A Mile in His Shoes (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

More Corn than Capra

[Havan_IronOak · 7/10 · 26 October 2011]

This family themed baseball story about a minor league pitcher with Aspergers syndrome is so heartfelt it hurts. The main characters are all likable and the villains are villainous.

The story has several "too sweet to be true" moments but overall it's fun to watch and you can't help but feel good doing so. It does get cornier than Capra ever did in spots but still...

It's interesting to see Dean Cain playing parts where he could have a grown son and his role choices indicate that he's aware of his appeal among the wholesome set.

Enjoy the good parts, ignore the bad and if it annoys you then watch something else.

This is based on a true story.

"I like being on the team."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 12 September 2019]

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?

Like Bob Feller

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 7 October 2018]

I was lucky to discover this film running on the Christian Broadcasting system, it's a nice family entertainment film and no overt preaching.

The basic plot outline of the story reminded me of Bob Feller who at the age of 16 was discovered working on the family farm in Van Meter, Iowa. Like young Luke Schroder he had blinding speed. Unlike Schroder in the film, Feller had his family support and his father was the one who made the decision to sign with the Cleveland Indians. 266 career wins later and Feller is in the Hall of Fame.

Feller also did not suffer from Asperger's syndrome. I've met people with that disability and some are high functioning. None channeled in the direction of throwing a baseball and learning the art of pitching. Which minor league manager Dean Cain teaches him.

The best parts of A Mile In His Shoes are some truly touching scenes with Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. They borrowed a lot from Rainman for their performances and it's as special as Rainman.

This one is a sleeper and belongs in a list of good films about baseball. I think Bob Feller would have liked it.

Special...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 29 May 2020]

Very beautiful, film with special people, especially autistic people, especially attract me, a special film about a special team, all beautiful and delicate...

It's a really good movie ... if you like overly dramatic takes of real issues

[lucianoc-01522 · 6/10 · 20 November 2017]

I like the movie but also the way that they portray Asperger's Syndrome, is so wrong. How do I know? Because I've been diagnosed with it since I was 11. We're not some sensitive child-like people, we are more like somewhat cold average person, with somewhat more logical brains. It's weird to see someone I would call my equal not be someone who could hold a proper conversation.

RECOMMENDED FOR CHRISTIANS

[cescationgson · 6/10 · 26 July 2023]

They had me hooked at the start until I was bombarded with religion. It wasn't a deal breaker, but the Christian trope of the dad being scary while the mom keeps quiet irked me. I commend the writer because it's good writing-not great, good. They missed by the end when the dad had a sudden change of heart. That, felt off! I would've liked to see a little bit of skepticism on his part before the full 360 moment. The nacho moment also...sucked. The actors were great and I would have liked it if the movie showed more of their skills. I believe the writing is to blame here for the lack of thought. They really didn't show the struggle of Mickey having Asperger's Syndrome. His condition was just...there. All-in-all, it's a good movie to watch ONCE.

Really missed the mark...

[nwalter-68-757629 · 4/10 · 31 July 2014]

"A Mile in His Shoes" was not the worst touchy-feely movie I've ever seen, but it definitely is not near the top (which speaks much to the amount of touchy-feely movies I watch)...

The movie has Dean Cain, which really means it has that one guy that you recognize but have no clue what his name is... you just know you've seen him in movies before. And honestly, he wasn't awful... I was actually expecting much, much worse.

In the movie, Dean Cain plays baseball coach Arthur Murphy, who coaches a local semi-pro team who seems to only play one team the entire movie... seriously, every game in this movie is versus a team from Fargo... there is no other opponent featured. Anywho... Coach Murphy is sent to talk to a young kid, Mickey, from Indiana who has Aspergers Syndrome, but his parents have no desire to have him play professional baseball. Mickey's only baseball "experience" was throwing apples at a metal pan on the farm, which should illicit any thinking person to ponder how they know about this kid and why they'd pay him to play professional baseball.

