Marvelous, mythic extravaganza.

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2000)

Yes, the film does give Bernard Malamuds dark, haunting, parable a happy ending. However, this is the only fault in this beautiful, mythic, magical allegory. The cinematography and the score exceed distinction; they are simply beautiful. The performances are uniformly good, with not a single false note, from Barbara Hershey "Seagulls" mysterious mad woman, to the sublime Richard Farnsworth, to the great Darren McGavin.Redford doesnt have to act: he simply IS. Interestingly, I first saw this film in a course on Medieval history!As the teacher of the course pointed out, the whole film mirrors the mythic structure of medieval quest literature. It is a delight for ANYONE who love baseball, and anyone who thrills to the power and mystery of the great myths.