The story here is inspirational, even if delivered in a simplistic and formulaic fashion. It probably would have helped to better define the Aspergers Syndrome that defined Mickey Tussler, as the character that Luke Schroder portrayed didn't seem all that handicapped except for the occasional blank look on his face and early indifference in communicating with baseball scout and coach Arthur 'Murph' Murphy (Dean Cain). Pitching for the Clayton River Rats of Indiana, Mickey didn't really experience the type of rejection or disrespect that comes with an unfortunate condition like autism, which in an earlier time would have caused much more concern. The picture did insert that single unfortunate incident into the story when glory hound Lefty Rogers (Jesse Hutch) felt his status slipping away due to Mickey's pitching success, but as in all of these types of films, the principal character overcomes his misfortune and goes on to achieve a measure of success that would never have occurred if a mentor like Coach 'Murph' hadn't stepped in. Even though he was handicapped, I did have some trouble relating to the way Mickey pitched. Meaning no disrespect, but it looked as if he was throwing like a girl with no follow through, and that final knuckleball pitch to win the game against Fargo couldn't have been more 'doctored' to make it look like a Hail Mary pass. Based on the true story of the real life Mickey Tussler, this is a fine, family friendly movie peppered with Christian values that a lot of viewers would welcome, as being a baseball fan is not a requirement. Just one thing though, unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, didn't it look like Lefty Rogers made a comeback after his initial arrest to play for the opposing Fargo team? What's up with that?
Review of A Mile in His Shoes