Anywho.... Mickey has Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of high-functioning autism, and they couldn't have missed the mark any worse than they did. As someone who has worked with kids with Aspergers Syndrome, it was actually kind of difficult to watch. Kids with Aspergers are generally very intelligent and often very poor in social skills... Mickey was quite the opposite on multiple fronts. Yeah, there are special cases, but if you're gonna make a movie about Aspergers, find a middle of the road type of example to work with... it just works better.

So Mickey plays on the team and is well liked and is actually pretty good. That's all I'll say about the synopsis of the movie.

I wasn't on the cast of this movie, nor do I know EXACTLY what it was they were trying to accomplish by making it, but I can't imagine it accomplished its purpose. I'm sure it was rather low budget (if not, their financial folks should be fired forever)... but that doesn't excuse making a poor example of a neurological disorder that is actually pretty important in our culture right now. From a production standpoint, outside of Dean Cain, the acting was awful. Mickey's dad, Clarence, was maybe the most painful acting performance I've had to watch in a while. The actor who played Mickey, Luke Schroder, was not good either... more training and coaching on how to act his role would have gone miles for this movie (pun very much intended).

My wife and I saw this movie on Netflix, and seeing the description, we decided to watch. We weren't upset we picked it—we would have turned if off otherwise—we just wish Aspergers Syndrome was portrayed better... and maybe, just maybe the movie wouldn't have been so bad.

A Tad Bit Fantastical, But Still A Sweet Story

[velocity50 · 8/10 · 17 September 2017]

This story was certainly inspiring and touching. It starts with a coach (called "Murph", or Mr. Murphy) for a little league team with the worst name of all time, the River Rats, trying to find some real talented players for the already-started baseball season. His car gets stuck in a muddy ditch near a farm, where he comes across a really talented teen with a powerful throwing arm. It turns out the kid, named Mickey, is high-functioning autistic, being born with Asperger's Syndrome. This made his father super protective of him and, when first asked by Murph, was hesitant to allow his son to try out for the River Rats. But with enough convincing of his son's natural talent, the dad lets Mickey try out for the team.

Of course, there are a lot of cheesy montage moments, but I'm glad the film didn't focus on Mickey's failures. He actually did a great job whenever he was on the pitcher's mound for a game. What the film did that I might not have liked was give us a villain, a jealous teammate who didn't like being sidelined while Mickey stole the spotlight. This helped to unite the team and support Mickey, but still, why did this story need a villain? Being autistic in a loud, demanding sport like baseball should have been the focus of the story itself, but there wasn't any real obstacle other than the jealous teammate.

The other things I found a bit weird was Mickey's dad and (No spoilers!) the resolution of the entire rising action. For a story, you need a climax and a resolution, but for a realistic look on a boy with autism in our fast-paced world, everything seemed to work out perfectly in the end for a Disney-esque feel-good ending. And Mickey's dad was so overly critical and harsh, to the point of being such an obstacle in himself. But if he were to be the main obstacle, then fine. But why have an over-bearing father and a villain both be part of the rising action? Just choose one and expand on it.

I was glad that the film included religion. If this was Disney, you know they'd shy away from it like it was a monster. But the film understood the importance and significance of religion in the lives of real people. For that, this film an its message certainly gives it a good rating on my part. If you want a clean, feel-good film about sports and an underdog, then watch this film. I was lucky enough to discover it on Netflix. I hope you guys can catch it there too before it gets removed in the future. If you are looking for a gritty, realistic story, then perhaps this story is not for you. But maybe the book is.

Painfully heartwarming and gets Aspergers syndrome wrong.

[Richard-Kurtz-932-573472 · 4/10 · 24 February 2014]

This is a painfully "heartfelt" and "heartwarming" movie that goes over the top and spares no cliché in its effort to gain your sympathy for the main character, a naive kid with Aspergers Syndrome and a talent for pitching. The biggest problem with this movie, for me, is the depiction of Aspergers syndrome. The main character is shown as a Forest Gump type character with emotional issues. In reality, Aspergers people usually have normal or even above-average intelligence. I have known a number of people with this syndrome, and none of them have been as dim as the kid in this movie. Still, it was at least sympathetic toward him even as it tried too obviously to be emotionally manipulative.

