ABSTRACT
A cinema verité study that contrasts an informal, neighborhood softball game with a championship Little League game, Two Ball Games is far more than first meets the eye. On the surface, the film lets the viewer compare and contrast the ways in which children of the same age play games in pick-up as well as highly institutionalized settings. Looking deeper, however, there seems to be a strong message coming from the filmmakers that the harm caused by overbearing managers in Little League cannot be overcome by the increased mastery of skill; and that the benefit of friendship and cooperation found in the informal setting is preferable. The study guide
that accompanies it seems to soften the propagandizing found in the film. The Little League game in Two Ball Games, while absent the blatant vulgarity, is virtually identical to the games in The Bad News Bears, thereby confirming the latter’s brilliance. These two films and the following video highlight the “social side” of becoming involved in sports.
