ROMANTIC AND INVOLVING ON MANY LEVELS

Rating: Null/10 (18 September 1999)

I'm a greater fan of the idea and romance of baseball than the reality of it, and I unabashedly love Kevin Costner, so this film couldn't really lose for me. I cared about all of the characters - and the love affair, with its stops and starts and defensive maneuvers - took time to build momentum, finally lending an unexpected weight to the overall story. There were some perfect moments that made me pine for a few of my own, a few subtle ones of real power and there were also times when I wished the story concentrated more on the baseball and less on the relationship; but each informed the other. The baseball sequences were thrilling, effectively framing and flavoring the story. Definitely a big screen must-see.