The Natural ( film ) - wikipedia The Natural ( film ) The Natural Promotional poster of The Natural Directed by Barry Levinson Produced by Mark Johnson Screenplay by Roger Towne Phil Dusenberry Based on The Natural by Bernard Malamud Starring Robert Redford Robert Duvall Glenn Close Kim Basinger Wilford Brimley Barbara Hershey Robert Prosky Richard Farnsworth Music by Randy Newman Cinematography Caleb Deschanel Edited by Stu Linder Production company TriStar Pictures Distributed by TriStar Pictures Release date May 11, 1984 ( 1984 - 05 - 11 ) Running time 137 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $28 million Box office $47,951,979 The Natural is a 1984 American sports drama film adaptation of Bernard Malamud 's 1952 baseball novel of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall. The film, like the book, recounts the experiences of Roy Hobbs, an individual with great `` natural '' baseball talent, spanning decades of Roy 's success and his suffering. It was the first film produced by TriStar Pictures. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress ( Glenn Close ), and nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress ( Kim Basinger ). Many of the baseball scenes were filmed in Buffalo, New York 's War Memorial Stadium, built in 1937 and demolished a few years after the film was produced. Buffalo 's All - High Stadium stood in for Chicago 's Wrigley Field in a key scene. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 4.1 Reception 4.2 Awards and honors 5 Home video 6 Soundtrack 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Plot A young Roy Hobbs plays baseball with his father on the family farm. Roy 's father dies suddenly under a tree. That tree is split in half by lightning, and Roy carves a baseball bat from it. He burns a lightning bolt on the barrel and calls it Wonderboy. In 1923, Hobbs, now 19 years old, is travelling by train to a pitching try out for the Chicago Cubs. At a stopover, Hobbs is challenged to strike out ' The Whammer ' ( Babe Ruth ), the top hitter in the Majors. Sportswriter Max Mercy, travelling with Whammer, draws a picture of the event. Hobbs also encounters Harriet Bird, who becomes smitten with him after he strikes out Whammer. Bird lures Hobbs to her hotel room and shoots him before she commits suicide. It is revealed that Bird kills top athletes, having already murdered an Olympian and an American football star, using silver bullets. In 1939, Hobbs, now a 35 - year - old, is signed by a scout to the New York Knights, frustrating the team 's manager and co-owner, Pop Fisher. With the Knights mired in last place, Pop is angry over being saddled with a `` middle - aged '' rookie. Unused for weeks, Hobbs finally gets to be a pinch hitter during a game where he replaces team star `` Bump '' Bailey, whose careless play cost the Knights a lead. Hobbs literally knocks the cover off the baseball, winning the Knights ' first game in weeks. When Bump dies after crashing through an outfield fence, Hobbs becomes the league 's sensation, turning the Knights ' fortunes around. Hobbs ' success prompts Mercy to try to unearth Hobbs ' background. Hobbs is summoned to a meeting with the principal owner of the team, The Judge. The Judge has an agreement with Pop that if the Knights fail to win the pennant at the end of the season, Pop 's share of the team reverts to the Judge. To ensure the team loses, the Judge bribed `` Bump '' to play poorly and had a scout sign unknown players like Hobbs. When Hobbs refuses a $5,000 bribe to throw the season, gambler Gus Sands and the Judge send Memo Paris, Pop 's niece and Bump 's former girlfriend, to trick Hobbs. Mercy finally remembers where he had seen Hobbs before. Later, Mercy introduces Hobbs to Gus and Memo. Pop warns Hobbs that Memo is `` bad luck, '' but they begin a relationship and Hobbs soon falls into a playing slump. At Wrigley Field in Chicago, when a woman dressed in white rises in the stands, Hobbs sees her and promptly hits the game - winning home run. The woman is his childhood sweetheart, Iris. They meet later and Hobbs confides to her about the shooting and how he lost his way in life. Iris tells him she has a 16 - year - old son, whose father lives in New York. With Hobbs hitting again, the Knights surge into first place, needing just one more win to clinch the pennant. Hobbs again refuses a payoff from Gus to throw the game. Memo throws a party, where she hand feeds Hobbs a pastry, after which he collapses. Awakening in hospital a few days later, Hobbs learns the Knights have lost their last three games, setting up a one - game playoff against the Pittsburgh Pirates for the pennant. The doctor gives Hobbs the silver bullet found when they