Theme Song: None.
In fact, there’s not really any music in this movie except Foreigner’s “Feels like the First Time,” yet there’s no sex or anything that would even imply something should feel like a first time.
Interesting Dated References: Telling someone you’re putting them on your “mailing list” because you can tell they “like to party.”
Also, the following being a viable means of communication: Sending a VHS tape of yourself talking and addressing the recipient of said VHS tape, then including a video camera instructing them to make a “video reply.”
It’s like super analog Skype, but way more complicated and involved.
Best Line: “Chew, but don’t swallow.”
Social Context: Women wanting to play in Major League Baseball has never really been a hot-button topic. For some reason, Blue Skies Again decided to try to make it one.
Summary: I think this movie might fall into post-Bad News Bears territory. Then again, it’s not full of swearing and drinking. In fact, it’s pretty G-rated.
Remember when this website was interesting? Remember anger? This website sucks now and for the record we’re averaging 15 unique visits per month. Per month!
Who the fuck would bother putting effort into something 15 people see!
Paula is a teenage girl obsessed with baseball and her number one goal is to play with the Devils, her local, farm league, men’s team.
Mimi Rogers is Liz, the lovable agent who is in town doing some scouting. She takes Paula under her wing and helps foster her dream of playing on the Devils. Nothing is more delusional than two women who believe in a cause. Do you know how many shitty things we have in this world because two women believed in them? Fucking scented candles, wallpaper, fucking Lifetime, the color periwinkle, Mary Engelbreit, catering to men, Fleetwood Mac, fucking holidays, and all types of greeting cards.
Schlitz is a beer that “makes it great.” After a bunch of baseball talk and boasting, Liz gets Paula a “try-out” with the team. Remember when you had to try out for things? Now they automatically accept everyone so feelings don’t get hurt and make people (children) commit suicide.
Hey look, it’s Andy Garcia in his first film role. Aren’t you excited? So Paula tries out and does really well. All the men are boastful and upset because it’s “a man’s sport.”
Kool Ultra. During Paula’s try-out, Coach Dirk (Ken McMillan) tells her he’s going to do a “6-4-3 D.P.” and she just nods her head in agreement. That term must have meant something else back in the early 80s, because they just continue playing baseball. McMillan gives a good performance. That dude constantly looked like he was going to topple over from a heart attack or liver failure. It would be another six years before that happened, though.
Feathered and shit. The team doesn’t like Paula because she is a girl. Team owner Harry Hamlin scoffs and guffaws at Paula because she is a girl. In general, there’s lots of ham-fisted dialogue about men disliking Paula because she is a girl.
Harry Hamlin is pretty handsome in this movie. So after much fucking around, Coach Dirk lets Paula bat during one of the games. There’s other shit going on, like a Mimi Rogers/Harry Hamlin romantic subplot, but whatever.
So Paula lands a base hit and everyone cheers. Harry Hamlin acts offended, and then the movie ends with lots of freeze-frames of the characters’ faces.
Blue Skies Again wasn’t painful to watch, but it wasn’t very engaging either. It can never really decide if it’s a slapstick sports movie or an endearing family/female film. Main heroine, Paula, was played by acting novice Robyn Barto, who never did another movie. If you’re interested in such things, here’s a follow-up interview with her from the early 90s.
Poster and Box Art: Um, yeah, there’s not much to say here. One weird thing is they try to make Hamlin look like he plays a Texas-hick tycoon on the poster, but in the movie he’s just a hot-headed preppie guy with money. I want to die.
Availability: Used VHS on Amazon.
awesome…