Pleasant Baseball Rom-Com!

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2014)

Bull Durham is a really good baseball film that doesn't only give you the finer points of baseball, but it supplies the audience with a good amount of well-developed characters. This film is supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't see it as one. Sure, there were some funny moments but I feel this movie should be seen more as a feel-good drama. With a light atmosphere, this film is a great date night film for sure. Even those who don't like baseball would like this film.
Ron Shelton's film is about a 12-year veteran catcher of the minor leagues named Crash Davis who is assigned to mentor hotshot pitcher Ebby "Nuke." Along their moments of bondage, they rival each other in getting the attention of Annie who believes in the "Church of Baseball" and she has a program where she chooses one player per season to be her lover.
This film is well-acted. Because of his acting abilities and natural athleticism, Kevin Costner does really well in this film. Perhaps one of his finest film roles rivaling Field of Dreams. Tim Robbins, who is a newcomer here, does very well and is quite a dandy to watch. Susan Sarandon has plenty of talent and she makes great use of it here.
Overall, this film is one of the greatest baseball films made. It is not really funny, but more witty. I love the confrontations on the mound between Costner and Robbins since they show such great chemistry. This movie is basically a three-run home run right here. Perhaps one of the finest baseball films to hit this planet thanks to it's big heart and well-developed characters. I rate this film 9/10.