The Babe (1992)

Babe Ruth becomes a baseball legend but is unheroic to those who know him.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

John Fusco

Stars:

John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Goodman	...	George Herman 'Babe' Ruth
Kelly McGillis	...	Claire Hodgson Ruth
Trini Alvarado	...	Helen Woodford Ruth
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Jumpin' Joe Dugan
Peter Donat	...	Harry Frazee
James Cromwell	...	Brother Mathias
J.C. Quinn	...	Jack Dunn
Joseph Ragno	...	Miller Huggins (as Joe Ragno)
Richard Tyson	...	Guy Bush
Ralph Marrero	...	Frank 'Ping' Bodie
Robert Swan	...	George Herman Ruth Sr. (as Bob Swan)
Bernard Kates	...	Colonel Jacob (Jake) Ruppert
Michael McGrady	...	Lou Gehrig
Stephen Caffrey	...	Johnny Sylvester
Gene Ross	...	Brother Paul

Storyline

Traces the career of Babe Ruth from his days as a youngster in an orphanage to his last days as a manager. Includes such moments as the famous predicted home run and the promise to little Johnny.

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Plot Keywords:

babe ruth | baseball | bronx new york city | baseball movie | yankee stadium bronx new york city | 

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Taglines:

There Was Only One.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for rude language, some sexual situations, and for a scene of pre-teen alcohol/tobacco consumption

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Babe

Filming Locations:

Chicago Cultural Center - 78 E. Washington Street, Downtown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$17,530,973 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Finnegan/Pinchuk Productions, Waterhorse Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The minor league Danville Dans stadium in Danville, Illinois, was the one used for Fenway Park and Forbes Field, as well as being seen in black/white news footage.

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Goofs

Babe Ruth did not homer in his first at bat in the majors. He was primarily a pitcher early in his career and rarely batted. His first big league home run didn't come until his second season.

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Quotes

Johnny Sylvester: You are the best, you are the best there's ever been.

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Crazy Credits

We All Miss You Ralph ["Ralph" = Ralph Marrero, who died before the film's release]

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Connections

Featured in Diamonds on the Silver Screen (1992)

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Soundtracks

Chaconne
Written by Marie-Auguste Durand
Performed by Marysue Redmann

User Reviews

People expected too much from this film

"The Babe" was a wonderful film. If critics want to nitpick it by commenting on the "authenticity" of the film like saying that all the games were played on the same field just re-organized, and making negative comments about about the film portraying the "dark side" of Babe Ruth, etc, I guess that's fine, but give the film what it deserves. First of all, John Goodman did an amazing job.

The truth is that Babe was a very confused person. He is probably baseball's greatest legend, but he did have some serious problems with women and alcohol. His childhood was a mess in many ways. He didn't know how to be married or to be a Father to a child. Everyone has issues. Accept the documented facts that he was not an angel. He had a huge heart and loved to do things for people. He also had his own demons to overcome and most of us do. I know that the film added a few things that may or may not have happened and I know that many things were left out, but unfortunately this is the way it has to be in ALL films like this. There is NO way to capture every single thing that the Babe ever did in less than 2 hours. They just have to do the best job they can with the time they have to work with.

This film was genuinely uplifting and to all who only saw the negative side of this film, shame on you. John Goodman is a huge Babe fan and even he felt that this was an acurate portrayal of the Bambino. The film is inspiring, positive for the most part and it's made me feel good every time I've seen it.