Years ago, when my dad was in his late 70's (May God rest his soul) I brought this movie up to my dad's house. I asked him a couple of days later when I visited him again if he watched the movie. He said he did. I asked him if he like it. He said, "it was the best movie I ever saw in my life". I'm not too far from dad's age back then now. Near 72. I miss him almost every day. Dad has been gone now for 10 years.
It's refreshing to read heartfelt comments like yours. I'm almost 70 now and I think of my father every day. He taught me how to play baseball in the early 60's. He would have loved this movie as it portrayed the game when he knew it best. Thanks for sharing.
@@DocPicklez Whether we are 15 or 65 when we lose a parent that we dearly loved it hurts big time and we will always miss them. God Bless you and your loved ones.
In the book, 19 year old Roy Hobbs is seduced by older woman Harriet Bird who then shoots him. In the movie the obviously 47 year old Robert Redford does the scene with the ten years younger Barbara Hershey to comedic effect because he is clearly a sexy, worldly, older man with a younger woman, standing the scene on its head.
This is the worst baseball movie I’ve ever seen , full of anachronisms and bizarre , unexplainable occurrences to go along with shoddy acting and what I call athletic choreography . I mean the ron leflore biography was 100 thousand times better than this and that was with Mr. Reading Rainbow starring in a network tv production … and if you’re wondering who ron leflore is , you’re only strengthening my point …
I took my 12-year-old nephew to see this movie when it first came out. I loved baseball and he was playing little league ball at the time. Now he is 52 and in the late stages of ALS😢but... he still loves and remembers that movie❤
There aren’t many perfect movies, maybe a few dozen in my opinion, but this is certainly one of them. Perfect script. Perfect casting. Perfect musical scoring. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change about this film. It’s timeless.
@@BlueButtonFly what’s insane is you think this movie should be baseball accurate. If I wanted a perfects baseball game, I’d watch it live on tv. This is a movie. It’s supposed to be exaggerated. It’s also a period piece when times were different. The Sandlot wasn’t baseball accurate, but it’s a timeless classic. A League of Their Own is another one. Moneyball might be more your thing. That’s a Hollywood chop of a movie if ever there was one.
@@Jesters_Thorny_Crown ok? Nice straw man you built yourself there. I wasn't asserting it wasn't a movie, I was asserting it wasn't a "perfect movie". But I guess if Moneyball exists it's a perfect movie lol? Do you even know what you're talking about? This is an average looking, badly written, cliche of a film. You like it because you watched it between the ages of 13 and 15, the same reason anyone likes shitty movies.
@@BlueButtonFly oh shit. It’s the internet police. Why even bother to comment if you are just going to troll? Turd. I bet you wear a red hat and a gold diaper don’t you? Did you see the part about opinions? It’s great that you know what a straw man argument is. Maybe actually take a critical thinking course instead of getting your vernacular from Lex “I’m unbiased, I swear” Friedman.
Don't we all. 😢 Paul Newman in "The Young Philadelphians" has a great line at the end, "I'm not as good as I hoped I'd be, but I'm not as bad as I thought I was."
Iris: “I believe we have two lives.” Roy: “What do you mean?” Iris: “I believe we have two lives. The one we learn with, and the one we have to live after that.”
One of the greatest movies of all time, and so obscure now. Just magic from start to finish. So pleased to see it pop up randomly in my RUclips algorithm.
Sadly, baseball is obscure now. My Cubs just played the Angels. No Trout. No Ohtani. Even the Cubs beat that lousy team. Nobody knows those other Angel players except their mothers…on payday.
it always blows my mind that when people talk about baseball movies, and especially baseball movies from the 80's, The Natural very rarely comes up, but i cannot think of one baseball movie better
@@Stevesautopartsify Yeah, all the background extras really added to the scene. It’s funny, nobody acted all surprised or made a big fuss. They were just kind of like, “Huh…..”
Robert Redford is one of the greatest actors & directors of all time. His movies are works of art on every level: acting, cinematography, musical score, everything.
@@ji8044 you’re kidding yourself. He was perfectly cast. Brilliantly acted, you can believe him in the role. Yes he was mid to late 40s, but that was the point, he was sign sight unseen on the basis that he was beat up and old for a baseball player.
