Ben Johnson), the owner of the Angels, decides to fire Knox, thinking he must be crazy. Knox convinces him to call a press conference to clear it up. Prepared to deny the story, Knox is about to do so until he sees Roger and J.P. walk in. The boys' foster caretaker, Maggie (Brenda Fricker) defends them and then Mel Clark says he will not play for anyone but Knox. He is followed by the rest of the team, so Murphy decides to let Knox keep his job.
Clark pitches the final game. He allows two runs in the first inning. Al shows up and Roger asks if the angels are going to help, but is told that they can't in championships. He came to check on Mel, who only has six months to live.
Late in the game, Mitchell hits a two-run homer to tie the score. Then the Angels take a 3-2 lead. In the top of the ninth inning, Knox decides to leave in Clark. He loads the bases with two outs, with the White Sox best hitter coming to the plate. Knox wants to take him out, but Roger says that he needs to believe.
Knox goes to the mound, everyone believing Clark is going to be taken out. Roger gives a signal that there is an angel there. The next pitch is hit next to Clark, who dives and barely makes the catch to win the game. The team runs onto the field to celebrate, Knox tells Clark that there wasn't really an angel there, and the owner fires the troublemaking broadcaster Ranch.
Later on, Knox tells Roger and J.P. that he has decided to adopt them. While they are hugging, Al makes himself visible to J.P., who has always wanted to see an angel. Al tells him, "We're always watching."
Sequels
The movie spawned two direct-to-video sequels, Angels in the Endzone and Angels in the Infield.
Cast
See also
External links
References
