THE PERFECT GAME
A faith-filled baseball story with a terrific ending—and rough edges.
Should You Watch It?
The decision is mixed. The Perfect Game has a very strong Christian message, with prayers made in Jesus’ name, positive descriptions of God and Jesus, and miracles that answer those prayers. Its emotional climax is powerful enough that many viewers will be moved by the end.
But the movie takes a long time to get there. Much of it feels corny or phony, and the story includes lying, disobedience, alcohol use, and troubling political elements. The faith is a genuine strength, yet the movie’s moral complications are not handled consistently.
Watch it at home, where you can guide the conversation and decide whether its inspiring finish outweighs its rougher material.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESIn the late 1950s, Cesar Faz returns to Monterrey, Mexico, after being denied the chance to coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He works at a steel plant and drinks away his anger.
A local priest sees baseball as a way to give impoverished children hope. With Cesar’s reluctant help, the children have four weeks to form a Little League franchise. Their team soon faces competition in Mexico and then travels to America, where the young players pursue an unlikely championship dream.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is an uneven film with a worthwhile core. The movie follows the familiar path of a sports story but does not create enough jeopardy and danger to hold attention throughout. As a result, parts feel corny, phony, or politically driven.
The ending is the exception. It comes together in a terrific, emotionally powerful climax. Director William Dear does a good job directing the boys, and Cheech Marin gives a terrific performance as the priest. Clifton Collins, Jr., however, does not show a full range of talent, leaving Cesar—the most important character—without enough life.
The Worldview
Faith in God and Jesus Christ is central to the film. Prayers are made in Jesus’ name and miraculously answered. The priest is a strong spiritual presence, and when he must return to Mexico because of a visa problem, a strong Black Baptist preacher becomes the team’s spiritual advisor. Even the doubting character eventually comes to faith.
The film’s Christian message is complicated by its moral choices. Angel walks out on his father before they are eventually reconciled. Cesar lies to the team; one lie is rebuked, while another is never addressed. The movie also includes ritualistic superstitious behavior.
The film stresses equality, but the source review finds that it often does so by portraying white Little League teams, white policemen, and white newspaper editors as bigoted or mean-spirited. It also includes anti-capitalist and anti-American themes, along with negative views of legal immigration, patriotism, and police. These choices make the film’s “social gospel” morality feel politically charged rather than fully balanced.
The movie’s deepest longing is for hope amid poverty and disappointment. Scripture says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong overt Christian worldview with some strong Bible references, lots of prayers, lots of positive descriptions of God and Jesus, strong Catholic priest, strong black minister, but mitigated by many moral problems and politically correct socialist, anti-capitalist, anti-American elements such as mean factory owner, factory goes out on strike to listen to their children play Little League baseball, boy disobeys father to play baseball, coach lies as a major plot device, one lie rebuked but another not addressed, a negative view of legal immigration, a negative view of patriotism, a hostile view toward police, a negative view of the white Little League teams; six light obscenities; very little violence includes boy hit by baseball and boy steps on glass; no overt sex although young Mexican boys who are too young want girlfriends and coach is coached on his love interest by young boy who’s seen as an expert on women; no nudity; lots of alcohol in some scenes, especially to get drunk; no smoking; and, some ritualistic superstitious behavior.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Angel disobeys his father before they are eventually reconciled. What does honoring a parent look like when you strongly want something else?
Ephesians 6:1–3 · Colossians 3:20Cesar tells lies, but only one of them is rebuked. Why does honesty matter even when a lie seems useful?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The children are given hope through baseball and community. Where can your family offer practical hope to someone who feels overlooked?
Romans 12:12–13 · Galatians 6:9–10The movie presents strong faith alongside moral failures. How should Christians respond when something contains both genuine good and serious problems?
1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 · Philippians 4:8The Final Word
The Perfect Game has a strong Christian message and a terrific climax, but its uneven filmmaking and troubling moral and political elements make it better for guided viewing at home. For a cleaner family movie night, see our. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME.
