Tomorrow I will be able to say "I have been watching Jennifer Lawrence since Winter's Bone and it will make me sound like a snob because The Hunger Games will be making massive amounts of money and the next tween sensation will take off along with Lawrence's career and popularity. There is both an upside and downside to the actors you love becoming mainstream. The upside is they are more likely to do more films, they may get offered bigger roles, people won't look at you as though you're insane for being able to rattle off eight films that they have been in because they still have no idea who you're talking about. The downside is they will have more commercial film opportunities, which can lead to worse films, they may get typecast, and it takes a little bit of the thunder out of it when the whole world loves someone you have loved for so long.
Take Zooey Deschanel for instance. She has been an indie queen for as long as she has been around. Many people loved her as the rebellious sister in Almost Famous or as the smart ass in The Good Girl but the world has finally fallen for her as the "adorkable" Jess in Fox's TV show New Girl. There used to be almost a club for Zooey fans. When you found someone who got it you had plenty to talk about because you didn't just enjoy her movies, but the types of movies she was in. Now you have to work to find someone who doesn't know who she is. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, and her career will only blossom because of it, but it is a little disheartening to know that your little secret is a world wide celebrity.
Perhaps a more interesting example would be Twilight's Kristen Stewart. Before the film came out people were saying they didn't like the casting choice and I just assumed it's because they were jealous. I would try to defend her by saying that I liked her in In the Land of Women, which opened the year before. Little did I know that she can play one type of character and apparently that isn't what Bella is supposed to be. I went from thinking I had found an up and coming exciting actress only to find out she isn't even an okay actress without ever seeing Twilight. Now it feels almost wrong to enjoy a Kristen Stewart film, let alone two (Adventureland) all because she got too famous.
Sometimes roles that seem like a surefire hit don't end up sending an actor or actress into super stardom. Before last summer I posted on my Facebook "For the record I've liked Rose Byrne since Sunshine." I posted this after she had starred in Get Him to the Greek in the funniest role not belonging to P. Diddy and Insidious. I knew that she had both Bridesmaids and X-Men: First Class (with the aforementioned Jennifer Lawrence) coming out and wanted people to be on the lookout for her. Instead people mentioned how great Melissa McCarthy and Michael Fassbender were in the roles in those films. I still kind of enjoy finding Byrne in movies and knowing that she isn't yet the star she is almost certain to become.
Essentially all I am trying to get to is this: I liked Jennifer Lawrence before it was trendy and Jessica Chastain better stick with her artsy films and avoid the blockbusters because it's more fun to have favorite actors that make me unique rather than claiming I love the same person as the rest of the world. Plus, I really like helping people discover these actors before the world does it for them. So go watch every Andrew Garfield movie before The Amazing Spider-Man. It's worth it because they are all fantastic and you will have the ability to say "I have been watching him since I first saw Boy A."
I once read a comment about Sundance that grasps the essence of Like Crazy: Indie filmmakers spend 10 years writing the perfect screenplay and don't spend 10 seconds thinking about how it is going to be shot. And thus we have Like Crazy, a film with a well thought out storyline with some poor cinematography. The film itself is about the love between Jacob (Star Trek's Anton Yelchin) and Anna (Brideshead Rivisted's Felicity Jones). Anna is a Brit living in LA on an education visa studying to become a writer when she meets Jacob. Their first date is remarkable for its simplicity and honesty. So many romance movies make grand gestures and make the romance seem artificial and over amplified. Here they don't downplay the importance of having fun and enjoying the sweet moments that real relationships are all about in the beginning. The date involves coffee, awkward silences, nervous laughter, gradually giving way to better conversation and real laughter. At one point Anna invites him up to her room and he sits in a chair and mocks it for being uncomfortable. It's the type of moment that is unnecessary but so telling about their personalities.
The relationship is going very well when Anna has to return home for the summer before she can return to LA and Jacob. They are dealing with the pressure of saying goodbye and spending the next few months apart when Anna, impulsively, decides the day before she leaves that she won't go. They spend the next two and a half months together and fall hopelessly in love with each other. The realism of their relationship makes you fall in love with them. Since Jacob doesn't have a whole lot of money, for Anna's birthday he makes her a new chair at his carpentry job and carves the bottom with the words "LIKE CRAZY." Again, it's these little things that make the characters so likable.
