Over the weekend, the second annual Bentonville Film Festival was held in Bentonville, Arkansas, a festival which was co-founded by actress Geena Davis to celebrate women and other diverse voices in the film industry and media. The festival was capped off on Sunday with a very special event, a softball game that served as a reunion for Geena Davis and five of her co-stars from the 1992 classic A League of Their Own. The cast was also joined by Gina Casey, a former member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The Bentonville Film Festival Instagram page has posted photos from the reunion, which feature Geena Davis alongside Megan Cavanagh (Marla Hooch), Ann Cusack (Shirley Baker) Tracy Reiner (Betty Spaghetti), Anne Ramsay (Helen Haley) and Freddie Simpson (Ellen Sue Gotlander). The festival was founded last year by Geena Davis and Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of ARC Entertainment, where they held the first annual reunion softball game, which featured Rosie O'Donnell.
A League of Their Own was inspired by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was founded in 1943. The story followed Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Heller (Lori Petty), two sisters who join the first women's professional baseball league, on a team coached by Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). The supporting cast included Madonna, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Cavanagh.
The movie made an impressive $107.5 million domestically during its theatrical run in 1992, which would equate to a $222.3 million movie when adjusted for inflation. Penny Marshall directed from a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandell, based on a story by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele. We'll have to wait until next year to see who turns up for the 3rd annual A League of Their Own softball game at the Bentonville Film Festival.
The Bentonville Film Festival website also posted a new video with Geena Davis in her A League of Their Own costume, thanking the fans, supporters and sponsors who helped make this year's Bentonville Film Festival a big success. We'll be sure to keep you posted with any updates on future A League of Their Own reunions. Until then, take a look at these photos and new video below.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/165950653