The Natural (1984)

A middle-aged unknown comes seemingly out of nowhere to become a legendary baseball player with almost supernatural 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 | 1930s | baseball bat | athlete | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

Boyhood dreams, a bat made from a tree struck by lightning and most importantly, a never-ending passion for the game.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first night game played in baseball history is recorded as May 24,1935 in Cincinnati with the first New York night game almost three years later on June 15, 1938 in Brooklyn.

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Goofs

The Knights and Pirates play a one-game playoff to decide the National League pennant. In 1939, however, National League rules required a best-of-three playoff to determine the pennant winner if two teams were tied in first place at the end of the season,

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Quotes

Roy Hobbs: I guess some mistakes you never stop paying for.

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Alternate Versions

Director's cut runs approx. 5 minutes longer.

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Connections

Referenced in George Lopez: The Unnatural (2002)

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Soundtracks

Darktown Strutter's Ball
(uncredited)
Written by Shelton Brooks

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Natural

Filming Locations:

Ellicott Square Building, 283 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,088,381, 13 May 1984

Gross USA:

$47,951,979

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$47,951,979

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Delphi II Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 144 min (Director's Cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1