Earnestness and obviousness compete for supremacy early on in Don Handfield's film, with the latter fully in front; happily, earnestness stages a comeback by the end.

A lightweight and overlong feel-good drama that plays like a mashup of It's a Wonderful Life and Friday Night Lights.

Are any of them alone reason enough to sit through two hours of warmed-over life lessons? Not particularly, but it should be said that the cast and crew have made a fair stride towards redeeming earnest low-budget filmmaking of this ilk...

Touchback is a sweet family film that ultimately lacks enough insight into the main character's thought process as he struggles to make a decision that could change his life.