The Drama (and Comedy) of Baseball

With Game 4 of the 2008 World Series in the history books, and Game 5 barreling down the tracks, did anyone, even the players, realize the Phillies would be the team to be ahead 3 games to 1 in the World Series? Is Philadelphia’s resistance for disappointment so strong we won’t even accept this could be the year until the final out of the final game? Professional sports is the one common thread Americans all over the country are passionate about. It’s like the Burger King commercial, which reminds everyone to be as passionate about voting as you are about your sandwich order. If everyone cared about the (insert your own cause here), as much as they cared about sports, this country would be a better place. But there is no use beating a dead horse. So why do we sit up until 2 am with chest pains, anxiety and sweaty palms for people we don’t really know personally. Part of it is that we are living vicariously through the players, wishing we could be the one an entire city is cheering, and part of it the fellowship of belonging to a successful group. In essence, we all never left the playground. “My team is better than your team” is a statement we proclaim to any opposing fan, yet we have no control over whether this is true or not. The drama that plays out on the field is often more compelling than any reality series. Naturally, filmmakers would be quick to capitalize on this dramatic foil. In sports films, the character want and antagonist are built in. So why is it that for as many hits, there are just as many misses? In honor of the World Series, here’s a look at a few of those baseball films hits and misses.

Hits: As hard as it is to capture the drama of a baseball game on the big screen, it is just as rewarding when it works. The most important part of making a good baseball movie is not telling a story that everyone knows the ending. Titanic worked because of the back-story even though we know the ship is sinks. Nobody would be in suspense if you knew who won the game and how. Sure The Pride of the Yankees is a sentimental favorite, but that was more of a problem drama about a baseball player than a baseball movie. The Sandlot is a good example of a coming of age film, heavy on baseball and comedy that really works. The feel of the 1960’s, equally rounded ensemble and a situation all people can relate to makes this The Christmas Story of sports movies. Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own dominated the box office, and became one of the most talked about movies of 1992. Despite the mostly female cast, this film appealed to everyone, and has the most heart pounding final play of any baseball movie ever. Comedy seems to be the right direction with baseball movies, with Bull Durham being sharply written and seductively charming, while Major League is neither sharply written nor charming, it’s still hilarious and ranks as one of the best. Sometimes drama does work in baseball, like in Field of Dreams, which might be the most inspirational sports movie ever, and Bang the Drum Slowly. A baseball movie about the relationship between a catcher and a starting pitcher with terminal cancer sounds like a drag, but Robert DeNiro’s performance in Bang the Drum Slowly is the role that got him recognized by Francis Ford Coppola, who casted him in The Godfather Part II. Fever Pitch was a decent movie, but it was a commentary on the passion of the fan’s, and not the actual sport. Plus if you're not a member of the "Red Sox's Nation", it becomes obnoxious at points.

Misses: One thing is for sure, Hollywood is not afraid to swing at some bad pitches. Mr. Baseball with Tom Selleck is one joke film. Yeah, he’s an American playing in Japan. I guess the producers felt that was enough comedy for the entire film. Mr. 3000 with Bernie Mac suffered from the comedian not being convincing as a baseball player, and a mediocre script. In general, baseball movies about one man tend to lose the entire essence of the team oriented sport. Think Tommy Lee Jones in Cobb, or John Goodman in The Babe. Eight Men Out is a good film, but if you’re looking for a baseball movie, this does not deliver. I want the characters to be trying to win, not a conspiracy film where the one of the players is paid to lose the game. The Natural is highly stylized and verging on campy, like if The Young and the Restless was about a baseball team. Angels In the Outfield and Rookie of the Year are great for kids, but it doesn’t translate to anyone over 12 the way The Sandlot does. The Rookie with Dennis Quaid is an example of a good actor caught up in a bad film, and For Love of the Game is an example of a great concept that was assembled sloppily. I think when Kevin Costner read the book “For the Love of the Game”, he was so excited to do another baseball movie, he didn’t bother making sure it was adapted to film correctly.

So tonight, like that final scene in the movie, the world is watching and everything is on the line. The most important night in these players lives will be seen by millions of people, so let’s hope they keep in mind the famous advice from Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham: “The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self awareness.” Go Phils.