The Natural (1984)

An unknown comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a legendary player with almost divine talent.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Bernard Malamud (novel), Roger Towne (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Roy Hobbs
Robert Duvall	...	Max Mercy
Glenn Close	...	Iris Gaines
Kim Basinger	...	Memo Paris
Wilford Brimley	...	Pop Fisher
Barbara Hershey	...	Harriet Bird
Robert Prosky	...	The Judge
Richard Farnsworth	...	Red Blow
Joe Don Baker	...	The Whammer
John Finnegan	...	Sam Simpson
Alan Fudge	...	Ed Hobbs
Paul Sullivan Jr.	...	Young Roy
Rachel Hall	...	Young Iris
Robert Rich III	...	Ted Hobbs
Michael Madsen	...	Bump Bailey

Storyline

An unknown middle-aged batter named Roy Hobbs with a mysterious past appears out of nowhere to take a losing 1930s baseball team to the top of the league in this magical sports fantasy. With the aid of a bat cut from a lightning struck tree, Hobbs lives the fame he should have had earlier when, as a rising pitcher, he is inexplicably shot by a young woman.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | baseball team | team | tree | lightning | 

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Taglines:

The best there was!

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

El mejor

Filming Locations:

All-High Stadium - 50 Mercer Avenue, Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$48,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Delphi II Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 144 min (Director's Cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During one highlight montage toward the end, Hobbs slides into home and is called "safe" when the catcher drops the ball. Photographers come onto the field to take pictures and the next newspaper shows the Knights are one game back of first place. The article printed above shows a picture of a regatta race with the caption "Harvard winning the Grand Challenge Cup in England yesterday". Harvard did win the Grand Challenge Cup in 1939, which is further confirmation that this takes place in 1939. the other years they had won were 1914, 1950, 1959, & 1985.

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Goofs

When Max Mercy is umpiring the match-up between Hobbs and the Whammer at the carnival, he takes several steps back after the first pitch. Before the next pitch, he is directly behind the catcher in a crouch, and then as Hobbs pitches the ball, he is once again several steps behind the catcher.

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Quotes

The Judge: I thought I could rely on your honor!

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Connections

Spoofed in Parker Lewis Can't Lose: Glory Daze (1992)

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Soundtracks

Prologue 1915-1923
(uncredited)
Composed and Conducted by Randy Newman

User Reviews

For Father and Son

My son and I have watched this movie twice together. I can't think of any other movie we have watched twice--together. I'm 60 and my son is 26. There is the element of magic, of fairy-tale, of other-worldliness; there is the element of the naturalness, the character of Robert Redford; there is the element of baseball, the great sport-love of millions of boys in North America--and me back in the 1950s when I was growing up and dreamed of going to the majors; there's a touch of the sexual with Kim Basinger and Barbara Hershey----one could go on listing the pluses that this movie brings to the viewers. But I think what makes the movie in the end is the magic of Roy Hobbs as he hits a baseball further and harder than anyone ever has or(probably) ever will. Hobbs is the quintessence of the baseball hero and for sports lovers that's their religion. Hobbs is like Jesus come down to earth in the form of a baseball player, yet with sins of omission and commission. So, he's human and a superhero all at once.