When Anna does go home for a week she comes back stateside and sends Jacob a text saying she is going through customs and to head to the airport. I mention the text message because unlike Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, this film uses electronic communication effectively and accurately. Jacob arrives at the airport with flowers only to learn that by breaking her education visa, she is unable to enter the country on her work visa and is immediately escorted back to England. This is the first real trouble the relationship hits and the rest of the film is about the characters trying to overcome the obstacle of being forced apart over a span of a few years.
Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) makes a somewhat brief, but memorable appearance in an otherwise minimal cast that includes three other characters that have equally brief roles. For a film completely centered on two people, the pacing is never too slow and the characters are likable and behave believably enough to make it work. Although the movie doesn't always look the best, there are certainly some scenes that rely almost entirely on some interesting, inventive camera work. The appeal of this movie lies almost entirely on its raw and accurate portrayal of two people who love each other, like crazy.
B.
Today is a very exciting day for fans of all types of films. Literally. Suspense? Check Mystery? Check. Dramedy? Check. Comedy? Check. Family? Biggest check of the year (until Pixar's Brave comes out). For the second week in a row I have been eagerly awaiting Tuesday and keep in mind with my four day work week Tuesday is technically Monday.
Let's start with The Muppets. Not only was this the best children's movie of 2011, far better than the dreadful crop of animated films, it was one of the best films of the year period. For children you have muppets, massive amounts of color, music, laughs, and more muppets. More importantly, for the adult there is the nostalgia that accompanies The Muppets, cameos and pop culture references to-boot, humor, a comprehensible storyline, and a movie that is aware of what it is supposed to be. The moment Oscar winning song "Man or Muppet" written by Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords is over you will know exactly what you're in for and you'll be excited to continue the ride. If that doesn't get you than Chris Cooper playing the villain with his historic maniacal laugh will.
The only film that can rival my excitement for The Muppets release is that of the David Fincher version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The title sequence of which sets up the rest of the film brilliantly. Karen O. and Trent Reznor of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Nine Inch Nails respectively composed a fantastic rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" plays scenes of a black liquid metal form different objects and a torch sets fire to different things (in a nod to the sequel The Girl Who Played With Fire) and show you Fincher's vision for the film. It will be dirty, gretty, dark, and abrasive. Rooney Mara has gone from an unknown to a highly buzzed and Oscar nominated actress over the last two years and her performance in this film will explain why. It is not for everyone, but those who can stomach the brutality of it all will be in for a treat.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy earned Gary Oldman into an Academy Award nominee after decades of mind blowing performances. The film itself is confusing, elaborate, smart, very British, and very well put together. The confusion is done on purpose as the director wants you to feel the confusion that George Smiley (Oldman) is suffering through while trying to figure out who the spy in his department is. You will learn who the spy is by the film's end but you won't see it coming.
Other releases include the Roman Polanski film Carnage that got mixed reviews but has a talented cast and interesting enough premise to warrant a rental and the raunchy comedy The Sitter starring Jonah Hill. Neither film got much promotion and were hardly in theaters, even in major cities so now there's finally a chance for the masses to see them.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The title alone is intriguing. Yes, the film is very aware that they are discussing fishing in a desert. In fact Dr. Alfred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor in a full Irish accent) mocks the idea in his first scene of the film. The film starts off a little strangely. Enter Harriet (Emily Blunt) typing an email to Dr. Jones explaining that Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) would like to bring the sport of fishing to his homeland. As she is typing and doing a voice over the words are popping up on screen like those really annoying Denis Leary Ford F-150 commercials. Dr. Jones reads and replies to said email with the words again showing up on screen. Only this time, he is reading aloud whilst typing and his wife throws in an adjective he agrees with, backspaces and replaces. These are the only times that either voice overs or out of nowhere text appear in the film. While I am happy they got rid of the technique I question why it was ever there to begin with as it seemed unnecessary. Really, how often do you speak aloud as you type?
The film hits a stride after it's rocky opening and is fairly fast paced. Well, as fast paced as a film about trying to build a river in Yemen with salmon so the Sheikh can fish at home can be. Harriet has a soldier boyfriend, Robert (Tom Milson), who she knows for all of three weeks before he is shipped off to Afghanistan. He asks her to wait for him, a move that strangely doesn't feel strange or forced at all. It's when Harriet gets alarming news about Robert the film really picks up emotionally. You finally get a connection to the characters, Dr. Jones especially. The three main characters of Harriet, Dr. Jones, and Sheikh Muhammed are all remarkably likeable, which is a surprise for most films these days.
