The Final Season (2007)

27% of critics liked it
(51 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(2,835 ratings)

A place where baseball is more than just a game fights to hold on to the national pastime in this drama inspired by a true story. Norway, IA, is a little town where folks take baseball seriously -- so much so that even though Norway's high school boasts less than a hundred students, their baseball… More A place where baseball is more than just a game fights to hold on to the national pastime in this drama inspired by a true story. Norway, IA, is a little town where folks take baseball seriously -- so much so that even though Norway's high school boasts less than a hundred students, their baseball team has brought home the state championship 19 times. Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Boothe), Norway High's baseball coach, has received national attention for his skill with players, and when passionate baseball fan Kent Stock (Sean Astin) lands a teaching position nearby, he volunteers to work as an assistant for Van Scoyoc. While Stock cherishes his time with Van Scoyoc, he takes a job working in Saint Louis, where he plans to move with his fiancée. However, he changes his plans when he gets some unexpected news -- due to shrinking enrollment and budget cuts, Norway's high school is soon to close, and their upcoming baseball season is likely to be their last. Over the fierce objections of his girlfriend, Stock passes on the job in St. Louis to spend one last spring in Norway and help Van Scoyoc as he takes one last shot at taking his team to the state championship. Meanwhile, the citizens of Norway wage a legal battle to keep the school open, and the state sends a lawyer, Polly Hudson (Rachael Leigh Cook), to Norway to represent them. While Stock and Hudson are bitter enemies at the start of the season, with time she begins to understand the sense of tradition and love of the game that fuels Stock and the people of Norway. Also featuring Larry Miller, Tom Arnold, and Michael Angarano, The Final Season received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 59 min.
Directed By: David M. Evans
Written By: Art D'Alessandro, James Grayford
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 12, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Apr 15, 2008
Studio: Yari Film Group

Critic Reviews

Jennifer Preyss, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An exciting family picture, worthy of viewing, if only for the warm-fuzzy feeling.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Why is it enjoyable to watch sporting events depicted when we know how the games will end -- how they have to end? Where does the tension come from? Why do we care when we know already?
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
For once, here's a sports movie that doesn't feature players who are expected to lose.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Remarkably, the movie rights itself once the actual season begins, focusing on game strategy more than the usual heart-stopping pep talks.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
The US corn surplus is in no way eased by The Final Season, an Iowa high school baseball saga that goes heavy on the inspiration, sports-movie cliches, and high-fructose syrup.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
The Final Season is as corny as an Iowa farm field, but as the World Series rolls around, fans of the sport might want to check out this tried-and-true tale of overcoming adversity, beating the odds and banding together for a righteous cause.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...manages to overcome the entirely underwhelming nature of its first act.
Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
Heartwarming-but-trite drama for baseball fans.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Most of the townspeople are archetypes. In fact, you get the feeling the town is populated by character actors and not real people.
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
...strictly pro forma.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
It never hits a home run. But "Final Season," an adequate movie about an above-average baseball team, isn't a loser, either.
Frank Wilkins, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Other than what happens on the playing field in 'The Final Season,' there's not much else going on.
Frank Ochieng, World Voice News
Inspirational but overly cliched with its pseudo-earnestness...In short, this heartland-based hokum about a high school baseball team is definitely corn off the cob.
Vince Koehler, Entertainment Spectrum
The tagline should be changed from How Do You Want To Be Remembered, to How Do You Want To Be Forgotten? You will find yourself forgetting too!
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Stereotypes are meant to exalt small-town values, but The Final Season is proof that it's hard to paint masterpiece in broad strokes.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It moves along at a brisk pace, the ball games are skillfully done and its point about the need for local decisions -- like the closing a school -- to be made at the local level is a point well made.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Ever notice that sports movies that mean to inspire us with the message that winning isn't everything almost always end up with a victory?
Ted Fry, Seattle Times
Perhaps if Disney had gotten their hands on it, The Final Season would have gotten the spitball polish it needs.
Timothy Knight, Reel.com
So relentlessly earnest and maudlin it makes Hoosiers look like a Martin Scorsese film, The Final Season is the latest and worst sports-themed underdog story to get the big screen treatment.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

♥˩ƳИИ &

Michael Angarano, Sean Astin, Tom Arnold, Powers Booth, Brett Claywell, Nick livingston, Roscoe Myrick, Alexander Roos, James Gammon, Rachel Leigh Cook, Larry Miller DIRECTED BY: David M. Evans Tradition in Norway, IA (pop. 586), can be summed up in one word, Baseball. From… More
Michael Angarano, Sean Astin, Tom Arnold, Powers Booth, Brett Claywell, Nick livingston, Roscoe Myrick, Alexander Roos, James Gammon, Rachel Leigh Cook, Larry Miller DIRECTED BY: David M. Evans Tradition in Norway, IA (pop. 586), can be summed up in one word, Baseball. From father to son, generation to generation, this high school David exists to defeat Goliaths 10 times its size. As Coach Jim Van Scoyoc leads the team to its 19th State title, it seems following it with a 20th is a forgone conclusion. The unexpected strikes when bureaucracy intercedes merging the town with another. Petty jealousies and political designs conspire to rob Norway of its heritage and a 20th Championship. Making matters worse, legendary coach Van Scoyoc is fired and replaced with a one-season assistant coach, Kent Stock--a move that seems to guarantee the team's failure. I guess you can say I am a sucker for these types of films. Use to watch baseball and listen to it on the radio with my dad. Never cared to much for the sport. But yet I can watch a movie about it..:) I am a football kinda gal..lol.. Anyways, I liked this movie a lot. It's a good (and true) story. Love the small town flicks since I'm from one. They are your all American kind of movies.. But this had some good acting, good story, and was all in all a good feel kinda flick. Definitely worth the rent.
Tim S

This is the best thing I saw on the plane and it was terrible at best. At least it's good to know that Powers Booth is still alive.
Sol C

Overall, it's a good film. The performances by Sean Astin, Powers Boothe, and Michael Angarano stand out in this film. It kind of reminded me of the Dennis Quaid film The Rookie. The negative, the pacing of this film is off. The film could have been 20 or 30 minutes shorter.
William G

As American as apple pie and as bland as diet vanilla ice cream on its side.