Review - Moneyball

A Home Run!

Baseball fans know Billy Beane (Brad Pitt). They know about his impact on the game of baseball and how he changed the game. Now the rest of the world gets to know Billy Beane. Here’s hoping they will enjoy him as much as baseball fans.

Beane had a promising pro baseball career. In fact scouts were beating down his door telling him how good he was and the player he could become. But the former first round draft pick could never quite live up to the expectations that were placed on him on the field. But he loved the game.

Fast forward to the next stage in his life as the General Manager of the Oakland A’s. The A’s had a knack for developing talent, but as a small market that talent was gobbled up by the franchises with deep pockets when the players were ready for free agency. Faced with rebuilding after losing some of the top young talent in baseball, Beane tries a different approach when he runs into Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) on a trip to Cleveland. Peter impresses Billy, and a friendship is formed. Together, they are about to change talent evaluations forever.

Pitt is wonderful in his role as the junk food eating devilishly clever general manager. Much like Beane in real life, he was an image when he was drafted. Pitt brings that image coupled with a unique passion to the forefront in his portrayal of this great character.

Although Jonah Hill’s character was fictional, it did have a basis in some of the great aspects of the brains behind the sea change that took place. Hill takes his comedy marks from Pitt and is able to play straight man when needed.

And then there were all the baseball aspects of the game. It takes all the “real” comedy of movies like Major League and Bull Durham and combines it with the dramatic flair from films like Field of Dreams and The Rookie. The mix works, and you not only get elated on the ride, but also are brought back to earth by the realism.

With the post season in baseball right around the corner, Moneyball reminds us of all the beauty that exists in the game of baseball. There is no question Moneyball is a Home Run for baseball fans and movie fans alike.

A-

Moneyball

Sony Pictures

Director: Bennett Miller

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright

Rating: PG-13 for some strong language.

Runtime: 2 hour 13 minutes