The issue is, the films flaws are too big and too many to overlook. Just when I was thinking how interesting it was to watch one relationship grow stronger as another one is failing, they throw a curve ball and turn what seemed to be a great friendship with no romantic chemistry into a love story that felt out of place. There was no "aha!" moment that made you feel that Dr. Jones and Harriet were falling in love. There was no gradual build up towards it either. It was simply a writer who felt that the characters needed something to drive them. I am a firm believer that a movie should be about characters that react to a situation or event that happens to them. Not about characters who have interesting things happen to them to drive a plot. I get that it's hard not to fall in love with Emily Blunt, especially with her native accent, but this storyline was unnecessary and the film suffered because of it.
Another flaw is the first couple scenes with Sheikh Mohammed. His character starts off as an all-knowing insight to everything. He has a philosophy and can pinpoint the thoughts in everyone's head without them saying a word. They back off of this as the film continues to make his character much more entertaining and enjoyable. Being a Sheikh and dealing with the English is a good way to get yourself noticed by people trying to keep the Western world out of the Middle East. This turns into two separate assassination attempts that have little impact on the story and surprisingly little impact on the Sheikh himself.
The other main issue I had with the film was Kristen Scott Thomas' character Patricia Maxwell is the press secretary for the Prime Minister and is an absolute waste of screen time. The worst part is when they have her iChatting (Do people still use iChat?) with the Prime Minister trying to get laughs. The attempt comes up dull and her political presence is off putting regardless of your political standpoint.
These flaws aside the film is what I like to consider a Sunday afternoon movie. It is nowhere near a great film. Maybe not even a good one. However, when I see it come on TBS on a lazy Sunday I won't be in a rush to turn it off and won't regret spending my two hours watching it. Just as long as I'm not paying for it
C+.
Winter starts off with such promise. It's awards season time! Movies are flying in like crazy and my money is going straight to theaters everywhere. Then February hits and all the artsy films have been released over the last 3 months and all the blockbusters are being held off until May. I was seeing as many as five movies a week in a theater in December and early January. Now I can't find one worth my time. That's not to say that nothing has looked interesting, just that nothing has looked worth the $10. I will end up seeing Safe House, Chronicle, Wanderlust, and The Lorax in due time thanks to Redbox or Netflix. Maybe they will even be cheap enough on release day to warrant me making a rare film purchase of something I haven't yet seen.Normally during these dry spells at the theater there are plenty of movies in disc form that I am excited for. I tend to make the trip to Target or Best Buy every Tuesday to pick up at least one new release. Just not in February where Hugo was the only movie I bought over the 29 day span. Sure a couple of other films I was somewhat interested in came out like Take Shelter and Like Crazy but nothing that was screaming "BUY ME!" Luckily this all comes to an end tomorrow when finally the floodgates start to open with Young Adult, Melancholia, The Descendants, and My Week With Marilyn all deciding to drain my wallet the same day. Maybe I will start having something to write about every night again.What's most interesting to me is that while I have found very little to see so far this year, the box office is outpacing last year's sales by far. A bunch of movies have opened to far bigger numbers than predicted. The Lorax, for instance, was always going to make money because of the source material combined with being a family film. But $70 million when industry insiders were looking for $50? Where did all of this excess business come from? Most intriguing about this uptick in sales is the potential for The Hunger Games. With the end of Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga and Batman franchises ending later this year Hollywood is looking for the next big franchise. The Hunger Games has a lot going for it: Wildly popular books, extremely passionate fan base, an A-List cast, and hype. Lots of hype. A movie that was already going to make money could gain a considerable bump from the extra film goers this year. I just hope it's a good enough film to break the dry spell I have been feeling for the last two months.
There I am, sitting at work, when the person next to me turns and says “I watched Drive last night.” Those five words sparked a giant debate amongst the six people in our area about their opinion on the movie. There were three categories the people fell into: Those who loved it, those who hated it, and those who liked it but preferred Ryan Gosling as a romantic lead. The last group was really just the person who watched it last night and I would have explained that it was a very romantic role for Gosling if not for being busy discussing the movie more with those whom hated the film. The idea of hating such a brilliant film seemed so unnatural until I was told the reason they didn’t like the film was its pace. Suddenly it made sense; people are very rarely a huge fan of anything they think moves along slowly. I proudly claim to not be a part of that group but I also am aware that I am in the vast minority in this discussion.
