I know I know…all of the baseball fans are booing me right now. I guess with the "buzz" about Brad Pitt and a potential Oscar for his role, I was expecting more. I should have known when I was walking out the door for "girl movie night" and my son said..."Good luck with that movie, Mom. It has two things you don't like: baseball and math!". Meanwhile, I was thinking, "but it has BRAD PITT!". Needless to say, I knew going into it that it was about baseball and baseball and a little more baseball. I have always loved sports and even enjoy a CO Rockies baseball game or two a year so I figured what the heck!
Brad Pitt plays the general manager who, when given a lack of funds from the owners, begins to evaluate talent based on statistics. Jonah Hill plays a GREAT part being the nerdy, overweight math and baseball whiz who walks Pitt (Billy Beane) through the theory that money isn't everything and using statistics from under-valued players can add up to wins. The premise is interesting and since it was employed years ago, most MLB teams have and still utilize the theory in some way today. Here were my issues:
First of all, the "old guys club" in the movie looked like they were reading their script off the wall behind Brad Pitt. I wanted to like them, but they just didn't do it for me. One laugh from the crowd was the "here it comes" quote "Who's Fabio"? I'm sure the writers did their research and they are an exact replica of the Oakland A's management at the time. Sometimes real life just isn't that exciting I guess.
Throughout the movie they showed flashbacks to his experience as a young player in the drafting process, playing, and ultimately giving up a full ride to Stanford for a failed shot at the pros. For some reason, they used a different actor who looked NOTHING like Brad Pitt. At first it was confusing, then, it was just bad. It wasn't like they had to make a 46 year old Brad Pitt into a 10 year old. Come on people, slap some make-up on that man, change his hair style, and make him look like a 20 something!
A couple of times they show Beane in a big, empty dirt parking lot? One time in particular, he did "doughnuts" out of frustration for his losing team…very "Footloose". Really? They showed his truck a bunch…product placement maybe?
The movie had a "chick" part when they show Billy taking his daughter out to look for guitars and she sings for him…very sweet…Obviously divorced, they show a supportive ex-wife re-married to a complete nerd (albeit rich). For some reason, his wedding band is on the entire movie…shout out to Angie possibly??
Kudos go to Philip Seymour Hoffman for playing a very convincing JERK as the manager of the Oakland team. He spends the movie sulking and doing the exact opposite of what Beane wants him to do to make the equation work. By the end of the movie, he is along for the ride and taking the credit along the way. Apparently the real Art Howe isn't too happy about the portrayal.
In the end, the Oakland A's break the record for longest streak (20 straight wins), but never end up in the World Series. As the credits roll, we are told that he passed up a 12 million dollar contract with the REDSOX and they went on to in the World Series 2 years later using his techniques. He is still with the Athletics today and waiting for his big win!
This is one movie that you can "wait to rent". If you are in to baseball, you know the end already and if you are into Brad Pitt go buy a People magazine or rent a real movie like "Legends of the Fall"!
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