Year: 1988
Runtime: 98 mins
Language: English
Directors: Steven Kampmann, William Porter
Former high‑school and minor‑league baseball player Billy Wyatt (Harmon) learns from his mother that his childhood babysitter—and later teenage first love—Katie Chandler (Foster) has died. He returns home, confronting the loss while reflecting on his upbringing, his father, memories of Katie, and friend Alan Appleby.
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In the present, Billy Wyatt, Mark Harmon a washed-up baseball player in his thirties, lives in a hotel with a cocktail waitress. One afternoon, he receives a phone call from his mother, Ginny Wyatt, Blair Brown informing him that his childhood babysitter and friend, Katie Chandler, Jodie Foster has committed suicide. She also tells him that Katie left a will naming Billy as the one responsible for her ashes, claiming Billy was
the only one who would know what to do with them.
Saddened and confused, Billy promises to come home that night.
Flashbacks to the 1960s reveal Billy and Katie’s close bond. Katie, a slightly older girl who babysat Billy, mentored him with practical advice on girls and dating. As a birthday gift, she gave him a baseball pendant on a necklace to remind him that he is a baseball player and bound his fate to the sport he loves.
While Billy is still in high school, his father, Sam Wyatt, dies in a car accident. Two months later, Katie, Billy, Ginny, and Alan Appleby decide to spend the Fourth of July week at the Chandlers’ summer home, Seasmoke. During their vacation, Billy feels that Katie is encouraging his mother to move on too quickly, leading to a shouting match between them. The next day at sunrise, Billy seeks Katie’s forgiveness, and they spend the rest of the weekend together at Seasmoke. As the weekend comes to a close, Katie encourages Billy to pursue his passion for baseball. In the present, Billy remembers that this was the last time he saw her.
In the present, Katie’s father, Hank, visits the Wyatt family to deliver Katie’s ashes to Billy, who still has no idea what to do with them. Hank suggests a church service. Billy drives to Seasmoke to think and reminisce.
Billy reunites with Alan Appleby, Harold Ramis, and they spend the night reminiscing and carousing while driving around in Katie’s car with her ashes, trying to figure out what to do with them. Still unsure, Billy goes to Katie’s parents’ house to give them her ashes. While there, Billy recalls Katie telling him how she wanted to jump off the pier and fly free with the birds. Billy goes to the pier, runs down the dock, and scatters her ashes just as she described in her fantasy.
Billy joins a minor league baseball team, taking pride in grooming the field each morning before a game. The film ends with Billy stealing home, the same thing he did in his last game before his father died.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:25
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Stories that weave past and present to process a profound personal loss.If you liked the reflective, memory-driven narrative of Stealing Home, explore these movies that similarly use flashbacks and nostalgia to explore themes of grief, loss, and coming to terms with the past. These films share a melancholic tone, a deliberate pace, and a focus on internal emotional journeys.
The narrative pattern typically involves a protagonist returning to a place or situation that triggers memories after a significant loss. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks that contrast the idealized or painful past with the stark reality of the present. The central conflict is internal, as the character grapples with regret, unanswered questions, and the task of finding meaning or closure.
Movies are grouped here because they share a core structure of processing loss through reminiscence. They prioritize emotional authenticity over fast-paced action, featuring a melancholic tone, a slow, reflective pace, and a bittersweet resolution that acknowledges pain while offering a glimmer of peace.
Stories where looking back at youth reveals both beauty and pain.For viewers who appreciated the nostalgic and bittersweet look at first love and adolescence in Stealing Home, this collection features similar films. These stories explore the complex emotions of growing up, often framed by an adult's reflective perspective, blending tender memories with the melancholy of time passed.
The journey is one of reflection, where an adult protagonist's present circumstances are directly influenced by unresolved feelings or pivotal events from their teenage years. The narrative structure juxtaposes the passion and confusion of youth with the more measured, often regretful perspective of adulthood. The central theme is the enduring, complicated impact of our early emotional landscapes.
These films are connected by their specific emotional mix: the warmth of nostalgia combined with the ache of loss and the maturity of hindsight. They share a focus on formative relationships, a sentimental yet clear-eyed view of the past, and an ending that is hopeful yet sobered by life's complexities.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Stealing Home in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Stealing Home is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Stealing Home with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
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Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Stealing Home: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Stealing Home that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
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