@@rhyshilders Nope, in the book he's 35, but Redford was a ludicrous 47 years old. Plus Redford was a tennis player who never spent a single day on the diamond in his life. They had to cast very old looking actors around him, like Wilford Brimley and Richard Farnworth in an effort to make him look younger by comparison.
@@ji8044 nah again I disagree. Couldn’t care less what was in the book. Hobbs is a person who is beaten down from life’s trials, of an age he shouldn’t be playing baseball, and Robert Redford played it perfectly. You are entitled to not like it, but it’s a beloved movie classic for a reason, and a big chunk of that is people loving Redford in the role.
Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium. They were lucky to still have it to film this. From the right angles and close-ups it could have passed for the Polo Grounds. By the way how many others noticed how horrid that water is coming out of the drinking fountain?
The manager literally brings up how bad the water is earlier in the movie when the team is losing but because he is only focused on Hobbs hitting batting practice he drinks it without noticing or complaint.
i went to one minor league game once, in Louisville. I tried to keep an open mind, but it was just so different from a major league park and the game lacked that spark. I know those fellas were trying to get somewhere and deserved better from me as a baseball fan, but it just wasn't connecting with me.
If I recall Pops complains about how bad the water is and usually spits it out, but is so shocked that Roy can hit that good doesn't even notice it that time.
@@jayhouston7054 "Wouldn't you think that I could get a fresh drink of water after all the years I spent in this game? Red, did you talk to that bastard partner of mine about the drinking fountain?"
I think Caleb Deschanel should have won an Oscar for his cinematography of this film. I remember watching a video of the making of this film, and Mr. Deschanel waited for quite some time for the right light for that shot of Glenn Close in that hat. He also, nearly choked to death Mr. Redford and Ms. Hershey when they were filming in the dining car.
This movie is deep, it's working on multiple levels, lots of symbolism. The whole movie has Greek/Arthurian symbology. The name of the team is the Knights, the bat represents Excalibur, the Judge likes the dark (Hades), the journalist Max Mercy represents Vulcan as he is able to make and break men. Hobbs' whole journey to get back to baseball is like the Odyssey, Iris Gaines is like the Lady in the Water and the woman on the train/Memo Paris are like the Sirens, keeping him from his true destiny, retuning home (baseball/greatness). The gambler, Gus Sands, is Psychlops, in fact, in one scene he covers an eye as he tries to guess how much money is in Hobbs' pocket. Pop Fischer is the Fischer King, both the protector and embodiment of the game of baseball. This true masterpiece is filled with great feats by Roy Hobbs, mythical accomplishments: knocking the cover off a baseball, making a bat from a tree struck by lightning, hitting four homers in one game, hitting a ball through the clock and, of course, the finale where he creates an early light show by crushing a ball into the stadium lights....one of the greatest moments in cinema.
Seldom does a comment on RUclips leave me in awe, and actually, I can't think of anything that approaches this. Impressive to the max - I've read it 3 times already and it gets better and better. Well done is all I can think of, but my vocabulary is quite limited.
In Cocoon he was years younger than everyone else in the retirement home. He was 23 and 26 years younger than Hume Cronyn and Don Ameche. He was 9 years younger than Maureen Stapleton and 25 years younger than Jessica Tandy.
I love this scene so much. He asks Hobbs everything as a viewer we would want him too. Explaining the bats history makes it real, not imaginary. It was built when he was a kid and he built it out of a tree struck by lightning. No fancy flashbacks, no call of bs from the coach. Just simple storytelling within a story.
I'm probably the only guy who will say Redford is my favorite actor and he's good here. However I was disappointed in the film. I wanted a real baseball movie like Bull Durham, not a unexplainable story and far-fetch heroics. It was rather silly.
@@perceptionmatters7082 yes, so explain to me where Redford was all those years in between? There was no reveal. He's answer was " does it matter"? Yeah, it sorta DOES! That's what a story is all about. The journey not the destination. Jmo but a rather silly answer. You must be an easy person to please. Good for you.
