We all love a good story of unlikely heroes. And with the decidedly brooding direction most blockbusters take these days, there’s always a place in the world for more upbeat entertainment. Based on the novel by Stephen J. Cutler and Jodi Michelle Cutler, Rally Caps is ready and able to offer some very welcome positivity.
A freak injury during a tryout abruptly halts the aspirations of young baseball ace Jordy (Carson Minniear). Despite being a gifted pitcher, the boy retreats into himself after the harrowing event and accepts the situation as hopeless. To remedy this, his mother Nora (Amy Smart) and grandfather Herb (Judd Hirsch, two-time Academy Award Nominee, Ordinary People, The Fablemans) get Jordy into summer camp. At this getaway run by coach Jerry Nathan (James Lowe), he encounters fellow player Lucas (Colten Pride), who is dealing with his own unique set of challenges. Lucas is deaf, so he adapts to the world around him in a different way, and a recent procedure giving him cochlear implants means he has a whole new adjustment to make to his surroundings. Their bond quickly grows as they slowly, but surely, support each other to get back into fighting form. And with the camp’s big game on the horizon, time will tell whether both can overcome their own insecurities.
At its best, Rally Caps feels like a light-hearted throwback to summer sports movies. Definitely in the same ballpark as The Sandlot if one were to draw comparisons. It looks and feels old-school too, which is inspiring. A loving homage to the game it portrays, writer/director Lee Cipolla dedicates ample time to showing the ins and outs in the film. The title itself is a lucky charm seen at playoffs—a cap worn inside out—by dedicated fans to help their favorite team towards victory. A fantastic scene early on finds Hirsch’s Grandpa Herb proudly folding his own cap alongside Jordy’s mother, with the boy refusing to participate in the beloved tradition due to his condition. Though simple, this is the perfect introduction to Jordy’s homelife. Hirsch’s “Pop” is both passionate and considerate throughout, striking a delicate balance that ultimately defines his role later on. Even with all the encouragement, a battered and bruised Jordy wants nothing to do with the beloved game anymore and appears to need all the backing he can get to move forward.
In reality, the characters are each other’s “rally cap.” It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Jordy and friends. Anxiety, trauma, and weighty expectations shift them in different directions, and this creates meaningful stakes. Ultimately, this film is about overcoming obstacles and rising to the top, regardless of the circumstances. That’s a message everyone can get behind. It also helps that the production quality is very strong, and the cast delivers in spades. Minniear proves himself a confident lead, but the supporting cast is equally memorable, especially Amy Smart and Ben Morang (playing Jordy’s estranged brother Rob), who play two very different and compelling sides of Jordy’s life. There is humor spliced in to lighten the mood, courtesy of Hirsch and Lowe’s coach, Jerry, letting one-liners fly. When it comes to the kids, not every joke lands, but moments of levity between them more than make up for that.
You must judge an underdog story by how much you root for its hero. Rally Caps does that and more, telling a timely and good-spirited story that the entire family can enjoy.
