Nicely Done

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2002)

I like this movie very much and I am not the biggest sports fan. What makes this one of my favorites movies is how it's presented. It's not too big or complicated so that you feel like you have been slapped after you've watched it.
It's a simple tale of a simple man who loves baseball, wants to be in the game and be great at it. He could be, but life has other ideas. It refuses to be cotton candy when the sinister element of the temptress and the crooked managers come into play. It gets further complicated when the aspect of unfinished business between Glenn Close and Robert Redford begins to unfold.
Some might not like the magical overtones consisting of a charmed bat made from a tree that was struck by lightening, but that is what made me love the movie more. I could never decide whether I liked Robert Redford as an actor (Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were), but after viewing the Natural, I was convinced and he has become one of my favorites. I plan to purchase this movie for my collection and know that my money will be well spent.