The Phenom

Filmmaker Noah Buschel's The Phenom is a baseball movie that offers remarkably little action on the diamond as it relates a sober, slow-moving story about a rookie pitcher who is trying, with the aid of a dedicated psychologist, to uncover the reasons behind his disastrous recent slump. Johnny Simmons, in a restrained performance bordering on comatose, stars as Hopper Gibson, a Florida high school star whose first nationally-televised major league appearance is marked by a cluster of wild pitches. His team places him in the care of a renowned expert (Paul Giamatti), whose gentle approach gradually points the finger of blame at the malignant influence of Hopper's father (Ethan Hawke), a ne'er-do-well who displayed talent on the mound himself but threw it all away for a life of petty crime and then—by riding his son to do his best on the field—robbed Hopper of any enjoyment in playing the game. The Phenom aims for a Good Will Hunting vibe, but by ponderously juxtaposing therapy sessions with flashbacks to Hopper's run-ins with his volatile dad, it makes its point explicit almost from the first frame, ultimately coming across more like an ambitious variant on the high-minded afterschool special. Still the film does feature excellent turns from both Giamatti and Hawke, so consider this a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include cast and crew interviews (10 min.), photo galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an uneven sports drama.] (F. Swietek)