Marshall Fine, longtime journalist and movie critic, who now reviews movies on his site Hollywood and Fine, participated in Hardball Cooperative’s best and worst baseball movie balloting. Here are his selections.
See also: Costner movies top list of best baseball flicks; ‘Summer Catch’ heads list of bad baseball films
1. “Bull Durham” (1988): Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins made movie magic with this affectionate, profanely funny film about life in the minor leagues for those on the way up – and the way down. It was the product of writer-director Ron Shelton, himself a former minor leaguer, who captured both the humor and excitement of the game, and the weirdly funny off-field life of these players. It may also be the sexiest baseball movie ever made.
2. “Field of Dreams” (1989): Yes, Kevin Costner again – this time in the magic-realism tale of a guy who hears voices that tell him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of an Iowa cornfield – so he does. Adapted from W.P. Kinsella’s novel, “Shoeless Joe,” it blended the supernatural with the downhome, as this reluctant farmer finds himself reconnecting with a part of his past he thought had been lost forever. I know guys who, as a party trick, can bring tears to their own eyes – just by thinking about the ending of this film.
3. “Bang the Drum Slowly” (1973): Michael Moriarty and a very young Robert DeNiro starred as a star Yankee pitcher and a second-string catcher, who has a terminal illness. The pitcher manages to keep the catcher on the team so he can have one final season; but it’s less a tear-jerker than a delightfully low-key comedy, with DeNiro providing many of the laughs as a none-too-bright guy whose likability makes up for his dimness.
4. “Pastime” (1991): Here’s a little-seen gem (also known as “One Cup of Coffee”) that touches upon a lot of issues, though it centers on loving the game of baseball more than it loves you. William Russ plays a past-it pitcher (who once got a brief shot at the majors), now barely hanging on in the minors. The year is 1957 – and he’s asked to help polish a raw rookie with a blazing fastball (Glenn Plummer), who faces the still prevalent racism that black players were met with in that era. Smart and bittersweet.
5. “Bad News Bears” (1976): This is still the funniest baseball comedy, hands down (sorry, “Major League”), with Walter Matthau as the alcoholic who agrees to coach a hapless Little League team. The cast includes the young Tatum O’Neal, a young Jackie Earle Haley and some of the wildest misplays you’ll ever see. Don’t blame it for the lame sequels – or the inferior 2005 remake. This is no kids’ movie – kids may like it but it’s an adult comedy all the way.
My choice for worst baseball movie:
There are a lot to choose from – most of them having to do with kids who have magical powers or who inherit baseball teams. But for sheer ineptness and boredom, I nominate Sam Raimi’s “For Love of the Game” (1999) – which puts Kevin Costner at the top and the bottom of my list. It’s less Costner’s fault than Raimi’s; this movie (about an over-the-hill pitcher who finds himself improbably pitching a no-hitter) stacks clichés on top of each other and drains all excitement out of the story with its momentum-killing flashbacks.
