Robert E. Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures Corp., Sfx Tollin/robbins, Inc. And Fireworks Pictures

WOOD, Circuit Judge.

Robert Muzikowski has devoted years of his life to coaching Little League Baseball teams in economically depressed areas of Chicago. His commitment to this pursuit led to a book about the league he co-founded, and later to a movie produced by defendant Paramount Pictures entitled Hardball, which was based on the book. Muzikowski regarded the movie as defamatory and sued Paramount, claiming that one particular character that Muzikowski believed was easily identifiable as himself was portrayed in a negative way, and that this amounted to disseminating falsehoods about him…