THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 20, 1994 TAG: 9408190069
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG A. SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
BASEBALL MOVIES, like baseball games, play to all fields.
There's drama - Greg Maddux goes 3-2 to Barry Bonds. Others come on like a Randy Johnson fastball. Predictable, but they work. Each has its share of solid hits, a lot of whiffs and, once in a while, a couple that leave the yard.
And just because you can't have one, that doesn't mean you can't have the other. Big league ballparks are dark while owners and players engage in that other national pastime, finger-pointing. So what? Movies have always been a way out. A reality break.
So play ball. Rather, push PLAY. Here's a ballgame's worth of videos - with one thrown in for extra innings - to get you through the dry times.
``Eight Men Out'' (1988, Orion). John Sayles' detailed account of the 1919 ``Black Sox'' scandal is more than a baseball film. It's also a parable for an entire country's lost innocence. One of the best movies ever of any genre. John Cusack, Charlie Sheen and D.B. Sweeney star.
``Bang the Drum Slowly'' (1973, Paramount). Another movie that goes beyond the bounds of baseball. Robert De Niro is a catcher dying of Hodgkin's disease. Michael Moriarty is his friend, a pitcher who gets him through a final season. Bring extra Kleenex.
``Field of Dreams'' (1989, MCA/Universal). W.P. Kinsella's novel ``Shoeless Joe'' gets a faithful adaptation. Its themes of redemption and reconciliation are personified in Kevin Costner, whose Everyman appeal makes it all believable.
``Bull Durham'' (1988, Orion). Tim Robbins' pitching mechanics aside, this romantic comedy about life on the low end of baseball's food chain is lots of fun. Costner swings a mean bat - and creates some real sparks with Susan Sarandon.
``The Pride of the Yankees'' (1942, CBS/Fox). Gary Cooper is so convincing as Lou Gehrig you want to check the credits to be sure that's not the Yankee great giving his ``luckiest man alive'' speech. Cooper's quiet strength is rock solid.
``Fear Strikes Out'' (1957, Paramount). If Anthony Perkins had waited until 1960 - the year he took over the Bates Motel - no one would buy him as Jimmy Piersall, the Red Sox outfielder who fought his own demons. He gives a fine performance.
``Damn Yankees'' (1958, Warner). ``Whatever Lola Wants.'' ``Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo.'' The hit musical went from Broadway to Hollywood and was recently revived on stage. Ray Walston plays the Devil. Gwen Verdon is his sexy accomplice.
``The Bad News Bears'' (1976, Paramount). Walter Matthau can play the role in his sleep, but he's a hoot as a crusty coach who leads a team of underdogs to Little League greatness. And he does it on the arm of Tatum O'Neal. Warning: Avoid the sequels.
``Major League'' (1989, Paramount). OK, you know how this one will turn out before the first pitch. It's still dumb fun. Besides, Tom Berenger is good as the Cleveland Indians' aging catcher and Bob Uecker is a panic as their announcer.
``When It Was a Game'' (1991, HBO). They should show this documentary at the next bargaining session. Compiled from 8mm and 16mm movies shot by the players, their families and the fans in the '30s, '40s and '50s, it's a wake-up call. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MCA/UNIVERSAL photo
Kevin Costner personifies themes of redemption and reconciliation in
``Field of Dreams.''
by CNB