One of my all-time favorites

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2000)

The adaptation of Bernard Malamud's piece comes across in grand fashion as Robert Redford shines as Roy Hobbs. Inasmuch as the film is plagued by an undercurrent of dishonesty and deceit, (on the part of the team ownership) it reminds us all of what our national pastime used to be, in its best and purest form. Long before the days of strikes, salary caps and negotiations and belligerent acts of defiance, there was indeed a certain innocence and purity in the game.
The Natural, indeed, seeks to parallel the glory days of the sport, masked behind a fictional account. Roy Hobbs emerging to save the New York Knights from certain failure lets us see that heroes still exist. The story was above all a character study which sought to bring to life the trials and tribulations of an aging ballplayer with a unique gift. The Natural was brilliantly acted by a formidable cast (even by today's standards) and expertly directed by Barry Levinson. It will endure the test of time as perhaps the best baseball movie ever made.