The Monday Night at the Movies film to be screened next Monday at Orangeville's Galaxy Cinema is a Canadian production, "A No-Hit No- Run Summer" (Un Été Sans Point ni Coup Sûr).

The film looks back lovingly and longingly on the loss of childhood innocence. It's the summer of 1969 and a wave of optimism engulfs the western world.

Twelve-year-old Martin (Pier-Luc Funk) yearns to become a baseball whiz, and eagerly watches every Expos game he can. Alas, when the hotshot local coach (Roy Dupuis) holds tryouts, Martin does not make the cut. His father Charles (Patrice Robitaille), however, has a plan.

He starts up a separate team for all of those kids who need to find another route to the big league. After the initial euphoria, Martin realizes that his team's biggest talent lies in finding new ways to lose and that his father doesn't know a thing about baseball, 12-year old boys or even his own son.

Director Francis Leclerc's heartfelt drama works so well because the filmmaker maintains control of a perfect tone. Although nostalgic, it is never maudlin, capturing the moment between childhood and adulthood with tremendous precision.

Charles's lack of baseball knowledge provides some of the humour, but this is not the whole point; it is his love for his son that drives him to create the oddball league. Sports fans will appreciate the baseball, while Dupuis devotees will have yet another chance to see the actor stretch himself into a new and unexpected role as the nasty, competitive coach.

"Un Été sans point ni coup sûr takes us to a time and place where, despite the characters' inevitable flaws, the possibilities seemed endless."

Rated G, the film runs 104 minutes and will have three screenings, at 4:30, 7 and 9:20 p.m. Individual tickets are available ($8 cash only) at BookLore and Galaxy (Monday night only).