pumped his stomach, informing him that his stomach lining has been deteriorating and the physical strain of playing could kill him. Memo encourages Hobbs to accept Gus ' payoff, and The Judge quadruples the bribe. Hobbs refuses, but the Judge informs him he should take it, since he has also bribed another key team member. Hobbs later tells Iris that he feels responsible for failing to achieve his full potential, but she insists he is a great player. Before the final game, Pop tells Hobbs that he is the best hitter he ever saw. Hobbs realizes during the game that The Judge has bribed Fowler, the Knights ' starting pitcher. Hobbs confronts him on the mound, warning him not to play poorly. Fowler replies he will start pitching when Hobbs starts hitting. Iris, in the stands with her son, asks an usher to deliver a message to Hobbs saying that she has brought Hobbs ' son to watch him play. The Knights are trailing and Hobbs comes up to bat. The Pirates bring in a young, hard - throwing pitcher who sees that Hobbs is bleeding through his jersey. Down to his last strike, Hobbs hits a foul ball so hard it splits `` Wonderboy '' in two, shaking his confidence. Bobby, the bat boy, brings Hobbs the `` Savoy Special, '' the bat that Hobbs helped Bobby make. Hobbs hits the next pitch into the overhead lights, winning the pennant. Some time later, Hobbs plays catch with his son on Iris ' farm, as she looks on. Cast Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs Robert Duvall as Max Mercy Glenn Close as Iris Gaines Kim Basinger as Memo Paris Wilford Brimley as Pop Fisher Barbara Hershey as Harriet Bird Robert Prosky as The Judge Richard Farnsworth as Red Blow Joe Don Baker as `` The Whammer '' Darren McGavin as Gus Sands Michael Madsen as Bartholomew `` Bump '' Bailey John Finnegan as Sam Simpson Alan Fudge as Ed Hobbs Ken Grassano as Al Fowler Mike Starr as Boone Mickey Treanor as Doc Dizzy Jon Van Ness as John Olsen Anthony J. Ferrara as Coach Wilson George Wilkosz as Bobby Savoy Paul Sullivan Jr. as Young Roy Rachel Hall as Young Iris Sibby Sisti as Pirates manager Production The film 's producers stated in the DVD extras that the film was not intended to be a literal adaptation of the novel, but was merely `` based on '' the novel. Malamud 's daughter said on one of the DVD extras that her father had seen the film, and his take on it was that it had `` legitimized him as a writer ''. Darren McGavin was cast late in the process as gambler Gus Sands and was uncredited in the film. Due to a disagreement, he chose not to be credited, though later Levinson wanted to credit him and McGavin said no. Levinson stated on the DVD extras for the 2007 edition that because there had been too little time during post-production to find a professional announcer willing and able to provide voice - over services, Levinson recorded that part of the audio track himself. Two - thirds of the scenes were filmed in Buffalo, New York, mostly at War Memorial Stadium, built in 1937 and demolished a few years after the film was produced. Buffalo 's All - High Stadium, with post-production alterations, stood in for Chicago 's Wrigley Field in a key scene in the film. Additional filming took place at the New York and Lake Erie Railroad depot in South Dayton, New York. Release Reception Variety called it an `` impeccably made... fable about success and failure in America ''. James Berardinelli praised The Natural as `` ( a ) rguably the best baseball movie ever made ''. ESPN 's Page 2 selected it as the 6th best sports movie of all time. Sports writer Bill Simmons has argued, `` Any ' Best Sports Movies ' list that does n't feature either Hoosiers or The Natural as the No. 1 pick should n't even count ''. Director Barry Levinson said on MLB Network 's `` Costas at the Movies '' in 2013 that while the film is based in fantasy, `` through the years, these things which are outlandish actually ( happen )... like Kirk Gibson hitting the home run and limping around the bases... Curt Schilling with the blood on the sock in the World Series ''. Leonard Maltin 's 18th annual Movie Guide edition called it `` too long and inconsistent ''. Dan Craft, longtime critic for the Bloomington, Illinois paper, The Pantagraph, wrote, `` The storybook ending is so preposterous you do n't know whether to cheer or jeer ''. Frank Deford in Sports Illustrated, had faint praise for it : `` The Natural almost manages to be a swell movie ''. John Simon of the National Review and Richard Schickel of Time were disappointed with the adaptation. Simon contrasted Malamud 's story about the `` failure of American innocence '' with Levinson 's `` fable of success... ( and ) the ultimate triumph of semi-doltish purity '', declaring `` you