This is a Christian based film with dialog that you'd probably hear kids saying in Sunday school but outside the preacher's kid not all that much on a little league ball field. The story takes place in a small Alabama town in 1974 and deals with the introduction of an autistic kid with impressive skills at hitting the ball way over the fence. After initial bullying of the kid from classmates ends, they have to deal with the bullying from other local teams, but the team becomes the one to watch as his skills keep helping them win games.

"Nobody will ever make a movie about Spider Man", one of the kids says, an attempt to appeal to modern audiences with an inside joke. This film has a great message of acceptance and anti-bullying, but you're not going to hold the audience with preachy church scenes. Even as a spiritual person, I felt it was overdone in certain ways, with the kids talking like ministers in school hallways and basing their whole existence on beliefs some viewers will find extreme.

John Schneider is the only known actor in the film, playing the coach, with Grayson Russell just fine as Rafer, the autistic boy. The script is the issue, with the kids not always seeming like real kids, and the adults all so kind and perfect, even Rusty Whitener as Rafer's embittered white trash father. This is a world maybe not bully free but far nicer than any community I've ever been to or read about, so it's hard to take seriously. But for the message of acceptance when not thumping the viewer over the head with it, there is a good intention. Technically, there are a few scenes where the camera work is very poor, like an experiment that didn't work. Minus the preachy moments, this would clock in at a little under an hour, so those who watch it and get annoyed by being preached at will have 20 minutes of ear covering.

Season Of Miracles concerns a Little League team coached by John Schneider that has discovered a real baseball find. A regular Babe Ruth who both pitches and hits to perfection. The problem is that young Grayson Russell is autistic and with the usual socialization problems that come with that.

This film is shot on location and for relative pittance and lacks a lot of production values. Other than Schneider the only other name you might recognize is that of Nancy Stafford formerly of Matlock playing a nurse.

But as this is a regional story set in the south I think it was a wise decision to cast it with locals. They come across as real kids instead of Hollywood kids. Also standing out is Andrew Wilson Williams as the preacher's kid who stands up for his challenged teammate.

Overt preaching is kept to a minimum which is good. Season Of Miracles is a nice family film.

Season of Miracles is true Americana ... Baseball, Friends, Family and Faith.

An autistic boy named Rafer, played by actor Grayson Russell, joins the mediocre Robins, a little league baseball team, for their 1974 season in Alabama. Little did the team know that he would end up changing their lives forever.

The kids deal with their bully rivals, the Hawks, and stand up for Rafer who can't defend himself. I found myself laughing, crying and cheering right along with their families and Coach, played by John Schneider, all the way home.

The story by Rusty Whitener is wonderful and the production is well done. Season of Miracles is a must see movie with lots of teachable moments.