The best example of this scenario played out with the western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I talk about this film more than most because of how much it moved me and how well it holds up on a second (and fifteenth) watch. A guy I have known for over ten years and truly respect his opinion when it comes to movies was talking to me about how he considers it a great movie but it isn’t in his top ten because of its snails-are-running-laps-around-you pace. My immediate response, in full Mean Girls fashion, was to say that it was in my top ten BECAUSE of that pace. If a director feels they have a purpose to slow a movie down and fills it appropriately, I am completely down for the ride. In this case Andrew Dominik did just that. The title of the movie tells you exactly what is going to happen and yet it still takes until close to the two hour mark to get to the aforementioned assassination, then has another thirty minutes of film left to deal with the aftermath. The reason this works is a combination of a musical score that is second to none, the landscape and establishing shots are a true piece of artwork, and most importantly, it takes the full run time to feel the weight of the situation and to understand the hypocrisy in our society the film is trying to show us.
Another prime example here would be The American. Chances are if you saw the trailers and the poster of George Clooney running while carrying a gun you were expecting a fast paced action film and instead received an almost silent, slow film with the dialogue only occurring in your own head. This turned a lot of people off from the film. I had the good fortune of renting the movie months later and being told ahead of time that it was slow and awful. Going into the film with lowered expectations made it incredibly easy to enjoy a film that was very poorly received.
On the other side is it possible for a movie to move too quickly? Yes, but normally that depends on the type of film. You can easily make the argument that comedies cannot move too quickly and I would agree with you. Horrible Bosses is a prime example of a film that fits a whole lot of jokes and plot (for a comedy) in an 98 minute run time. However, for a drama that is not always the case. You need time to process the emotion behind what is happening. Friday Night Lights (the film) suffered from this problem in the original cut. The studio felt the pace was too quick and asked Peter Berg to go back and add a scene to let everything sink in for the audience. The result ended up being the perfect scene. The scene in question is when a few of the players are eating burgers at a local hang out. They are not only able to slow the pace but add the weight of expectations by showing the owner giving these high school students free food just for playing football and a dad getting a picture of his newborn with the team’s quarterback while telling him to enjoy this year because after this it’s “nothing but babies and memories.” Take the scene away and who knows if you will ever get the sense of celebrity and pressure this town has put on 16-18 year old kids.
I have had a movie’s pace ruin my opinion on a film too. If you do decide to run at a slow pace there better be a reason for it. If an action film is going to have lengthy monologues the character should be saying something very important and worth the break in pace. Avatar, for example, spends so much time focusing on being imaginative and beautiful it forgot to have a plot. I remember sitting in the theater and spending minutes spacing out multiple times only to realize there is a film going on, and that I missed absolutely nothing. Pacing can work for or against a film, but being slow should not leave you disliking a film.
The other night I was driving around with a couple of people in the car and almost every song that came on I could tell you what movie or TV show the song was from, then describe the scene and it got me thinking about what songs go hand in hand with their films. Not just because they play at some point during the movie, but because when you hear the song playing at the store or on the radio your first instinct is to think of the film. There's always the obvious ones like "My Heart Will Go On" or "Hakuna Matata" that were written specifically for the movie, but I'm talking about the films that take a song that was already popular and redefine it. The list has to start with Quintin Tarantino. The man has a skill for shooting films with lengthy scenes of dialogue, showing far more bare feet than necessary, long takes, filming from a trunk, and finding the perfect song for the perfect moment. The most obvious choice from his films is Reservoir Dogs and "Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheal. The song plays on the radio and Michael Madsen starts singing along and dancing all while torturing a man he has tied to a chair. The gruesome scene would quite possibly be too much to bear if not for the happy, upbeat song playing in the background. In Tarantino's next film, Pulp Fiction, he decides to take Chuck Berry's "You Can Never Tell" and makes Uma Thurman and John Travolta dance to it in a competition. The song is the perfect choice to show the uneasiness of the situation and helps bond the characters together. The lesser-seen Jackie Brown probably plays its theme song, "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, more times than any of his other films. The film starts off with a reference to The Graduate having the titular Pam Grier standing on a moving walkway while the song plays and ends with her singing the song in her car. It fits the blaxploitation element perfectly and is a nice frame for an underrated film. Tarantino does this countless more times but I want to point out other films too.Cameron Crowe is another director with a penchant for finding that one song to make a movie. This is less surprising when you realize he was a rock journalist for Rolling Stone at the age of 18. Say Anything, his directorial debut included one of the most iconic shots of the 80's: John Cusack, brown trench coat, boom box overhead, and Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." Even mention the song in a room of people and it is all but guaranteed to get a conversation about the film, the moment, or Lloyd Dobbler (Cusack's character). In Crowe's most critically acclaimed film, Almost Famous, he takes a tour bus full of a band, band-aides (see: a half-step above groupies), and a reporter and plays Elton John's ballad "Tiny Dancer." The entire bus is in complete silence from a combination of anger and awkwardness only to end up singing along to the song and realizing that everything is magically better. It isn't corny like it sounds in print, just real. In Elizabethtown Crowe picks the most common redneck song and turns it into something special. Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" is an eight minute epic of a song with a fantastic guitar solo. In the film it is used to combine sadness and love in an unforgettable scene including sprinklers and a bird on fire. Ironically, the next film on this list was written by Crowe but handed over to Amy Heckerling to direct. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is famous for Sean Penn as stoner Spicoli, Phoebe Cates' finest hour, and Tom Petty's "American Girl." The reason this song will stick with you for so long is it fits the tone and feel of the movie perfectly. Normally it's a rule to not allow the lyrics of a song to influence its selection, but in this case it was just a perfect fit. The Frances Williams song "As Time Goes By" is forever linked to Casablanca for the oft (mis)quoted "Play it again Sam" line supposedly spoken by Humphrey Bogart. The song was clearly the theme for Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's characters before they separated and it killed Bogart's character Rick to hear it, especially at Ilsa's (Bergman) request years later. The song became a benchmark for Rick and allowed us to feel the pain he had been living with for years.While Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" was written partially for The Graduate, their "Sound of Silence" was already a #1 hit four years before the film was made. The entire movie is essentially a Simon and Garfunkel music video but again it's the opening scene that seals it. Dustin Hoffman on a moving walkway staring into his future while the haunting song written about the aftermath of the JFK assassination is playing leaves an impression, along the rest of the movie, that you aren't going to shake off easily. Movies would be nothing without the music that backs them. It's the reason I love movie scores and soundtracks sell so well. Songs are able to take you back to the exact moment in the film and give you the same feeling you originally had while watching. These were just some of the more famous renditions.
I bet you either said Beetlejuice or came up empty. (Other answers were Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Batman, Batman Returns, and Mars Attacks!) Let me preface the rest of this article by saying I still find Tim Burton extremely talented and creative. I have a poster of his artwork hanging in my room. That being said, once upon a time Tim Burton was one of my favorite directors. He had so much going for him. He wasn't just creative with his stories but the way he was able to visualize them. He had such an influence that you probably think he directed The Nightmare Before Christmas. Henry Selick of Coraline and James and the Giant Peach fame was also the man behind the camera for that one. The reason nobody knows this (aside from the promotional material saying "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas") is because it feels and looks like a Burton movie. He is no longer a favorite because he became predictable. The news of a new Burton movie is immediately paired with "starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, with music by Danny Elfman." All four of these artists are brilliant on their own so bringing them together should make them stronger right? Well, at first yes. It's no secret that one of Burton's best films is Edward Scissorhands. It is a little bit of a secret that another one of his best is Ed Wood. The reason these films are great is there was a creative process clearly forming between Depp and Burton. This process only worked in the short term because after a while they got too comfortable with each other and the ideas were more obvious and predictable. It's no coincidence that my favorite Burton film is Big Fish, the only film since 2002 to not star Depp. It isn't because I dislike Depp. It's because Burton had to work with Ewan McGregor and challenge him instead of letting Depp phone it in with his normal quirkiness. It may be pointed out that Big Fish stars Bonham Carter, who I had previously mentioned, but this was only their second collaboration together and still were able to work the creative process in their favor. The free flowing creative juices turned a corny idea into a beautiful story.Since Big Fish every movie Burton has directed starred Depp and Bonham Carter. Every movie Burton has ever made aside from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (which already had music written) and Ed Wood has been scored by Danny Elfman. Although Elfman is less of a hindrance because of his sheer talent, I would love to see what type of work another composer could create for Burton's work. The results produced by these four haven't been all awful by any means. Corpse Bride has some merit and Sweeney Todd, although a little overrated, was nominated for three Oscars. Overall, the films have lost their oomph and excitement because of the lack of extra creativity brought to the table. Four of the most imaginative people in show business should be considered a lot of things, but predictable is one nobody saw coming in the early 90'sAlice in Wonderland is a perfect example of everything working against them. I was very excited when this movie first came out because it seemed perfect for Burton's mind. Although it is much better than the animated version, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Depp should have never been cast as the Mad Hatter. It was too obvious and he was too over the top in his performance. There was no pushing, no pressure to turn the most memorable character of the film into an exciting one. What was most concerning about the film that a standout performance by both Mia Wasikowska and Bonham Carter were wasted by an over emphasis on Depp. The post-production 3D didn't help the cause either.
