Hardball is a 2001 American dramedy film directed by Brian Robbins. It stars Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane and D. B. Sweeney. The screenplay by John Gatlins is based on the book Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Daniel Coyle. The original music score is composed by Mark Isham. The film is known in some parts of the U.S. as "Little Sluggers." Conor O'Neill is a gambler who bet on his dead father's account and is now severely in debt. In order to repay the debt, he must coach a baseball team of troubled kids in the ABLA housing projects of Chicago. He had decided that once he repaid his debts,... he would leave the team, but soon Conor connects with the kids and finds it harder to leave than he thought. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics and currently holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Keanu Reeves's performance in Hardball earned him a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actor . The film was based on a nonfiction novel that tracked the experience of Robert Muzikowski, a real-life youth baseball coach.
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| Release date: | September 10, 2001 |
| Directed by: | Brian Robbins |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 106 Minutes |
| Producer: | Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, Tina Nides |
| Editor: | Ned Bastille |
| Music by: | Mark Isham |
| Cinematography: | Tom Richmond |
| Screenplay by: | Daniel Coyle, John Gatins |
| Estimated budget: | $21,000,000 |
| Genre: | Comedy |