have, not Malamud 's novel, but a sorry illustration of its theme ''. Schickel lamented that `` Malamud 's intricate ending ( it is a victory that looks like a defeat ) is vulgarized ( the victory is now an unambiguous triumph, fireworks included ) '', and that `` watching this movie is all too often like reading about The Natural in the College Outline series ''. Roger Ebert called it `` idolatry on behalf of Robert Redford ''. Ebert 's television collaborator Gene Siskel praised it, giving it four stars, also putting down other critics that he suggested might have just recently read the novel for the first time. In a lengthy article on baseball movies in The New Yorker, Roger Angell pointed out that Malamud had intentionally treated Hobbs ' story as a baseball version of the King Arthur legend, which came across in the film as a bit heavy - handed, `` portentous and stuffy '', and that the book 's ending should have been kept. He also cited a number of excellent visuals and funny bits, and noted that Robert Redford had prepared so carefully for the role, modeling his swing on that of Ted Williams, that `` you want to sign him up ''. At the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, retrospectively compiled reviews from 38 critics give the film a score of 82 %, with an average rating of 7.1 / 10. The website 's consensus reads : `` Though heavy with sentiment, The Natural is an irresistible classic, and a sincere testament to America 's national pastime ''. Awards and honors The Natural was nominated for four Academy Awards : Actress in a Supporting Role ( Glenn Close ), Cinematography ( Caleb Deschanel ), Art Direction ( Mel Bourne, Angelo P. Graham, Bruce Weintraub ), and Music ( Randy Newman ). Kim Basinger was also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Home video The initial DVD edition, with copyright year on the box reading `` 2001 '', contained the theatrical version of the film, along with a few specials and commentaries. The `` director 's cut '' was released on April 3, 2007. A two - disc edition, it contains the featurette `` The Heart of the Natural, '' a 44 - minute documentary featuring comments from Cal Ripken, Jr. and Levinson ; it is the only extra released originally with the 2001 DVD. Sony added a number of other extras, however, including : `` When Lightning Strikes : Creating The Natural, '' a 50 - minute documentary discussing the origins of the original novel and the production of the film ; `` Knights in Shining Armor, '' which addresses the mythological parallels between The Natural, King Arthur and the Odyssey ; and `` A Natural Gunned Down '' which tells the story of Eddie Waitkus, a baseball player who was shot by Ruth Ann Steinhagen, a female stalker, in an incident which inspired the fictionalized shooting of Roy Hobbs. The film itself has been re-edited, restoring deleted footage to the early chapters of the story. These scenes expand on the sadness of Hobbs, focusing on his visits to his childhood home as an adult and his childhood memories. The `` gift set '' version of the release also included some souvenirs : a baseball `` signed '' by Roy Hobbs ; some baseball cards of Roy Hobbs and teammates ; and a New York Knights cap. Soundtrack The film score of The Natural was composed and conducted by Randy Newman. The score has often been compared to the style of Aaron Copland and sometimes Elmer Bernstein. Scott Montgomery, writing for Goldmine music magazine, referenced the influence, and David Ansen, reviewing the film for Newsweek, called the score `` Coplandesque. '' The score also has certain Wagnerian features of orchestration and use of Leitmotif. Adnan Tezer of Monsters and Critics noted the theme is often played for film and television previews and in `` baseball stadiums when introducing home teams and players. '' Levinson also described to Bob Costas in MLB Network 's `` Costas at the Movies '' how he heard Randy Newman develop the movie 's iconic theme : `` We were racing to try to get this movie out in time and we were in one room and then there was a wall and Randy 's in the other room. One of the great thrilling moments is I heard him figuring out that theme... You could hear it through the wall as he was working out that theme and I 'll never forget that. '' The soundtrack album was released May 11, 1984 on the Warner Bros. label, with the logo for Tri-Star Pictures also appearing on the label to commemorate this as their first production. All music was composed by Randy Newman. See also Baseball portal Film in the United States portal References Jump up ^ Janna Malamud Smith ( daughter of Bernard Malamud ) ( April 3, 2007 ). When Lightning Strikes : Creating The Natural ( Documentary ). Sony Pictures Entertainment. ^ Jump up to : Barry Levinson ( director ) ( April 3, 2007 ). When Lightning Strikes : Creating The Natural ( Documentary ). Sony Pictures Entertainment. Jump up ^ Heldenfels, Rich ( June 14, 2012 ). `` Mailbag : Why do TV shows run longer than scheduled ? ''. Akron Beacon - Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Film Starring Redford To Be Shot in Buffalo ''. The New York Times. June 18, 1983. Retrieved October 31, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Wrigley Field in Buffalo ''. buffalonews.