Reviews
2/10/10, Houston Movie Examiner, Jay Rivera
"Calvin Marshall hits a home run!"
http://www.examiner.com/Houston-Arts_and_Entertainment.html
The baseball movie is a relatively small group and has seen few contributions in the last decade, most of them unremarkable to say the least. Writer-director Gary Lundgren’s Calvin Marshall aims to set itself apart from the clichés of the genre as baseball really acts as the foundation for the dramatics that ensue, yet is not the only significant component of the picture. Calvin Marshall is an excellent baseball film precisely because it does not exclusively lay focus on the game, but can be fully enjoyed even by those who have no interest in the sport whatsoever. It’s the characters that beautify Calvin Marshall, not the game they play.
The premise centers on Calvin Marshall (Alex Frost), an aspiring major league baseball player, who struggles in his third year at Bayford City College to make the baseball team. Given his Rudy-esque resilience and adoration for the sport, Coach Doug Little (Steve Zahn) agrees to let him be involved with the team, but under specific restrictions. Meanwhile, Marshall begins dating the very talented Tori Jensen (Michelle Lombardo), the junior college’s star volleyball player. Regardless of the obvious disparity in their sports playing talents, the two consequently start to fall for one another.
Our setting, therefore, is primarily in and around a junior college, which is both refreshing and somewhat unusual. This is not a large, well-renowned university. Most films tend to portray college life as an experience involving big, sprawling, immaculate buildings complete with overpriced tuitions and a host of students who look as if they’ve stepped off the set of a CW show. It’s the top-tier universities that often receive more representation than any other, despite the glaring reality that most of us do not end up at those schools, ever. Thus, it’s a pleasant shock to find a film that does not adhere to those predetermined guidelines and plays out its story at a small town, average, presumably more affordable college with a very modest amount of romanticizing.
The plot is fairly uneventful, but engrossing nevertheless due to its wealth of strong performances. Zahn as Coach Little consumes every scene in which he appears. Little is an amusing would be leader and part-time drunk, who tries without much success to wear a stern and self-possessed demeanor, although Little, as a former minor league player, has his own closeted, glaring regrets of shattered dreams and missed opportunities. Unfortunately, we are provided with very little background or a concrete understanding of Little’s personal dilemmas, but what we are given, Zahn executes with superb comedic style and irony.
Alex Frost as the ever-determined title character is impressively vulnerable, despite his character’s evident shortcomings in sports talent and apparent self-delusion. Frost makes Marhsall to be someone we want to see thrive at whatever he decides to pursue. Frost’s chemistry with Michelle Lombardo is fervent enough and promotes the film from being just a routine story about young love. Lombardo handles the weight of her dynamic character with apparent effortlessness. Tori's relationship with Marshall is presented just as any relationship should be played out: amorous, complicated and occasionally downright painful.
Second to our leads’ love woes are the tremendous set of supporting players, chief among them being Simon (Josh Fadem), Coach Dewey (Abraham Benrubi of ER fame), and Rosie Thomas as Sondra in a pithy, yet delightful role accompanied by some strikingly angelic singing. These supporting players provide a healthy and comical ingredient plus additional padding to the sometimes dreary proceedings involving those connected to our protagonist.
Calvin Marhsall idolizes, cares for, and practices a sport that frankly, he’s just not very skillful at. At face value, the moral appears to be: pursuing your childhood dreams is an essential life motto even if you never excel at it. Underneath that concept is a deeper, somewhat bleaker realization that your talents or lack thereof do not always align with the career that you desire to partake in, especially when that profession has as narrow a gateway as professional baseball. Calvin Marshall declares that not all dreams can come true, no matter how hard you work or how much potential you possess, and perhaps in comprehending such a notion there is a happy ending. Talent is not always readily discernible and may require some time to be nourished and totally exploited. That in and of itself is inspiring and certainly something to live by.
10/19/09, Austinist, Caitlin Moore
http://austinist.com/2009/10/19/aff_preview_calvin_marshall.php
In our experience, a good baseball movie acts as the perfect antidote to a bad mood. Life is simpler when it consists of four bases, a set of clear rules and the ever-present possibility of hitting a home run, and watching a bunch of lovelorn players dedicate themselves to an idealized pastime has the effect of making us enamored with the game as well. Often sentimental and always bittersweet, the best baseball movies are there when we need them, and now we have another classic to add to the feel-better-with-baseball film library.
Calvin Marshall, directed by Gary Lundgren, captures baseball's charms by introducing us to a few archetypal characters: the gruff, washed up coach who may or may not have a secret soft side, the optimistic player with more heart than talent, and a beautiful woman with a habit of throwing curve balls. Alex Frost plays the title character—a baseball fanatic who aspires to be a Major League player but unfortunately doesn't quite have what it takes to make the junior college team. The hilarious (as usual) Steve Zahn plays Calvin's coach, and though he seems to be as sour and cynical as they come, even he has trouble squelching his most dedicated prospect's dreams.
