A League of Their Own review: A refreshing, modern update to the 90s baseball classic

3.5/5

Story: During World War II, when able-bodied American men are drafted to join the military, the first-ever All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is organised to keep baseball alive. Women from several parts of the country participate in the try-out, and a few of them are selected to play for the Rockford Peaches. The girls must keep their differences aside and work together as a team in order to win the season. 

Review: There is always an air of scepticism surrounding remakes of popular films and TV shows, and the scepticism is justifiable considering the long list of titles that have failed to emulate the success or quality of the original in major industries across the world. Interestingly, A League of Their Own, a series adaptation of Penny Marshall’s 1992 film of the same name starring Tom Hanks, premieres at a time when theatres are screening Laal Singh Chaddha, an official Hindi remake of another Hanks film, Forrest Gump. And there are several other remakes and reboots in the making that could either surprise us by matching up to the original or turn out to be absolute disasters. Fortunately, Amazon Prime Video’s reimagining of Marshall’s iconic film successfully captures the magic of the original. In fact, the series widens the scope of the central narrative by inculcating a few aspects that were overlooked in the movie.

While the film primarily revolved around sisters Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) who played for the Rockford Peaches in the first-ever All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943, the series features a new set of characters and an updated storyline. Co-creator Abbi Jacobson stars as Carson Shaw, a married woman who runs away from her home in Idaho to participate in the try-out for a women’s baseball league in Chicago. She befriends Greta (D'Arcy Carden) and Jo (Melanie Field) along the way, and the trio finds a place in the team. Like Dottie, Carson is a catcher. As the series progresses, we see her transition into a professional baseball player, forging new relationships, and discovering her true self.

One brilliant addition to the story is Max’s (Chanté Adams) character. In a scene of the original film, a Black woman shows off her extraordinary pitching skills by throwing back a ball at Dottie. The writers have developed this nameless character from the film and have given her a story and identity in the series. Like Carson, Max also dreams of becoming a baseball player but she has her own battles to fight. She is not even allowed to throw a ball at the try-out due to her race. The only person who always has her back is Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo), her best friend. Their friendship is one of the highlights of the series.

Unlike the film, the series doesn’t shy away from giving us an insight into the socio-political landscape of the US in the 40s. It explores the discrimination that people faced due to their race, gender, and sexual identity, and gives us a sense of how society perceived femininity and queer relationships. For instance, the women in the baseball teams are required to wear extremely short skirts as their uniforms and are expected to behave ‘womanly’. They are told to keep their mouths shut even if a man makes sexist remarks, and their chances of continuing in the team are even lesser if they are queer. The series treats these subtexts with genuine honesty and empathy.

A League of Their Own excels because of the thoroughly fleshed-out character arcs. Although Carson and Max are the central characters of the series, enough time is spent in establishing the stories and personalities of the supporting cast. D'Arcy Carden is delightful as the flirty, free-spirited, and glamorous Greta who acts as Carson’s biggest support system. She would remind many of Madonna’s character Mae from the film. Kate Berlant’s character Shirley brings much-needed comic relief to the series. Saidah Ekulona is perfect as Toni, Max’s overbearing mother who wants her daughter to work with her in her salon instead of harbouring the dream of playing professional baseball. But the most likable character is definitely Gbemisola Ikumelo’s Clance. Although her personality, likes, and dislikes are diametrically opposite to that of Max’s, it is a delight to see their friendship unfold on-screen.

Chanté Adams delivers a compelling performance as Max. Her frustration is so palpable that every time Max is given a chance to prove herself, we want her to succeed and show everyone her worth. Jacobson effortlessly slips into her character, and with every episode, as we see Carson becoming more confident in herself. The series also features Kelly McCormack, Roberta Colindrez, Priscilla Delgado, Nick Offerman, Melanie Field, and Patrick J. Adams.

Verdict: A League of Their Own shares many similarities with the original yet is different in many ways. The inclusion of Black, Latina and queer characters have definitely added more depth to the story. And though at its core, it is a series about a baseball team, it is also about female friendships, forbidden relationships, and about making dreams come true. More importantly, it’s a shout-out to all the badass women out there. The only missing factor is Tom Hanks.