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2008. Jump up ^ `` South Dayton remembers filming of ''. WDOE. Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 11. ^ Jump up to : `` The Natural ( 1984 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 10, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Page 2 's Top 20 Sports Movies of All - Time ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved June 12, 2009. Jump up ^ Simmons, Bill. `` Holy trilogy of the ' Karate Kid ' ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved June 12, 2009. Jump up ^ Barry Levinson, Costas at the Movies, MLB Network, February 11, 2013 Jump up ^ ( May 19, 1984 ) Jump up ^ ( May 21, 1984, p. 71 ) Jump up ^ Simon, John ( July 13, 1984 ). `` The Natural '' ( 36 ). National Review : 51 -- 2. Jump up ^ Schickel, Richard ( May 14, 1984 ). `` The Natural ''. Time ( 123 ) : 91. Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger ( January 1, 1984 ). `` The Natural ''. rogerebert.com. Retrieved January 10, 2008. Jump up ^ Siskel, Gene ( May 11, 1984 ). `` ' The Natural ' : Redford scores in an uplifting celebration of the individual ''. Chicago Tribune. pp. D A1. Jump up ^ Angell, Roger ( July 31, 1989 ). `` No, But I Saw The Game ''. The New Yorker : 41. Jump up ^ `` Academy Awards Database : The Natural ( 57th - 1984 ) ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` NY Times : The Natural ''. NY Times. Retrieved January 1, 2009. Jump up ^ `` DVD - The Natural ( Director 's Cut ) ''. Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Tezer, Adnan ( April 1, 2007 ). `` DVD Review : The Natural ( Director 's Cut ) ''. Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2008. Jump up ^ Montgomery, Scott ; Gary Norris ; Kevin Walsh ( September 1, 1995 ). `` The Invisible Randy Newman ''. 21 ( 18 ). Goldmine. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2008. The Natural, a 1984 Robert Redford vehicle based on the classic Bernard Malamud novel about a baseball player, features some of Newman 's most inspiring movie music -- his first score to feature synthesizers prominently in string arrangements. Leaning gently on Copland, Berlin and his uncle Al, the dramatic title theme ( which has been heard in virtually every baseball - related film trailer since the movie 's release ) earned Newman both an Academy Award nomination for best soundtrack and a 1985 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental. Jump up ^ Ansen, David ( May 28, 1984 ). `` The Natural ''. Newsweek. Jump up ^ `` Images for Randy Newman - The Natural ''. www.discogs.com. Jump up ^ `` The Natural ( 1984 Film ) ( SOUNDTRACK ) ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008. External links The Natural on IMDb The Natural at Box Office Mojo Films directed by Barry Levinson Diner ( 1982 ) The Natural ( 1984 ) Young Sherlock Holmes ( 1985 ) Tin Men ( 1987 ) Good Morning, Vietnam ( 1987 ) Rain Man ( 1988 ) Avalon ( 1990 ) Bugsy ( 1991 ) Toys ( 1992 ) Jimmy Hollywood ( 1994 ) Disclosure ( 1994 ) Sleepers ( 1996 ) Wag the Dog ( 1997 ) Sphere ( 1998 ) Liberty Heights ( 1999 ) An Everlasting Piece ( 2000 ) Bandits ( 2001 ) Envy ( 2004 ) Man of the Year ( 2006 ) What Just Happened ( 2008 ) PoliWood ( 2009 ) You Do n't Know Jack ( 2010 ) The Bay ( 2012 ) The Humbling ( 2014 ) Rock the Kasbah ( 2015 ) The Wizard of Lies ( 2017 ) Paterno ( 2018 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Natural_(film)&oldid=855748164 '' Categories : 1984 films English - language films 1980s drama films 1980s sports films American drama films American baseball films American films Films scored by Randy Newman Films based on American novels Films directed by Barry Levinson Films set in the 1930s Films set in the 1920s Films shot in Buffalo, New York TriStar Pictures films Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from September 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano مازِرونی Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Українська 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 20 August 2018, at 15 : 22 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who played young roy hobbs in the natural
Answer: Paul Sullivan Jr.