The Final Season
Encyclopedia
The Final Season is a 2007 baseball
film starring Sean Astin
, Rachael Leigh Cook
, Tom Arnold
, Powers Boothe
, Brett Claywell
, Michael Angarano
, and Marshall Bell
and directed by David Mickey Evans. Sports Action by ReelSports. The film wrapped production in 2006 in Shellsburg, Iowa
, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, and was released in the United States
and Canada
on October 12, 2007, by Yari Film Group
.
The film premiered three times at the Tribeca Film Festival
in New York City, New York. The film also premiered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, on October 7, 2007.
), who in the early 1990s, takes the job of a lifetime as head coach of the Norway High School baseball team, a school which had won 19 State titles and equated baseball with life. Kent must win over his players and convince them and himself that he can fill their former coach's shoes all while dealing with the reality that this will be the team's final season due to an impending merger with a nearby school.
In the summer of 1991, Norway High's baseball tradition ended on a triumphant but somber note.
The film depicts the Norway School District merging with the "Madison School District". Norway actually was consolidated into the Benton Community School District
.
, the film has a "Rotten" rating of 25%, based on 40 reviews. On Metacritic
, the film had an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". The film grossed $1,159,691 in the USA.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
film starring Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
, Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
, Tom Arnold
Tom Arnold (actor)
Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
, Powers Boothe
Powers Boothe
Powers Allen Boothe is an American television and film actor. Some of his most notable roles include his Emmy-winning 1980 portrayal of Jim Jones and his turn as Cy Tolliver on Deadwood, as well as Vice-President Noah Daniels on 24....
, Brett Claywell
Brett Claywell
Brett Claywell is an American actor best known for playing the roles of Tim Smith on The CW series One Tree Hill, and Kyle Lewis on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Biography:...
, Michael Angarano
Michael Angarano
- Early life :Angarano was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Doreen and Michael P. Angarano. He is of Italian descent. His family owns and operates three successful dance studios; two in New York and one in California called Reflections in Dance. His mother is the owner and director of all...
, and Marshall Bell
Marshall Bell
Archibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
and directed by David Mickey Evans. Sports Action by ReelSports. The film wrapped production in 2006 in Shellsburg, Iowa
Shellsburg, Iowa
Shellsburg is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 938 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Shellsburg is located at ....
, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, and was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on October 12, 2007, by Yari Film Group
Yari Film Group
The Yari Film Group is an independent film company founded in 2002, and headed by producer Bob Yari, which deals in financing, production, acquisition, sales and distribution of theatrical feature films....
.
The film premiered three times at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in New York City, New York. The film also premiered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, on October 7, 2007.
Plot
The true story of Kent Stock (Sean AstinSean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
), who in the early 1990s, takes the job of a lifetime as head coach of the Norway High School baseball team, a school which had won 19 State titles and equated baseball with life. Kent must win over his players and convince them and himself that he can fill their former coach's shoes all while dealing with the reality that this will be the team's final season due to an impending merger with a nearby school.
In the summer of 1991, Norway High's baseball tradition ended on a triumphant but somber note.
The film depicts the Norway School District merging with the "Madison School District". Norway actually was consolidated into the Benton Community School District
Benton Community School District
The Benton Community School District, part of the WAMAC Conference, comprises eight rural towns located in the state of Iowa : Atkins, Newhall, Norway, Watkins, Van Horne, Keystone, Elberon, Blairstown; additional students from Marengo, Garrison.Benton Community elementaries are located in: ...
.
Cast
- Sean AstinSean AstinSean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
as Kent Stock - Rachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
as Polly Hudson - Michael AngaranoMichael Angarano- Early life :Angarano was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Doreen and Michael P. Angarano. He is of Italian descent. His family owns and operates three successful dance studios; two in New York and one in California called Reflections in Dance. His mother is the owner and director of all...
as Mitch Akers - Powers BoothePowers BoothePowers Allen Boothe is an American television and film actor. Some of his most notable roles include his Emmy-winning 1980 portrayal of Jim Jones and his turn as Cy Tolliver on Deadwood, as well as Vice-President Noah Daniels on 24....
as Jim Van Scoyoc - Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (actor)Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
as Burt Akers - Brett ClaywellBrett ClaywellBrett Claywell is an American actor best known for playing the roles of Tim Smith on The CW series One Tree Hill, and Kyle Lewis on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.-Biography:...
as Patrick Iverson - Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
as Harvey Makepeace - Danielle SavreDanielle SavreDanielle Kathleen Savre is an American actress, singer and dancer.-Life and career:Savre was born and lives in Simi Valley, California. Her parents' names are Randy and Kathie and she also has an older sister, Stephanie....
as Cindy Iverson - James GammonJames GammonJames Richard Gammon was an American actor, known for playing grizzled "good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series.-Early life:...
as Jared (Grandpa) Akers - Jesse Henecke as Principal Halberstorm
- Larry MillerLarry Miller (actor)Lawrence J. "Larry" Miller is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, podcaster, and columnist.-Early life:Miller was born in Valley Stream, New York, attended Valley Stream South High School graduating in 1971. He attended Amherst College...
as Roger Dempsey - Roscoe Myrick as Sammy
- Chris Olsen as Eddie Fitz
- Angela Paton as Ann Akers
- Nick Livingston as Kevin
- Ryan Flood as Baseball Player #4
- Nick Schmitt as Baseball player #5
Reception
The Final Season received mainly negative to mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film has a "Rotten" rating of 25%, based on 40 reviews. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". The film grossed $1,159,691 in the USA.
Production notes
- Sports action was by Rob Miller of ReelSports.
- Amy AckerAmy AckerAmy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
and Eliza DushkuEliza DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
were at one point cast in the role of Polly, but both dropped out because of scheduling conflicts.