Very good

[jewelch · 8/10 · 16 May 2021]

This family sports drama was really good. Dean Cain, Luke Schroder, and the rest of the cast did a great job in this movie. This true story was pretty dramatic and inspirational. It's about being able to achieve an ultimate goal even if you're mentally challenged. If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out sometime. It's worth seeing. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 5/17/21.

If you like believable sports movies with a lot of tension and emotion (like me) then avoid this. Very cheesy. I say B-

[cosmo_tiger · 5/10 · 8 January 2012]

"Your son Mickey is a very special boy." Arthur Murphy (Cain) is the manager of a minor league baseball team that is stuck in an 0-13 start. While on a trip to find a hot prospect "Murph" gets stuck in a ditch outside of a farm. While waiting for a tow he sees Micky throwing apples and sees what he is looking for. I have said this before...I am a sucker for all sports movies. There has been a long string of sports movies lately that I have really enjoyed. It stopped here. While this is not a terrible movie it has the same problem that a lot of family movies have lately. I know that it has to be this way because it is a family movie but it seems like there is no push back against the "good guys" at all. For example : Murph sees Micky...he has no pitching mechanics...he says I'll work with him...paint's a red dot on a glove...Micky is now best pitcher ever. To me when a movie is unbelievable it's not good to me. Overall, not a bad movie, but too unbelievable for me to fully enjoy. I give it a B-.

The Worst Portrayal of Asperger Syndrome I have Ever Ssen

[rjk541 · 1/10 · 24 August 2019]

I am married to an Aspie. I have know and know several Aspies. This movie is an INSULT to every one of them. Aspies are not slow in the mind, do not talk funny, or act like other Austistics (as a side, Asperger Syndrome was only put on the spectrum in the latest DSM, much to NTs dismay). The Sheldon character on The Big Bang Theory is the PERFECT portrayal of an Aspie. This movie should be burned for its horrible portrayal.

Touching, feel good, life lessons.

[przychocki · 8/10 · 28 November 2021]

More a life lesson film on how to treat people with dignity & respect, wrapped up in a baseball format. Good guys vs requisite, bad guy (Lefty), a self centred pretty boy, feeling threatened by a talented, but sensitive newcomer, setting him up for failure and revenge. Technically, the illustration of Aspergers is off, but call it poetic licence. It helps the story line. My triggers are injustice, deceit, & bullying; I don't like them. I like it when the good guy wins, when good wins over bad.

it was an okay film

[sandcrab277 · 8/10 · 6 January 2022]

I don't like sports films mainly because they never show the character building aspects but instead the cheats, poor sports and users abound ... dean cain is neither an actor nor a baseball coach ... the guy that played micky's father was a selfish bore ...

Down to Earth Heartfelt Story

[Avid-Watcher · 8/10 · 26 July 2017]

A Mile In His Shoes is not one of your Hollywood top star acting movies. It isn't about blowing up things, or entertaining the viewer at all times so they're always on the edge of their seat.

Instead, it's rather low key, character driven and character centered. Special effects? No, but neither are they warranted in this story. I found this to be more realistic in many ways, while it explored faith in God (and loss of that faith), the loss of a child, disabilities, challenges, and how they intertwine in life.

The movie includes a decent portrayal of a young person with a disability, who chooses to move beyond his fears and take steps to be successful, sink or swim. This could inspire those with similar conditions to break out of a normal routine of self-doubt and try different things, explore ways to be successful themselves. The key here is to branch out and try something you might enjoy, without being trapped by fear.

A Mile In His Shoes also includes a man who lost his son at ten years of age, and we see a little of how he handled the aftermath. But he floods the main character with the confidence he needs, and is right there to help him be successful, a mentor of import. The story also includes a father who saw his son similar to the way he saw himself, and learned to change his perceptions at the end.

I believe this is a family friendly, quality movie that can be enjoyed by many.