Worth The View For Love Of The Game

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2011)

For Love of the Game is a sports drama movie that was based on the novel of the same title by Michael Shaara.The film stars Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston.The story follows the a perfect game performance of an aging star baseball pitcher as he reminisces about his career and his relationship with his on-and-off girlfriend, while pitching his final game.The screenplay was written by Dana Stevens and it was directed by Sam Raimi.
The story centers on Billy Chapel,who is the star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium in his last game and throwing what is shaping up to be a perfect game with the help of his best friend and catcher, Gus Osinski. However, Billy is having a hard time keeping his mind on the game; he's come to a crossroads in both his personal and professional lives, and he isn't sure what to do or where to go. He's learned that the Tigers are about to be sold, and the new owners intend to trade him at the end of the season, and that his girlfriend Jane is planning to leave him.But guess what,something else happens.
After finishing the perfect game, Billy sits alone in his hotel room as the realization sinks in that everything he has been and done for the past 19 years is over. Despite his amazing accomplishment, he weeps not only for the loss of baseball, but for the other love of his life, Jane. The next morning, Billy goes to the airport to inquire about a flight for London. Jane has missed her flight so she could watch the end of his perfect game. Finding her there waiting for her plane, they embrace and reconcile.
The movie is clichéd,contrived and predictable just like most sports movies and apparently most romantic comedies.As one well-known critic was quoted in his review of the film,"Thinking back through the movie, I cannot recall a single thing either character said that was worth hearing in its own right, apart from the requirements of the plot." I totally agree with the said movie reviewer.
But what made the movie work is Costner and Preston's convincing professionalism and chemistry together that kept the audience involved and engaged all through out the movie.
In the end,it is still worth the view "for love of the game".