Baseball Cinema : The Sequel
By Laura Nist
March 31, 2003
If you missed Laura's first article on baseball
movies you can find it here
Opening day is finally here. If you can’t make it to a ball game
and the game is not televised then perhaps you can get your baseball fix
with one or more of these movies. Some have a more subtle baseball theme
than others, but if Bull Durham or Angels in the Outfield aren’t
among your favorites, you may want to take a look at one of these lesser-known
movies.
It Happens Every Spring (1949) - This light-hearted comedy earned
an Academy award nomination for its script. Starring Ray Milland as a
college chemistry professor who accidentally discovers a potion that repels
wood, when a baseball flies through his window and destroys his experiment.
Gradually he realizes the possibilities and takes a leave of absence from
the university so that he can go to St. Louis to pitch in the big leagues
where, of course, he becomes a star and sparks his team to the World Series.
The Winning Team (1952) - This movie, based on a true story about
hall-of-famer Grover Cleveland Alexander, stars Ronald Reagan as the former
telephone company employee whose hobby is pitching. Originally recruited
by Philadelphia, Grover Cleveland Alexander survived epilepsy, alcoholism,
and combat during World War I to become one of the greatest pitchers in
baseball history. He won 30 games each season from 1915 to 1917 and led
the league in ERA five times. No other National League pitcher has exceeded
his 373 victories and 90 shutouts. His spectacular bases-loaded strikeout
of Tony Lazzeri to save the 1926 World Series for the Cardinals is one
of the greatest clutch performances in history.
Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) - The story of a New York professional
baseball team and two of its players - Michael Moriarity as Henry Wiggen
the star pitcher, and Robert DeNiro as unsophisticated farm boy catcher,
Bruce Pearson. Throughout the course of the season, Henry and his teammates
attempt to deal with Bruce's terminal illness, all the while attempting
to make his last year a memorable one. This is a very moving film, the
Brian’s Song of baseball, adapted from the book of the same title
as the film, written by Mark Harris.
Naked Gun (1988) - Naked Gun includes an odd assortment of actors
such as Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, and OJ Simpson. In this madcap
comedy, L.A. police officer Lt. Frank Drebin (Nielsen) almost destroys
the world as he discovers a sinister plot to assassinate the Queen of
England during a baseball game. This movie contains hilarious baseball
sequences that can be truly appreciated by any fan of the game. Cameo
appearances by Reggie Jackson, Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver.
Stealing Home (1988) - With Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster.
Billy Wyatt (Mark Harmon) is a baseball player who has given up the game
and almost given up on life. He returns home upon hearing the news that
his first crush, advisor and true friend, Katie (Jodie Foster) has committed
suicide, leaving instructions for him to dispose of her ashes. Although
he hasn’t seen Katie in years, he recalls the manner in which she
affected his life and tries to pull himself back together in the present.
Taking Care of Business (1990) - Stars Jim Belushi as Jimmy
Dworski, a convict serving the last 48 hours of a jail sentence. When
he wins World Series tickets in a radio station contest he escapes from
prison with the help of some of his friends. Along the way, he finds the
daily planner of a successful business executive (Charles Grodin). Now
armed with cash, credit cards and the keys to a Malibu mansion, he has
the time of his life.
Mr. Destiny (1990) - Another Jim Belushi movie with a more subtle
baseball theme. Larry Burrows (Belushi) is unhappy and feels powerless
over his life. He thinks that his entire life could have turned out differently
had he not missed that shot in a baseball game when he was a kid. One
night when he is unusually depressed, he meets a mysterious man who could
change his fate by offering him the alternative life he always dreamed
of. As he embarks on this journey of self-discovery, he realizes that
even this new life has its problems and drawbacks.
Talent for the Game (1991) - Stars Edward James Olmos as Virgil
Sweet, a washed-up talent scout for the Angels. He is on the brink of
losing his job when he discovers Sammy Bodeen, a country boy with no pro
ball experience, but with a pitching arm like no one has ever seen. Money-hungry
owners want to make a quick buck while Sammy just wants to play ball.
Virgil finds himself caught in the middle. This is a great family movie
about a small-town boy that gets his big break.
The Fan (1996) - Starring Robert DeNiro and Wesley Snipes. Robert
De Niro plays Gil Renard, a pathological baseball fan whose obsession
is focused on San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder Bobby Rayburn (Snipes).
Renard is optimistic as the three - time MVP joins the team at the beginning
of the season, however, as the season progresses, Bobby’s fielding
and batting average go down hill. As a true fan, Gil feels it's his duty
to help the baseball player out, even if it means murder. Full of suspense
- keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end.
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (2000) - This is the story
of Hank Greenberg, the Detroit Tigers slugger who came close to breaking
Babe Ruth's homerun record, and was baseball's first Jewish star. It is
told through old film footage and interviews with Jewish and non-Jewish
fans, his friends and family, and former teammates. As a great first baseman
with the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg endured anti-Semitism and became a
hero and source of inspiration throughout the Jewish community, while
leading the Tigers to Major League dominance in the 1930’s.
Frequency (2000) - Starring Dennis Quaid. In the middle of a spectacular
sky storm known as the aurora borealis, John Sullivan (played by relatively
unknown actor Jim Caviezel) discovers an old ham radio belonging to his
father (Quaid) and begins to play with it. Through the electrical static,
he finds himself talking to a man who appears to be his father, a firefighter
who died tragically 30 years earlier. A very entertaining movie with plot
twists until the final moment. Although baseball is not the central theme
of this movie, the writers do a great job of illustrating how talking
about the game brings father and son closer together and Mets fans will
particularly appreciate the nostalgia that the film invokes, when everyone
in the borough of Queens was thrilled by the "Amazing'" Mets
and their appearance in the 1969 World Series.
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