--- title: "A League of Their Own: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-league-of-their-own/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-league-of-their-own" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A League of Their Own (1992): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 6 reviews: 4 positive, 0 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics respond warmly to A League of Their Own, praising its good-natured humour, period detail and affection for the women’s baseball team at its centre. Praise clusters around the cast: Geena Davis and Tom Hanks receive repeated approval, while Madonna’s supporting performance also wins over reviewers. The favourable reviews find that Penny Marshall’s emphasis on personalities gives the sporting history warmth, with several valuing the film’s blend of comedy and bittersweet feeling. The spread is wide, however, and sentiment is the main dividing line. Dissenting critics find the framing scenes heavy-handed, the characters predictable or the sibling conflict unconvincing; some argue that the ensemble deserves more attention than it gets. The feminist reading also splits opinion: The New York Times credits the comedy with advancing it, while The Independent finds the treatment insufficiently feminist despite the premise. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2022. The critic finds the 1992 baseball comedy a terrifically warm, heartfelt and effortlessly entertaining picture that stands the test of time. Outstanding performances, particularly from Tom Hanks and Madonna in a small role, are singled out for praise alongside the film's old-fashioned charm and glorious montages. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/09/a-league-of-their-own-review-hanks-madonna-baseball) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The review highlights the film's good-natured blend of humour, sentiment and period detail in its story of a women's baseball league. It singles out strong performances from Tom Hanks and Geena Davis for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/league-review/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 1992. The critic finds the film overly sentimental and insufficiently feminist despite its female baseball team premise during WWII. It praises Madonna's supporting role while faulting the predictable characters and epilogue. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-batting-their-eyelashes-1551999.html) ## Time Out — CM Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2012. The film captures some heartbreaks and home runs but overall has little vigour. It starts promisingly with recruiting scenes but piles on sentiment in the framing sequences and neglects the ensemble in favour of a sense of historical occasion. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-league-of-their-own) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 1 July 1992. The review notes the film starts fresh and funny with strong performances, especially from Geena Davis, but loses its way with excessive sentimentality and unconvincing sibling conflict in the later sections. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-07-01-ca-1032-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 1 July 1992. The critic praises the film for its bittersweet charm and fresh focus on the personalities of the players and the coach's development, highlighting how it captures an early chapter of women's liberation amid baseball traditions. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-league-of-their-own-1992) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge 29 June 1992. The critic calls the film a warm and scruffy charmer that should appeal to fans of all ages. Penny Marshall's spirited direction and the strong ensemble performances, especially from Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-league-own-review-movie-1992-2-1221295/) ## The New Yorker — Michael Sragow 6 July 1992. The critic finds the film lacks originality, with Marshall directing for audience appeal through gags and sentiment rather than pursuing a stronger feminist angle or character depth beyond sisterly rivalry. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/07/13/three-strikes-2) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby 1 July 1992. The review calls the film one of the year's most cheerful and relaxed comedies, a funny movie that scores points for feminism while focusing on the Rockford Peaches team and its standout players like Geena Davis's Dottie. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/01/movies/review-film-for-the-girls-of-summer-pop-flies-and-charm-school.html) ## Collider — Emily Bernard Rating A. 2 August 2022. The critic praises the film's heartfelt storytelling about sisters, female empowerment, and history, highlighting the strong ensemble cast and emotional depth beyond a typical sports movie. [Read the review](https://collider.com/a-league-of-their-own-review-tom-hanks-madonna/) ## The Ringer — Katie Baker Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2017. The critic calls it one of the best sports movies, praising its faithful tribute to women's baseball history, brilliant cast, nuanced characters, and enduring cultural impact. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/06/30/movies/a-league-of-their-own-25th-anniversary-geena-davis-penny-marshall-ce750e85bb3c) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-league-of-their-own.md