The Natural

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2012)

From director Barry Levinson (Diner, Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man), I read about this film after finding it in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it sounded like a good light hearted easy to enjoy film. Basically Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) had dreams of playing professionally in the baseball league ever since he was a young man, he even managed to beat professional The Whammer (Joe Don Baker) in a hitting bet. After his father died he made his own bat from the tree trunk split off by lightning, he marked it with a lightning bolt and named "Wonder Boy", but his dream was put on hold for sixteen years however when he was seduced by alluring but sinister Harriet Bird (Black Swan's Barbara Hershey), and she shot him before throwing herself out the window. Roy has come to the New York Knights, now aged thirty five, hoping to get his place in the team and become a star player, manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) is at first not happy with a "middle aged rookie", but he lets him field. He is next allowed to practise batting, and he shows promising accuracy hitting the balls, and he is given his chance to be hitter after original star Bartholomew 'Bump' Bailey (Michael Madsen) died running after the ball. Quickly Roy becomes an instant star hitting the ball great distances, he is called a "natural", but everyone questions where he came from, especially sportswriter Max Mercy (Robert Duvall). Some time goes by and Roy gets to meet The Judge (Mrs. Doubtfire's Robert Prosky), the owner of the Knights, and he offers him a new contract, but Roy refuses as he wants to win for his team. Mercy remembers seeing him in the past, going against The Whammer, and he decides to distract and throw his concentration on the game by setting him up with and falling for Memo Paris (Golden Globe nominated Kim Basinger), and it works. With his game play slumping and recognising his face from the past, childhood sweetheart Iris Gaines (Oscar nominated Glenn Close) goes to see Roy at a game, and seeing her he suddenly gains his enthusiasm again, and becomes a star again. But bad news when his bullet scar and wound comes back to haunt him, pains occur in the area where he was shot, and doctors warns him that if he continues playing baseball there could be damaging consequences. For a while he takes this advice, becoming catcher, until of course the big game comes around, and he sees no way for the Knights to win unless he is hitter again, and even though his wound bleeds, Roy does hit the ball an extraordinary height, smashing the stadium lights, and the Knights win the game. Also starring Richard Farnsworth as Red Blow, Alan Fudge as Ed Hobbs, Paul Sullivan Jr. as Young Roy, Darren McGavin as Gus Sands and Dumb and Dumber's Mike Starr as Boone. Redford gives a marvellous performance as the everyman trying to make a name for himself and doing what he is passionate about, Close does well as the sweetheart who admires him and gives him some encouragement, Basinger is terrific as the woman forced into distracting him for others' gain despite possibly caring for him for real, and the supporting cast members do great as well. It is a very engaging story, I recognised moments that The Simpsons spoofed, especially the lightning and tree bat making moment, one of the most memorable scenes, and even if you don't understand baseball you are still rooting for the Knights and enjoy the games, it is a most watchable sports drama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography and Best Music for Randy Newman. Robert Redford was number 61 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars. Very good!