Rookie of the Year MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: +2 1/2

Imagination and wholesome fun combined with excitement and humor hit a home run in ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. Twelve-year-old Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas) lives and breathes baseball. Even though he is a total disaster on the field, his enthusiasm for the game never wanes. Mary, his single Mom (Amy Morton), shares his passion. Suddenly Henry is catapulted into baseball history when his broken arm heals in such a way that he can pitch fast balls that hit 103 on the meter. Mary's opportunist boyfriend, Jack Bradfield (Bruce Altman), contacts a Chicago Cubs recruiter. The timing couldn't be better - the Cubs are having a losing season and their star pitcher, Chet Steadman (Gary Busey), seems to be at the root of their problems. Needless to say, he and the other seasoned players react negatively to their new adolescent teammate. Henry faces other problems as well as he becomes a national hero. His school buddies resent their friend's preoccupation with fame, Jack pushes him into TV commercials, and Henry has no time to be a kid. It is fun to watch this very likable boy handle the pressure of pitching for the pros and win the hearts of his teammates. Fun for the whole family!

Especially refreshing is the close loving relationship between Henry and his mother. No matter whether he is bombing in his little league or pitching in the World Series, Mary gives Henry her full support. Henry openly expresses his love for his mother and truly enjoys her company. He understands the importance of friendship and the joys of being a kid. In spite of the cold shoulder Henry gets from Steadman, Henry doesn't hesitate to ask for his autograph. Still, there are a few negatives. In a particularly tense moment on the field, Henry, his mother and his buddies utter "my God" over and over. One of the baseball players is shown grabbing his crotch. There is no gratuitous violence. However, Mary loses her temper and socks Jack once, and Henry fights briefly with his friends once. In another scene he accidentally hits his doctor in the nose. This is a good old-fashioned comedy families can enjoy together.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: 20th Century Fox