A Truly Fine "Baseball" Love Story

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2001)

I'm not a huge fan of baseball (I tune in to a few games a year and the World Series) so I approached this movie with some apprehension, but was pleasantly surprised. This is an interesting and moving story.
Kevin Costner is excellent as Billy Chapel, a 19 year veteran pitching the last game of his career as a Detroit Tiger at Yankee Stadium. Once a star, Chapel has been plagued by arm problems, and before the game his girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston) informed him that she was leaving. With all these conflicting emotions, and in significant physical pain, Chapel manages to string together the best performance of his career, shooting for a perfect game. As the game progresses, Chapel reflects on his life, his up and down relationship with Jane and the struggles in his career.
I warn you - the love story is a bit sappy in places, and the whole "last game might be a perfect game" scenario is perhaps a bit too romanticized. The ending is also quite predictable. Having said that, it's an enjoyable movie; maybe the best baseball movie since "Pride of the Yankees."
I rated it 8/10