IMDb > 61* (2001) (TV)
61*
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61* (2001) -- Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
61* (2001) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   7,278 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Billy Crystal

Writer (WGA):

Hank Steinberg (written by)

Contact:

View company contact information for 61* on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

28 April 2001 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | History | Sport more

Tagline:

Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?

Plot:

Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. full summary | add synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 20 nominations more

User Comments:

An absolute home run more (119 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:

61 (USA) (alternative title)
Home Run Race (USA) (working title)
more

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-MA


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Right-handed Anthony Michael Hall portrays left-handed pitcher Whitey Ford. All scenes with Hall pitching were shot with the actor wearing reverse insignia and numbers, then the film was flipped so as to appear as if he pitched left-handed. This is the same technique that was used with Gary Cooper when he played Lou Gehrig in The Pride of the Yankees (1942). more

Goofs:

Factual errors: Detroit Tiger Pitcher Frank Lary was right handed, not left handed as depicted in the movie. more

Quotes:

[on Maris's failure to hit 61 homers in 154 games]
Milt Kahn: He had a great season.
Artie Green: Aaah, the pressure got to him.
Milt Kahn: You ever play baseball, Artie?
Artie Green: No. Not really.
Milt Kahn: That's what I thought.
more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Punisher (2004) more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
An absolute home run, 8 June 2005
9/10
Author: hall895 from New Jersey

Billy Crystal hits it out of the park with 61*. Brilliantly cast, beautifully shot and at times brutally honest in its storytelling, 61* is an absolute gem.

Any baseball fan well knows the story of the great home run chase of 1961. Here, Crystal peels back the curtain and brings us up close and personal with the men who made that season so memorable. In Barry Pepper, who plays Roger Maris, and Thomas Jane, as Mickey Mantle, Crystal found two actors absolutely perfect for their respective roles. The way Pepper and Jane perfectly captured the essence of these real-life heroes goes far beyond the eerie physical resemblances the actors have to the men they portray. Maris was a quiet, serious, introspective family man. And during this particular season it could be said he was a downright tortured man as well. Pepper captures all of this wonderfully. Mantle on he other hand was an outgoing, energetic, fun-loving superstar who took full advantage of all the perks his stardom brought him. And Jane does a fine job bringing this out and really lets you see the wear and tear Mantle's lifestyle had on him as his body began to break down. It would have been easy to gloss over some of the less appealing aspects of Mantle's personality. It also would have been dishonest and Crystal is to be applauded for showing it how it really was. Mantle was a larger than life hero but he certainly had his faults and this film brings them out. Some may find the pervasive profanity and crude sexual humor in the film to be a bit over the top but an honest retelling of the story requires acknowledging the way these ballplayers really were.

61* is not just a movie about baseball, it is at its heart a movie about Roger Maris and the key relationships in his life. Maris and Mantle, Maris and his wife, Maris and the oppressive press...these relationships are all explored as we learn much more about Roger Maris the man than Roger Maris the baseball player. Maris had to overcome a great deal to accomplish what he did and this film does a brilliant job of bringing us along on his magical ride.

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