It’s a home run with this hilarious and beloved comedy, starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. With baseball lineups and locker rooms left empty during World War II, the newly-founded All-American Girls Baseball League brought talented women to the big leagues—and brought fans to the stands. The indomitable Dottie Hinson (Davis) finds herself leading a rag tag group of players who end up winning over the heart of their has-been coach, Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell and Jon Lovitz round out the all-star roster. Based on the true story of the pioneering women who blazed the trail for generations of athletes.

For thoughts on A League Of Their Own, please check out our discussion on the Homedance Film Festival Podcast (beginning at 37:00).

Video Quality

The new 4K UHD Blu-Ray of A League Of Their Own offers a sumptuous uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray. The included Blu-Ray uses the same 4K remaster as the 4K UHD disc, and it appears to be exclusive to the 4K UHD releases. Both seem to blow the Blu-Ray first released in 2012 out of the water. The film was already released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray four years ago exclusively as a part of the Columbia Classics 4K UHD Collection: Volume 1. We also have that release, and we confirm it is a true marvel.

With that set long out of print and commanding top dollar, fans can now own the film as a standalone release with a slight upgrade in quality. The only difference on the video side of things with this new release is the inclusion of Dolby Vision, which can typically tidy up encoding issues in addition to slightly more vivid colors and even more stable contrast. This 4K UHD disc displays the ideal amount of natural film grain which resolves well and never fluctuates in any unnatural way. Throughout the film, you are graced with consistently excellent texture and detail within each environment thanks to this transfer. This film could not look better.

The UHD disc contains dazzling, deep colors throughout, especially when it comes to the green of the outfield. Highlights are more brilliant and offer greater stability without succumbing to blooming when the bright sun is out. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain a tremendous amount of depth and detail in shadowy environments. Skin tones look perfectly natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you an astounding amount of subtle detail including some stubble on Tom Hanks’ character. There is not a single instance of print damage or other such blemishes that would impede the look of this title. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you are exploring the various settings visited by the team with unique textures on the costumes. This transfer is a revelation for fans of this classic comedy. Sony continues to prove they are one of the best around.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc brings back the previous Dolby Atmos track along with the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track for the purists. The audio and subtitle options Sony provides on this disc are unlikely to displease anyone. The Atmos track is tastefully deployed as it expands the soundscape with a greater degree of vitality. Dialogue primarily stays anchored up front, but activity extends into the surrounds, rears, and overhead speakers when it comes to the music and certain environmental sounds in the ballpark to make you feel like a proper spectator in the stands. The sounds up above are not attempting to steal focus, but they make an impact when it makes sense.

The film comes alive when the moving Hans Zimmer score flows through the speakers and stirs your soul a bit. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting muddled amongst the competing elements. The low end effects from the subwoofer are mostly at play to provide exquisite texture to a few of the more raucous moments. Directionality is never an issue when it comes to atmospheric effects. For those who choose to go with the original stereo track, you will be treated to an excellent presentation that captures the original artistic intent. There are no major flaws to consider it anything less than audio bliss. Sony has knocked it out of the park.

Special Features

4K UHD Blu-Ray

Trailers

- Domestic Trailer (2:35)

- International Trailer (1:29)

- Geena Davis Teaser (0:45)

- Tom Hanks Teaser (0:41)

- Madonna Teaser (0:50)

- Jon Lovitz Teaser (0:49)

Blu-Ray (Disc Two)

Audio Commentary: Director Penny Marshall and Actresses Lori Petty, Tracy Reiner, and Megan Cavanagh provide a pretty informative commentary track in which they discuss the production, the score from Hans Zimmer, the motivation behind certain casting decisions, the shooting locations, dubbed-over performances for the older actors, the behind-the-scenes talent, and more.

The Enduring Legacy of A League of Their Own: A 12-minute retrospective featurette in which Geena Davis, Anne Ramsay, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, and more discuss the legacy of the picture, how they landed their roles, the efforts of Geena Davis to champion diversity on screen, and more.

Deleted Scenes: 15 unused scenes totaling 34 minutes are provided here with an optional introduction from Penny Marshall.

1993 TV Series Episodes: Three of the six episodes of the short-lived 1993 television series are provided here in standard definition.

- Dottie’s Back (23:40)

- Shortstop (23:38)

- Marathon (23:38)

Nine Memorable Innings: An 11-part archival documentary totaling 53 minutes is provided here that delves into the film from beginning to end including the performers, the training, the direction of Penny Marshall, the legacy, and more.

“This Used To Be My Playground” by Madonna: A five-minute music video is provided.

Final Thoughts

A League Of Their Own is a cinematic classic that transcends simply being a great comedy and stands tall as one of the greats of any genre. Penny Marshall has crafted an endlessly quotable sports favorite that delivers laughs and emotionally resonant moments. Geena Davis is a flawless leading performer flanked by a terrific ensemble including a lovably gruff Tom Hanks and a pitch-perfect Madonna. It doesn’t get much better. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a flawless A/V presentation and some great special features. Fans of the film need to have this one in the best quality possible. Essential

A League Of Their Own is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.