Baseball's tradition in small-town Norway, Iowa is as rich as its soil. In a farming community consisting of 600 residents and 4 downtown blocks, baseball is the force that has united the town for decades. From the same baseball-rich cornfields as Field of Dreams comes The Final Season, an inspirational tale based on true events. Having led the Tigers to victory in 19 out of 22 high school championships, Coach Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Boothe) has an unwavering commitment to his team. But bureaucracy threatens to merge Norway into a larger school, depriving Norway of its individuality as well as its 20th win. In a manipulative move, Coach Van Scoyoc is fired in the hopes that the new coach, Kent Stock (Sean Astin), with only one assistant coaching season behind him, won't rally the team to glory. Angst-ridden Mitch Akers (Michael Angarano) reluctantly joins the Tigers as somewhat of a misfit, a recent Chicago transplant more interested in smoking cigarettes than hanging out with the local farm boys. State government representative Polly Hudson (Rachael Leigh Cook) comes to town to break the news: the state intends to close the high school- and thus the championship-winning program-in an effort to cut costs. The Final Season is a classic tale of the government's attempts to suppress long-standing tradition in exchange for "progress." But the town's resilient spirit in the face of adversity illuminates how passion and commitment can keep a dream alive. At its core, The Final Season depicts the town's loss of innocence as the modern world of mega-schools encroaches on the formerly insulated baseball haven. David M. Evans scores a home run in this feel-good family film that illuminates the power of unity.