Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!
Every spring, I venture out of my local cinema multiplex to enjoy my second favorite thrill: baseball! With the start of each new season, there is hope for a better team and the satisfaction of knowing that for one brief moment everyone is undefeated. Being a fan of the Kansas City Royals, the FilmGuru knows the heartache of baseball, too. Ken Burns said it best when he said "Baseball is about losing."
Many good films have been made about the sport, and I relish each of them. Some are better than others. Some celebrate the triumph of baseball while others look at the tragedy. Some are comedies, others are dramas. But each has the ability to make me feel like it is spring, even in the middle of a Kansas winter.
Three out of my top four baseball films star Kevin Costner. This doesn't mean that I'm secretly in love with the guy or something. He just stars in a lot of great baseball movies!
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Anyone who says that Field of Dreams is just a baseball movie
doesn't understand it. This film is about regret, about mistakes, and
about penance. It is a fabulous look at one man's need to rebuild his
family and doing it through a strange compulsion to build a baseball
diamond in his corn field. This is pure movie magic and includes one
of the best speeches about baseball (delivered by James Earl Jones!).
Starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones. Rated |
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The
best thing about Bull Durham is its humor. True, there is
a love triangle of sorts between Costner, Sarandon, and Roberts, but
the sex and romance only goes so far. It is the veteran catcher, Crash,
(Costner) coaching the rookie pitcher (Robbins) that makes for the best
scenes. As the rookie becomes the golden boy of the ball club, it is
wonderful to see a mix of personal and professional jealousy infect Crash.
Starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon. Rated |
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Baseball
takes the center stage in this oddball comedy about a dysfunctional Cleveland
Indians team. With a cast of crazy players, this Indians team manages
to stage an unlikely comeback to go from last to first. Playing off every
cliche in the baseball movie handbook (including the "big
game" at the end), the film dishes up plenty of laughs that call
for repeat viewing. Starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Rene Russo.
Rated |
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4. For Love of the Game (1999) Costner
stars in this baseball drama that takes places in the memory of a player
as he pitches his final game. To heighten the drama, he is also pitching
a perfect game (something very rare in baseball). As he recalls his career,
the highs and the lows, he contemplates his reasons for the choices he has
made. Lovingly directed by Sam Raimi, this film is a top-notch story of modern
baseball. Starring Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly. Rated |
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Redford plays an aging baseball player who comes from nowhere only to
achieve fame and fortune. With a bat forged from a lightning-struck tree,
Roy Hobbs, takes a losing team to the top of their league. The film,
while over the top at times, still strikes a resonant chord with baseball
fans. Starring Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close. Rated |
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6. A League of Their Own (1992) Based on the All American Girls Baseball League of the 1940s, A League
of Their Own takes a look at baseball as something truly American.
In the midst of World War II, when men were serving in the military
to fight for freedom, women stepped up to bat to fill their roles.
While this film focuses on baseball, it is a true testimony to the
sacrifices made by women during the war. Hanks plays the reluctant
coach of the Peaches team. Gina Davis and Lori Petty play sisters recruited
to build the first team. Starring Tom Hanks, Gina Davis, Madonna. Rated |
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7. The Pride of the Yankees (1943) One of the most famous baseball films ever made, Pride of the Yankees traces
the life of Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper). From his early childhood through
his baseball career, the film tells the story of the man behind the legend
who at age 37 fell victim to ALS, the deadly nerve disease that now bears
his name. Best known for Cooper's stirring rendition of Gehrig's famous
'Luckiest Man' speech in 1939, this film is guaranteed to bring any baseball
fan to tears. Starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth. |
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8. Angels in the Outfield (1994) Disney's remake of the 1951 film, this version stars Christopher Lloyd
as an angel named Al who brings some divine intervention to an out-of-luck
California Angels team. A young boy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) prays for
a pennant win to reunite his family, but only the manager believes the
kid when he says that angels are in the stadium to provide a heavenly
assist. This is a fun film for the entire family. Starring Danny Glover,
Christopher Lloyd, Tony Danza. Rated |
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Baseball is a part of every American boy's childhood. It takes on special
importance in The Sandlot when Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood
and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood team leader, Rodriquez,
teaches Smalls the basics and in turn local kids accept Smalls as one
of their own. Starring Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna. Rated |
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This
story of a baseball coach who tries out for the majors is based on a true
story. Quaid plays Jimmy, a high school coach who promises his team that
if they can win the championship that he will realize his dream and try
out for the majors. When they stage an amazing comeback and win, he follows
through on his promise. But his dream of hitting the majors may conflict
with his duty and responsibility to his family. Starring Dennis Quaid,
Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez. Rated |
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118 min. Copyright ©2002-present by Kevin Wohler. All rights reserved.
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