Young extras thrilled as Labatt Park-filmed baseball movie opens

It wasn’t something they ever dreamed of doing, but three young local baseball players have made their silver-screen debut in a feel-good sports movie featuring a pair of Hollywood stars and filmed at one of London’s crown jewels.

Article content

Ryder Hawkins, a 12-year-old from Woodstock, 14-year-old Hayden Morris from Strathroy, and 13-year-old Mateo Garcia from London were among several local extras tapped to take part in the local filming of You Gotta Believe, which was filmed last year and opened in London theaters this weekend.

Directed by Ty Roberts and starring Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear, the movie tells the true story of the Cinderella run of a team from Fort Worth, Tex., to the 2002 Little League World Series while the father of one player battled terminal cancer, inspiring the boys.

London gets its own 15 minutes of fame in the movie: Labatt Park, the world’s oldest continuously operating ballpark, was transformed into the Howard J. Lamade stadium in South Williamsport, Penn., where the real-life games were played.

Article content

Article content

“It was cool seeing us in it after watching all the recordings and stuff,” Morris said shortly after watching a screening at London’s Landmark theater on Wellington Road. Garcia added that it was “fun watching how we did and just seeing ourselves on the big screen.”

Added Hawkins: “It was fun getting paid.”

Kelly Morris, Hayden’s mother, said she and the other moms became aware of the filming after seeing a call for boys of a certain age on social media. They sent in names and photos of the boys, and were called back the day before filming, tapped for roles on one of the opposing teams.

Article content

Being on set allowed them to connect with some of the Hollywood talent during downtime, when actors would school the boys in acting, while the boys would chat with them about baseball. Meeting everyone involved in the production was special for the families, but more so was the ability to establish friendships that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

“(We) never would have connected otherwise, it was the movie that definitely made that happen,” Kelly Morris said, describing the families’ connection across the region. “They’ll share a bond forever.”

While the boys admittedly had no previous passion for film or theater, they’d be open to participating in a similar venture again.

The film is also being screened at London’s SilverCity, where at least one weekend showing to a largely full theater ended with some viewers in tears and several applauding as the credits rolled.

[email protected]

@jackmoulton65

Article content

Article content