"You just spit on me! You spit on me!"

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

ALERT: POSSIBLE SPOILER OR TWO
This movie is one of two reasons why I can forgive Kevin Costner for every crap movie he has put out since the release of this film. The other reason is the Untouchables but that's a whole different review. Not that everything he came out with after Bull Durham was crap but I think we can agree that the man has made some floaters since then.
Anyway, to put it bluntly, I think that Bull Durham is probably the best baseball movie I have ever seen thus far. I say thus far because at the time of this writing, I haven't seen Field of Dreams (I know... shoot me. I promise I'll write a review for that one as soon as I see it.) which seems to be a popular choice as well, so until I see that one, this is it for me. Kevin Costner's Crash Davis is a great character, the kind of character that can make a star out of someone overnight if played correctly. Susan Sarandon as Annie was undeniably sexy and Tim Robbins as Nuke LaLoosh was enjoyably dim. The interaction of these three characters with one another provides for some hilarious one liners and moments that anyone can appreciate. This is a baseball movie that isn't only about baseball and I think that's what makes this film so good. Not only is it about baseball but it's also about love. It's about letting go and moving on to something new. It's about accepting your place in the world and making the most of it. The movie plays out very genuinely and while it's a comedy for the most part, it becomes something completely different near the end of the movie, when Crash is cut from the team after fulfilling his duty of mentoring Nuke. That moment of the movie is so heartbreaking that it really lifts the movie to a whole other level. That scene speaks volumes and yet, there's very little dialogue. Costner also delivers a monologue early on in the film regarding his character's beliefs that is probably one of the best monologues ever. The movie has a lot to say and is actually a lot deeper than it looks like on the surface. Every time I watch the movie again, I seem to pick up on something new I never noticed before and I love when a movie doesn't reveal everything so readily.
There's a lot more I can say about this movie but I'll just end it by saying that it is very well-written and directed, the acting is great, it's both hilarious and touching at the same time and most importantly, you don't necessarily need to be a baseball nut to enjoy it.
RATING: ****1/2 out of *****.