This being said, I still think Burton has immense talent and I root for him to succeed. This includes the upcoming Dark Shadows that will keep the four artists together. It also especially includes the updated version of Frankenweenie who's trailer premiered this weekend. The excitement behind Frankenweenie is for multiple reasons. It's already a story Burton did on a small scale and has wanted to extend ever since. Old Burton regulars from the late 80's and early 90's Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder will be back to collaborate with Burton. Oh, and it won't star Depp or Bonham Carter. Can the man who makes the most impressive title sequences ever (expect a full post on those another time) and who made Batman Returns the best Christmas movie that has little to do with Christmas come back to full form or will he leave me disappointed again?
Tomorrow marks the start of spring training games and it seemed only appropriate to talk about my favorite part of America's past time: The baseball movie. As you have probably heard me say I am going to try and love baseball this year. My main reason for wanting to care about the game so much, aside from having something to do between the NBA finals in June and the kick off of college football in September, is baseball movies are just so good. They have a way of romanticizing the game in ways I can't even understand. Even if you don't care, or want to care, for baseball, you can appreciate the game through these movies (all of which are much shorter than a true baseball game, I promise).Moneyball was just nominated for Best Picture and is no doubt one of the influences on my decision. The reason Moneyball worked was they spent such a little amount of time showing the baseball itself, and instead focused on the team and general manager with everything working against them trying to change the sport forever. In fact, most of the baseball scenes in the film are of a single player in a blackened stadium taking pitches while the announcer is discussing the rest of the game. The movie's moral "He hit a home run and you didn't realize it" is something that speaks to everyone.On the other end of the spectrum is The Natural, which spent almost the entire run time on the diamond. This helps the movie feel that it's going at a much faster pace than it really is. While it is a movie with many flaws, they are all forgiven because of an incredibly pure and well executed ending. There is just so much hope for the one who was supposed to be the best ever to succeed so late in life with his trusty Wonder Boy bat.Want a baseball movie that is very little about baseball? Well that just happens to be the story of a minor league team called Bull Durham. (For the record it took a lot of work to not name a Kevin Costner movie about baseball until now.) The story of a washed up catcher and an up-and coming pitcher who's lives cross as they both fall in love with the same woman (played by Susan Surandon). A highly entertaining dramedy that very well may be the best on this list.in 1998 Mark McGwire broke the home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961. During the race to 62 between McGwire and Sammy Sosa HBO decided to cash in and produced a movie about the season Maris set the record called 61*. A more accurate film than those previously mentioned, the plot centers on Maris and his Yankee teammate trying to both break a record considered unbeatable at the time set by Babe Ruth. The most interesting take on the story is seeing the New York public take sides and root against Maris even though he plays for the right team.Back to Kevin Costner, this time in For Love of the Game as a major league pitcher who has had a storied career that is now coming to a close as he turns 40. The film is probably the weakest of his baseball movies but the end has always stuck with me. Costner is pitching his final game of his career and it just so happens to be a potential perfect game. Sam Raimi, who also directed the Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies, puts his touch on the film in the moment when he continuously shows Costner standing on the mound in deep thought and allows us to hear his inner thoughts (I don't remember if it's voice over or Costner talking to himself) as he is throwing against a rookie who is dangerous because he is too dumb to know what he's up against.Sticking with old pitchers, The Rookie is about Dennis Quad coaching an inner city high school team that never wins. He ends up making a deal with the team if they go to the playoffs, he will try out for the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. As luck would have it, the unlikely scenario played out on screen just as it did in real life allowing him to not only try out, but make the team. He has limited playing time but the story is still inspiring and impressive.To end the list it has to be Field of Dreams. Was there ever any doubt? The story of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago White Sox where if you build it, he (not they) will come. The reason I point out that it isn't they is two-fold. One is it is one of the most misquoted lines of all time and two, the movie doesn't make sense unless the line is he. The reason this movie is the epitome of a great baseball movie is that it's about a dream and a longing for a past that you don't think you can ever get back. Sure, seeing Shoeless Joe play was important to Ray Kinsella (Costner) but the true climax of the film is the moment Ray gets to reconnect with his deceased father over a game of catch that will send the strongest of men reaching for the tissues.