A truly excellent cast that includes Jane Adams, Andrew Wilson,Diedrich Bader and Michelle Lombardo as well as a sharp and funny script set Calvin Marshall up for sure success. Check it out now or later, but don't miss this spot-on addition to the baseball canon.
10/20/09, Smells Like Screen Spirit, Don Simpson
"Steve Zahn gives one of the best performances of his career."
http://smellslikescreenspirit.com/2009/10/calvin-marshall-review/
Calvin Marshall (Alex Frost) has always dreamed of playing major league baseball, but he first needs to make the local junior college team – the Bayford Bisons. Calvin loves baseball probably more than most major league players – and definitely more than the rest of the Bayford Bisons. Calvin trains constantly – also more than the rest of the Bayford Bisons. The Bayford Bisons’ coach – Coach Little (Steve Zahn) – appreciates Calvin’s love for the game and his tenacity, but Calvin’s biggest hurdle in succeeding at baseball is that he is not a good player.
Enter Tori Jensen (Michelle Lombardo), the gorgeous new student who also happens to be the star volleyball player. Jenson is a major league player who is slumming it in junior college in order to be close with her ailing mother. Calvin, being the sensitive and caring young man that he is, befriends Tori. There is just one snag, Calvin tells Tori that he’s the star shortstop for the baseball team; when in fact he was cut from the team for the third straight year. Feelings are hurt, hearts are broken, etc.
Alex Frost plays Calvin like only a young John Cusack would (in my opinion, that’s a compliment!). He is sensitive, endearing and a bit nerdy while emitting an ever so cool nonchalance. Calvin is basically a baseball geek disguised as a cute guy. Everyone keeps telling Calvin that Tori is out of his league – maybe as an athlete, but not necessarily in the world of dating. Speaking of Tori…Michelle Lombardo balances the duality of the sexy jock and the sensitive daughter quite well. Then, there’s Steve Zahn, who gives one of the best performances of his career. Coach Little, a failed baseball player and alcoholic, is a rich and complex character and Zahn’s interpretation of his character is quite entertaining.
Written and directed by Gary Lundgren, Calvin Marshall is essentially about being happy with the cards you are dealt. Many people want to be star baseball players, but that is not possible for everyone. You just need to discover what you are good at and take it from there.
11/04/09, Slackerwood, Debbie Cerda
http://www.slackerwood.com/node/910
At first glance, writer/director Gary Lundgren's Calvin Marshall could be mistaken for just another "baseball movie," but this poignant and humorous film delivers much more. Baseball is the focus of the main character, yet the heart of this film, which had its world premiere at Austin Film Festival, is more about passion and human nature.
Title character Calvin (Alex Frost) lives and breathes baseball, getting up before dawn to practice -- unfortunately it's a lost cause, as he just doesn't have the skills for the local junior college baseball team. Despite his gruff exterior, the team's head coach (Steve Zahn) has a soft spot for Calvin, and can't bring himself to cut him from the team despite the constant urgings of his assistant Coach Dewey (Abraham Benrubi).
The well-rounded cast of Calvin Marshall represent how humans deal differently with their dreams and passions. Calvin is the archetypical underdog, but he doesn't win in the formulaic sense. His baseball-playing skills never improve enough for him to realize his dreams on the field, but he does find an alternate talent that keeps him in the game. Calvin's love interest Tori Jensen (Michelle Lombardo) is a star volleyball player whose talents seem to come effortlessly. Diedrich Bader plays Fred Deerfield, a city league player and coach who sets his sights low and is content in his minor achievements -- the epitome of "ignorance is bliss." The cast also includes Andrew Wilson, lately seen in Whip It.
By far the most complex character that I found myself both loving and hating is Coach Little, played brilliantly by Steve Zahn. His character wallows in his past fame as a minor league star, not content with his current situation. Coach Little's self-destruction of drinking himself senseless in the local bar inflicts collateral damage striking the naive lovestruck Calvin.
Lundgren's narrative transitions well between comedic and dramatic moments, Calvin Marshall is well-supported by cinematography that captures the lure of the baseball diamond, and is a must-see for any baseball movie fan. Beyond that, this timeless film speaks to anyone who's had passion but not the talent for a particular skill or sport.
Austin Connections: Rumor has it the Wilson brothers - Andrew, Luke, and Owen - own a house in Austin's SoCo area. They are frequently sighted at their favorite coffee shop and Mexican restaurant when in town, as confirmed during an interview with the Calvin Marshall director and stars. Director Gary Lundgren has been to Austin Film Festival before, with his short Wow and Flutter in 2004.
