“American Pastime” focuses on the Nomura family, Japanese-Americans interned in Utah’s Topaz War Relocation Center during WWII. Using baseball as a glimmer of normality, the family patriarch creates an in-camp league, while his eldest son Lane joins the 442nd Regimental Combat Team to fight for the country that imprisoned them.

The emotional climax comes when the interned Japanese-Americans challenge their guards to a game of baseball. Younger son Lyle finds purpose in rallying his team against the prejudiced guards, led by bitter minor-leaguer Billy Burrell. Through this high-stakes game, the film exposes the complexities of wartime prejudice, revealing how hope and dignity can be reclaimed even in the bleakest circumstances.