"One Of Redford's Best!"

Rating: 7/10 (17 April 2014)

Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Robert Prosky, Michael Madsen, Joe Don Baker and Richard Farnsworth star in Barry Levinson's 1984 drama based on the novel. This takes place in the late 1930's focusing on baseball player, Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) who has loved the game since he was a kid. He was injured 16 years prior by a woman, Harriet Bird (Hershey) who shot him and killed herself. Roy tries to put that behind him and he joins the New York Knights where he becomes a sensation with magic in his bat. Duvall (The Godfather) plays sports writer, Max Mercy who is determined to get a story on Roy, Close (Fatal Attraction) plays Roy's ex-girlfriend, Iris Gaines, Basinger (Batman) plays Memo Paris, a woman who seduces Roy, Brimley (The Thing) plays Pop Fisher, Roy's coach who is also Memo's uncle, the late, Prosky (Christine) plays The Judge who tries to buy Roy out, the late, Farnsworth (Misery) plays Red Blow, Pop's assistant, Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) and Baker (Goldeneye) appear briefly as ballplayers, Bud and The Whammer. This is a great film that's one of Redford's best, He & the cast are great and Randy Newman's score is excellent. I recommend this.