The Natural (1984)

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Bernard Malamud (novel)
Roger Towne ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The best there was!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Tree | Baseball Player | Lightning | 1930s

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Roy Hobbs
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	...	Bartholomew 'Bump' Bailey
Jon Van Ness	...	John Olsen
Mickey Treanor	...	Doc Dizzy
George Wilkosz	...	Bobby Savoy
Anthony J. Ferrara	...	Coach Wilson
Philip Mankowski	...	Hank Benz
Danny Aiello III	...	Emil LaJong
Joe Castellano	...	Allie Stubbs
Eddie Cipot	...	Gabby Laslow
Ken Grassano	...	Al Fowler
Robert Kalaf	...	Cal Baker
Barry Kivel	...	Pat McGee
Steven Kronovet	...	Tommy Hinkle
James Meyer	...	Dutch Schultz
Mike Starr	...	Boone (as Michael Starr)
Sam Green	...	Murphy
Martin Grey	...	Additional Knight
Joseph Mosso	...	Additional Knight
Richard Oliveri	...	Additional Knight
Lawrence Couzens	...	Additional Knight
Duke McGuire	...	Additional Knight
Stephen Poliachik	...	Additional Knight
Kevin Lester	...	Additional Knight
Joseph Charboneau	...	Additional Knight
Robert Rudnick	...	Additional Knight
Ken Kamholz	...	Additional Knight
Sibby Sisti	...	Pirates Manager
Phillip D. Rosenberg	...	Pitcher Youngberry
Christopher B. Rehbaum	...	Pitcher John Rhoades
Nicholas Koleff	...	Umpire Augie
Jerry Stockman	...	Umpire Babe
James Quamo	...	Memorial Game Umpire
Joe Strnad	...	Final Game Home Plate Umpire (as Joseph Strnad)
James Mohr	...	Al
Ralph Tabakin	...	Al's Customer
Dennis Gould	...	Carnival Boy
Joshua Abbey	...	Home Plate Photographer
Gayle Vance	...	Maid at Party
George Scheitinger	...	League Official
Peter Poth	...	Dr. Knobb
Bernie McInerney	...	Hospital Doctor
Elizabeth Ann Klein	...	Stern Nurse
Charles Sergis	...	Newsreel Narrator (voice)
Edward Walsh	...	Newsreel Presenter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Duvall	...	Max Mercy
Mark Atienza	...	Young Roy Hobbs (uncredited)
Sean Collins	...	Additional Knight (uncredited)
Darren McGavin	...	Gus Sands (uncredited)
Brian Reingold	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)

Directed by
Barry Levinson

Writing credits
Bernard Malamud		(novel)
Roger Towne		and
Phil Dusenberry

Produced by
Philip M. Breen	....	executive producer
Robert F. Colesberry	....	associate producer
Mark Johnson	....	producer
Roger Towne	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Newman

Cinematography by
Caleb Deschanel

Film Editing by
Christopher Holmes		(final cut)
Stu Linder

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Mel Bourne
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
John Sweeney
Bruce Weintraub

Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham
Bernie Pollack

Makeup Department
Tom Hoerber	....	makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Bunny Parker	....	hair stylist (as Bernadette Parker)

Production Management
Peter Burrell	....	additional unit production manager (as Peter J. Burrell)
Robert F. Colesberry	....	unit production manager
Tom Razzano	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Crowley	....	first assistant director
Tom Davies	....	second assistant director
Thompson O'Sullivan	....	dga trainee
Carol Smetana	....	second assistant director
Chris Soldo	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joe Acord	....	construction coordinator: New York
Barry Bedig	....	property master
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant property master
Joe Garlington	....	propmaker
Speed Hopkins	....	art director: New York
James J. Murakami	....	art director: Los Angeles
Robert Müller	....	construction coordinator: Los Angeles
Gregory Puchalski	....	sign painter
Mike Villarino	....	propmaker

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tod Scott Brody	....	sound effects editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Jimmy Ling	....	sound effects editor
Chris McLaughlin	....	production sound
Andrew Patterson	....	sound editor
Andrew Patterson	....	sound effects editor
Bill Phillips	....	supervising sound editor
Hal Sanders	....	sound effects editor
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Stuebe	....	production sound (as James Stuebe)
Jeff Wexler	....	production sound
Paul Pavelka	....	re-recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gregg Bond	....	special effects prop artist
Linda Bond	....	special effects artist
Roger Hansen	....	special effects
Eric Roberts	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Roger Dorney	....	visual effects
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)

Stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Michael Madson

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Brown	....	assistant camera (as Bob Brown)
Craig Denault	....	camera operator
Alan R. Disler	....	assistant camera
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Clyde Hart	....	key grip
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Bob E. Krattiger	....	lamp operator
Gábor Kövér	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Scott Rathner	....	additional second assistant camera
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Jürgen Vollmer	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lisa Clarkson	....	additional casting
Louis DiGiaimo	....	additional casting
Pamela Guest	....	casting assistant
Mary Jo Markey	....	extras casting
Una McClure	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jules Melillo	....	costume supervisor
James W. Tyson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Andy Blumenthal	....	additional editor
Battle Davis	....	additional editor
Jere Huggins	....	additional editor
Neil Kirk	....	apprentice film editor
Liza Randol	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
David Foster	....	song producer
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Joe Tuley	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Rick Mercier	....	transportation coordinator (as Richard Mercier)

Other crew
Ted Bafaloukos	....	creative consultant
Robert Bean	....	production consultant
Sherrie Bradshaw	....	assistant production accountant
Casey Brown	....	production assistant
Rick Cerrone	....	baseball consultant
Joe D'Alessandro	....	production assistant
Kevin Duncan	....	production assistant
Anthony J. Ferrara	....	baseball trainer
Lynn Goldman	....	location manager
Ann Guerin	....	publicist
Ken Hendler	....	baseball trainer
Shelley Houis	....	production coordinator
Ricky Jay	....	technical consultant
Malcolm Kahn	....	production consultant
Gene Kirby	....	baseball consultant
Timothy Klein	....	stand-in
Kathy Kristich	....	production assistant
Ann Luly	....	misc crew
Patrick Markey	....	production executive
Tom Paolucci	....	craft service
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor
Stratton Rawson	....	location manager
Frank 'Spec' Shea	....	baseball throwing instructor
Gary Stanek	....	location manager
Stephen R. Powell	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Bob Richthammer	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
David Lee Walton	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures (presents)
• Delphi II Productions

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1984) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1984) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1984) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alixandre Furs  furs
• Hollywood Rental Company  lighting
• Market Street Studios  post-production facilities
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Runtime:

134 min | USA:144 min (Director's Cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Norway:12 | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Peru:PT | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Barry Levinson]Ralph Tabakin (Al's Customer) has appeared in every Levinson picture from Diner (1982) to Liberty Heights (1999).

Goofs:

Continuity: When young Hobbs pitches at a circle that his father drew on the side of the barn, he breaks one of the boards. After a cutaway, the next close up shows that a different board is broken.

Quotes:

Pop Fisher:My ma urged me to get out of this game. When I was a kid, she pleaded with me. And I meant to, you know what I mean? But she died.
Red Blow:Tough.
Pop Fisher:Now look at me. I'm wet nurse to a last-place, dead-to-the-neck-up ball club, and I'm choking to death!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Never Among Friends (2002)

Soundtrack:

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

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.