''Baseball Girl'' () is a 2019 South Korean

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spor ...

written and directed by Choi Yoon-tae, starring Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk,

Yeom Hye-ran Yeom Hye-ran (born October 30, 1976) is a South Korean actress. Career Yeom began her career in theater in 1999 and made her screen debut in 2003. She has since played supporting roles in film and television, notably ''Dear My Friends'' (2016 ...

, Song Young-kyu and

Kwak Dong-yeon Kwak Dong-yeon (; born 19 March 1997), is a South Korean actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the television series ''My Husband Got a Family'' in 2012 for which he received Best Young Actor Award at the Korea Drama Awards. He then st ...

. It was released in theaters on June 18, 2020. The film had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the "Korean Cinema Today - Panorama" category.

Plot

The story of Joo Soo-in who is determined to become the first female baseball player to join a professional team.

Cast

* Lee Joo-young as Joo Soo-in * Lee Joon-hyuk as Choi Jin-tae *

as Shin Hae-sook * Song Young-kyu as Soo-in's father *

as Lee Jung-ho *

Joo Hae-eun Joo Hae-eun (born 17 January 1994) is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her main role in ''Just Dance (South Korean TV series), Just Dance'' as Yang Na-young. She also appeared in movies such as ''Swing Kids (2018 film), Sw ...

as Han Bang-geul * Lee Chae-eun as Teacher Kim * Kim Jong-soo as Coach Park *

Yoo Jae-myung Yoo Jae-myung (; born June 3, 1973) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the series ''Reply 1988'' (2015), '' Stranger'' (2017), ''Life'' (2018), ''Itaewon Class'' (2020) and '' Voice of Silence'' (2020). He won Best Suppor ...

as Head

Production

Development

Choi Yoon-tae was inspired to write this film in 2017 after he watched the interview of a female baseball player. He added that "when etold iswife that there is no current rule banning women from playing on a professional baseball team, she seemed surprised; so ethought it would be interesting to write a story on an aspiring female baseball player."

Casting

On November 16, 2018, Lee Joo-young was cast as the protagonist of ''Baseball Girl''. On November 20, Lee Joon-hyuk's agency confirmed that the actor would be starring in the film, playing a high school baseball coach who helps Joo Soo-in achieve her dream. On November 28,

joined the main cast in the role of Soo-in's mother.

was confirmed on January 4, 2019, for the role of a high school baseball player, followed by Lee Chae-eun on January 15 for the role of Soo-in's Japanese teacher.

Filming

Principal photography began in January 2019 and filming ended in February, a period during which baseball players usually cannot train due to the cold weather, which made filming more difficult in addition to the small budget.

Release

''Baseball Girl'' premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the presence of director Choi Yoon-tae and actors Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk and

. GV screenings took place on October 4 and 5 at

Lotte Cinema Lotte Shopping Co., Ltd. (Hangeul: 롯데쇼핑㈜롯데시네마) is a chain of movie theatres in South Korea. Lotte Cinema is multiplex place in South Korea. Lotte Cinema was established in 1999. As of January 2018, 112 facilities in Korea are ...

Centum City and a general screening was held on October 9 at Lotte Cinema Daeyoung. Tickets were sold out soon after they went on sale for both screenings. The film hit theaters on June 18, 2020.

Reception

Critical response

At the Busan International Film Festival, the media, critics and audience praised Lee Joo-young's acting as well as Soo-in's passion, her determination to keep running towards her dream and not giving up despite prejudice against her gender.

Accolades

References

External links

* * * {{hancinema film, Baseball_Girl 2019 films 2010s Korean-language films South Korean sports drama films South Korean baseball films 2010s South Korean films 2010s sports drama films