61* (2001)

Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.

Director:

Billy Crystal

Writer:

Hank Steinberg

Stars:

Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Anthony Michael Hall

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barry Pepper	...	Roger Maris
Thomas Jane	...	Mickey Mantle
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Whitey Ford
Richard Masur	...	Milt Kahn
Bruce McGill	...	Ralph Houk
Chris Bauer	...	Bob Cerv
Jennifer Crystal Foley	...	Pat Maris ('61)
Christopher McDonald	...	Mel Allen
Bob Gunton	...	Dan Topping
Donald Moffat	...	Ford Frick
Joe Grifasi	...	Phil Rizzuto
Peter Jacobson	...	Artie Green
Seymour Cassel	...	Sam Simon
Robert Joy	...	Bob Fitschel
Michael Nouri	...	Joe DiMaggio

Storyline

Aiming for one of the most famed records in sports history, a pair of very different baseball players hit home runs at an impressive rate. Roger Maris, a reserved sort, is much less popular than his hard-partying New York Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle, the player who many observers think will be the one to challenge Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in one season. But in the summer of 1961, Maris surges ahead of Mantle, making a run at Ruth's mark.

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Plot Keywords:

commissioner | fan | babe ruth | baseball | sports writer | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

61

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Face Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contrary to the film's suggestion (and the widely held public impression), Commissioner Ford Frick never said that Roger Maris's home run mark would carry an asterisk because it was set in 162 games, while Babe Ruth's record was set in 154 games. As Frick said on 21 September, 10 days before Maris hit his 61st homer: "As for that star or asterisk business, I don't know how that cropped up or was attributed to me, because I never said it." Frick said the record books would contain two entries, with the same status. More importantly, he said he took this position because he was convinced baseball would revert back to a 154-game schedule within a few years, and allowing the new records to stand alone would make them unbreakable in a shorter schedule. Most people forget that only the American League, which had expanded to 10 teams, played 162 games in 1961. The National League, which still only had eight teams, played 154 games that year.

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Goofs

Bob Cerv was not a member of the Yankees in the beginning of the 1961 season, he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

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Quotes

Yogi Berra: Ninety percent of the game is half mental.

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Crazy Credits

The first set of credits lists Dominic Lombardozi; the second, Domenick Lombardozzi.

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Connections

Featured in Tell Them Who You Are (2004)

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Soundtracks

Nobody Knows Me
Written and Performed by Lyle Lovett
Courtesy of Curb Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Tribute to American legend Roger Maris

As a Scotsman raised on football and rugby American sports have often left me cold and were a subject of derision in my household as a child. This film ,brilliantly directed by Billy Crystal, changed all that for me. I bought this film through a region 1 DVD supplier as it is unavailable in the UK and was moved to tears by its moving and heartfelt depiction of the late great Roger Maris who in one season became the most misunderstood and hated figure in baseball history. His crime- he dared to challenge a thirty four year old record set by Babe Ruth for the most home runs scored in a single season and even worse he was in competition with teammate Mickey Mantle for the record. Mantle at the time was the darling of NY Yankee fans and was probably the greatest player of his day, Maris was a small town boy who played the game only as a means to an end, to provide for his family, and cared little for public opinion or the press. The venom to which he is subjected to by the press and fans, brought on by immoral reporters, will make any sports fan angry. This film was a work of joy for director Billy Crystal and his love for the project shows in every shot and especially in the directors commentary. Barry Pepper is an uncanny Roger Maris and his amazing performance pulls us into the suffering the player must have felt. Thomas Jane is a brilliant Mickey Mantle playing the role of American legend with biblical sincerity. The whole project feels classy at all times, despite being made for T.V, and is a monument to both players and the era in which they lived. The film is rounded of by an appearance during the credits by Mickey Mantle's son and grandson, pure class and a tribute to the boyhood idol of Billy Crystal All in all well done to Billy Crystal and cast. Thank you for a wonderful 2hrs and 9mins. I am only sad it wasn't longer. But it has introduced me to the sport of baseball and has compelled me to learn more of both Maris and Mantle. So it has placed me on a journey of discovery. What higher compliment can I pay?