A Winner Never Quits

Keith Carradine impresses as one-armed 1940s baseball star Pete Gray in this no-frills 80s fictionalisation of the US sporting hero's life and career. Capturing the obstinacy and resilience of his relentlessly driven character, he fittingly elicits admiration and never sympathy, as he fights prejudice and ridicule to overcome his childhood disability and gradually achieve his dream of major league success. It's an inspiring story, unsentimentally told, with events focusing on the relationships and interactions - both positive and negative - that helped spur him on. The continual support of his dad (Dennis Weaver) is especially touching, and there's a message-filled subplot involving a little boy (and future, real-life accomplished ballplayer) who's given new hope by his idol after losing a limb. Unfortunately, underwhelming game scenes prove the TV movie's weakness, diluting the impact of some key moments.