10/22/09, Austin Statesman, Chris Garcia
http://www.statesman.com/
The title character in this genial baseball dramedy comes across as a neutered version of Jason Schwartzman’s enterprising young go-getter in “Rushmore.” He’s a guileless kid, swelling with dewy-eyed enthusiasm for the game, enough so that he can’t see what an abysmal player he is. Like Schwartzman, he keeps his head up even when everyone else keeps slamming it down.
Pleasant, funny and unabashedly old-fashioned, “Calvin Marshall” runs on the sparks of its lead’s bushy-tailed charm. Alex Frost (“Stop-Loss”) plays Calvin with a big heart and aching sincerity; he’s an emo jock.
He’s also a bit clueless, and that’s sweet.
Message sports movies are just looking for narrative trouble, but writer-director Gary Lundgren doesn’t flinch at the clichés and rote character arcs. He embraces and messages them with confidence. Lessons will be learned, hearts broken, rifts mended, all with a deft touch.
A genuine love of the game sluices through the film, which goes a long way in making you believe. Lundgren’s assembled a good cast featuring a few familiar faces (Andrew Wilson and indie queen Jane Adams). But it’s Steve Zahn’s zesty, lived-in performance as the junior college baseball team’s despotic coach that galvanizes what often veers toward the generic.
10/22/09, Austin Chronicle, Kimberley Jones
http://www.austinchronicle.com/
Apparently, Alex Frost has the face of a young man in need of deflowering; Calvin Marshall marks the actor’s second virginal role to play in this year’s AFF lineup (see alsoThe Vicious Kind). As CM's titular lead, Frost plays a relentlessly decent guy who wants only to play shortstop for his junior college baseball team.
Too bad Calvin can’t hit to save his life… or throw… or field. He’s a hopeless case, but even his hard-drinking, hard-hearted coach (Zahn, enjoyably grizzled) can’t say no to the kid. The college's star volleyball player (Michelle Lombardo) also takes falls for his goofy charms – maybe because she's been conned into thinking she's dating the big man on campus.
Writer/director Gary Lundgren goes a little too far with Calvin’s delusions of grandeur, or even delusions of adequacy – he’s a smart kid, after all; he knows his E.R.A. – but what Calvin Marshall most ably does is dramatize the pure fervor of a baseball devotee and how hard it is to acknowledge that one is destined for a fan’s life and nothing more.
11/14/09, Simple Reviews by Kim, Kim Calvin
http://reviewsbykc.blogspot.com/2009/11/calvin-marshall.html
Walking into the theater tonight I had no idea what to expect from Calvin Marshall. I expected the typical sports movie about the underdog who overcomes everything to win the big game and get the girl. In a way part of that is true but the typical sports movie it is not. Calvin Marshall could actually be about anything that a person is passionate about.
This humerus and poignant movie follows underdog Calvin (Alex Frost) as he takes his living and breathing passion for baseball and tries out for his junior college baseball team. Dedicated he is but skilled he is not. He forces Coach Little (Steve Zahn) into a sticky situation of allowing him to be on the team with his lack of skills. Coach Little is a former minor league player who spends most of his time at the local bar and bringing women back to the baseball field. He is still dealing with his own feelings of losing his dream when he is forced to make Calvin do the same. Calvin's passion for sports travels off of the field as well with his broadcasting of sports for the school which leads him to the women's volleyball team and Tori Jensen (Michelle Lombardo) the love of his life. Tori is the star of the team whose skills on the court are effortless and what Calvin dreams of for himself. Tori turned down countless scholarship offers to much bigger schools to stay closer to her family while Calvin is barely a member of the baseball team.
Alex Frost plays Calvin as nerdy and geeky as I've ever seen a baseball player. He has his awkward moments and I felt like at any point he could have joined the A/V club and fit right in but he had the swagger of a baseball player. Steve Zahn gave a career performance in this movie. Coach Little is a complex character who on the surface is a failed, alcoholic baseball wash up but has so much more going on underneath the surface. Zahn brings a humor to the character while maintaining a seriousness never before seen by him. Michelle Lombardo is the complete package for the role of Tori. The obvious athleticism is matched by the sensitivity and caring she shows for Calvin and her sick mother. Jeremy Sumpter as Caselli is the dumb jock who has all of the skill and none of the brains provides a few laughs including a very funny physical comedy scene. Jane Adams and Andrew Wilson provide laughs and guidance for Calvin as his aunt and "uncle." Diedrich Bader as Fred Deerfield is the classic underachiever and oblivious city league softball player and little league coach has a way of making even the smallest accomplishment seem huge. Abraham Benrubi as Coach Dewey is the backbone of the baseball team and the only one ready to stand up and kick Marshall off the team.
Calvin Marshall is about facing the dilemma of changing your life when you realize you can not reach your dreams. It is a must see for any movie fan let alone baseball fan because it is the story not usually told.