Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) is a married milkmaid on the Oregon family farm. It's WWII and the men are all over seas fighting the war including Dottie's husband. Scout Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz) comes to find new talents. He's interested in Dottie but not her sister Kit Keller (Lori Petty). He only takes Kit after Dottie agrees to come. It's a slow start and the girls have the drunken ex-player Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) as their manager. Then Dottie becomes a star and the league begins to be successful. As Dottie gets bigger, Kit gets more jealous and angry at Dottie's shadow holding her back.

Director Penny Marshall has created a very satisfying drama. It has some great moments and a few memorable lines. It can be a little bit corny at times but the top rate actors keeps it from going over the edge. Even the duo of Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell can't derail this. Tom Hanks and Geena Davis are simply wonderful providing a solid foundation. The baseball action is mostly just montages of action scenes except the big climatic finale. That's perfectly fine especially since it keeps the action moving. It's a great fun watch time after time.

The story of the women's professional baseball league after almost 40 years after the last game was played comes to the big screen with A League Of Their Own. Though the names are changed and the facts are jumbled, A League Of Their Own celebrates what was a milestone in the feminist movement. Woman's entry into team sports, previously reserved for the male of the species.

The film centers around two sisters, Geena Davis and Lori Petty, but a whole lot of women get some great roles in this film. Those who particularly stand out are Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, and Bitty Schram, all members of the Rockford Peaches except for Petty who gets traded to the Racine team.

The league was founded by Phil Wrigley played under an alias by Garry Marshall, brother of Penny Marshall. Mr. Wrigley was not the most public of baseball moguls and by all accounts did not have half the personality that Garry Marshall displays. He had some interesting ideas and this was probably the most enduring even though the league eventually folded long after the action in this film is concluded. Read Bill Veeck's book Veeck as in Wreck to get an insight into Mr. Wrigley or some of the various Chicago Cub histories.

The character of Jimmie Dugan who Tom Hanks plays is based on Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx. When I was growing up Foxx was number two on the all time home run list with 535 to Babe Ruth. He was in fact a hard drinking man as Hanks portrays. He was also a mighty man of muscle which Tom Hanks is not. Someone like Joe Piscopo would have looked a whole lot more like Jimmie Foxx. Nevertheless Hanks is brilliant in the role.

In those years of Rosie the Riveteer on the World War II homefront, the Women's baseball league was a daring innovation and a radical step forward into women's athletics. Now we have a Women's Basketball League that is doing quite well.

Could a woman's baseball league get started again?

This is a feel good movie about a period during the war where women's baseball became popular. It served the purpose of giving entertainment during a very hard time in our history. It also showed the wonderful relationships that developed. Tom Hanks plays the enigmatic coach who has always dealt with men. The subplot involves sisters, where the tall pretty one has seemingly always held sway in the family. This is about growing. This is an opportunity for a new start for one of them. Madonna plays a fun character, full of life and sass. Of course, we are in for a lead up to a significant game where things will get sorted out. It's also an education in a particular sports phenomenon that was short lived but quite interesting. The movie sparkles and Hanks does a great job of suffering through something he is totally unequipped for. Quite delightful.