Bottom of the 9th

We can almost see their relief as they take on understated roles in Bottom of the 9th, produced by Manganiello, giving them a chance to show their ability to carry off subtle, heartfelt drama. The film also benefits from their genuine chemistry and their trust in one another as they play a one-time couple trying to figure out if they can start over.

Director Raymond De Felitta steps back up to the plate with Bottom of the 9th, another dramatically solid and emotionally satisfying drama that pivots on a long-shot attempt to fulfill long-delayed dreams.

The result is pleasing — a stadium snow cone, palatable despite being sweetened with corn syrup.

The director's sense of place counts for a lot here, and a sympathetic lead performance will have most who catch the film rooting for this underdog.

Though it takes far too long to kick into gear, Bottom of the 9th does improve as it goes along, becoming less self-serious in its second half. But the upswing can’t vindicate the rest of the film; it may be about redemption, but it’s too little, too late for the movie itself.

Husband and wife Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara star in Bottom of the Ninth, a “second chance” romance that get swallowed by the generic and generally dull baseball story it’s wrapped in.

Raymond De Felitta’s film offers a sampler course of formulas, which creates a strangely unfulfilling tension.