‘The Perfect Game’: A Swing and a Hit
I’m sure very few people have heard of this film. There seemed to be very little marketing behind it, which is truly a shame. I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem.
Based on the book of the same name by W. William Winokur (who also wrote the script), The Perfect Game recounts the true story of a scrappy group of boys in Monterrey, Mexico, who end up competing in the 1957 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Padre Esteban (Cheech Marin), the local Catholic priest, mentors the boys, fuels their baseball dreams, and guides their faith in God. Cesar Faz (Clifton Collins Jr.) coaches the new team, but struggles to overcome his failed attempt as a baseball prospect in America due to racism. Other supporting characters include Maria (Patricia Manterola), the coach’s love interest, and Frankie (Emilie de Ravin from ABC’s Lost), a sassy newspaper reporter who documents the boys’ journey.
The Information Age has changed the cultural landscape, and our models for ministry must change along with it to stay relevant — and raise more effective urban leaders.
As I watched countless groups of white kids invade our inner-city neighborhood to do “missions,” I grew to depise the idea of “drive-by” urban missionaries. But years later, God gave me a new perspective. How I learned to love short-term missions.
How many eighth-grade Bible studies lead with Lamentations? Or Leviticus? Not many that I’m aware of.