AMAZING GRACE AND CHUCK (1987)

"Once upon a time there was a boy..." This is how this movie begins. To that you can add: "...who loved to play baseball. And he was good at it. But then he decided to give it all up for the greater good of mankind..." and then you'd have the gist of the story. Although the premise to this idea is great, unfortunately in real life the actual execution thereof is totally unrealistic.

Twelve year old Chuck Murdock (played by virtually unknown Joshua Zuehlke who could easily be mistaken for a young Josh Hutcherson) goes on a school field trip where they visit an USA nuclear missile base near their hometown in Montana. He is so upset but what they see and learn there that he decides to give up the thing he love most: baseball. And despite being the star pitcher of his little league team, he refuses to play as long as there are still nuclear weapons around. But when his decision gets to be publicized, it has consequences far beyond what he ever could have imagined.

There are quite a few familiar faces in this typical '80s movie like William Peterson (before he became famous in the original CSI series) and Gregory Peck (who surely needs no introduction). However, despite the plot improbabilities, overall the story is still enjoyable and recommended as good family fun. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LCMdmK8w4M

 Alex English as 'Amazing Grace' Smith with Joshua Zuehlke as Chuck