@@billlozier5551 He was nearly killed by a psycho fan. The injury prevented him from playing. The same injury shows at the end once his dream is complete. Also you taking this very personally. Everything ok ?
@@perceptionmatters7082 🤣🤣🤣🤣 thanks for your concern. I'm fine. I just LIVE baseball and the movie was weak in my opinion which is the true opinion or not understanding me. 🤣🤣🤣
Two different people used those terms. The player called him grandpa because he was older then all of the players, the batting coach called him kid because he was older than Hobbs.
Great insight. He barked "Hobbs" like he was a nothing, then tried again with respectful first name "Roy." He went from whatever old man to hold up buddy.
Even though director Barry Levinson changed the outcome of Bernard Malamud’s novel, the film is the best baseball movie of all time. Perfectly cast and beautifully filmed, it captures the innocence of baseball in America, the relentlessness of greed, and restless spirit of the underdog.
Shattering the tower clock face at Wrigley Field gives me the goosebumps every single time! Watching him strike out "The Whammer" at the county fair is priceless.
Not only is Robert Redford’s Roy Hobbs batting left handed and wearing No. 9, his swing is identical to one of the all time greatest hitters Ted Williams.
And Redford was about as unathletic as anyone. His skinny legs give away any chance to look like a power hitter, where most of the energy comes from the hips and legs. And before anyone mentions Ruth , he had a big fat ass on top of his skinny legs. All in all it was a good movie though.
By cinema hitters standards definitely an above average swing. Tom Selleck may have had the best. Costner and Redford I would say are neck and neck. If a Willie Mays movie comes out they need to find an actor who can carry the Say Hey Kid, God rest him.
@@ji8044 Go away troll. Redford played baseball at Van Nuys High School (where future L.A. Dodgers hurler Don Drysdale was on the team) and was good enough to win an athletic scholarship to the University of Colorado to play baseball, but flunked out due to partying and a drinking problem. When Drysdale was interviewed and asked about Redford, he said that Redford was a good ballplayer. Redford was a fine hitter and during rehearsals of The Natural he hit a few pitches into the upper right field deck of War Memorial Stadium.
What a wonderful acting.. old timers whenever they wanted to give you a compliment always be reserved.. like "not too bad". Such minor details as coach was so captivated by Roy he hasn't noticed the water from the fountain was just as bad as the other day, yet he didn't spit it out
It is so interesting that if you listen you can hear a radial aircraft engine in the background right as Hobbs was about to enter the batting cage. This would have been period for this time in history.
My Mom was an extra in this film.... I watched the AA Buffalo Bisons play many a game in the Rockpile.... Great movie in a relic of stadium that is gone today....
Don Drysdale (LA Dodgers) said that Robert might have been able to play in the big leagues. They were teammates at Van Nuys High School in So Cal. Robert (or Bobby) played second base.
@@ji8044 - Per the historical newspaper research I did on Redford during his high school days, he was indeed, a tennis player. The school year book had him on the tennis team. Could not find him on the baseball team.
The scene when Roy breaks his “Wonderboy” bat and Bobby (I think that was his name) picks it up and shows it to him makes me weepy. Roy confidently tells Bobby to pick out a winner to replace it and Bobby brings out his own homemade bat for Roy to use, which Roy accepts. The juxtaposition of the sadness of losing your bat that was like Samsons hair and then the young kid wanting to help his hero is so powerful. Thank you for acknowledging this kids important contribution to this fine film.
I love that scene when the third baseman wasn't paying attention and gets squared off in the nuts... I crack up every time during that scene... Losing is a disease... Lol 😝
One of my favorite moments in this scene: Pop Fischer is so astounded by Hobbs' hitting that he takes a sip out of the infamous broken/polluted drinking fountain and doesn't even think to gripe (again) about how it hasn't been fixed.
Pop: "When I was young, Red, my mother urged me to get out of this game. When I was a kid, she pleaded with me. And I meant to, y'know, but she died." Red: "Tough." Pop: "I should'a got outa' this game, and I should'a been a *farmer* . I love chickens, and ducks, and pigs. Kinda' fond of nanny-goats, I am. Aw, C'mon Fowler, throw *STRIKES* !" Red: "Fowler's killin' worms, Pop."
Bob Redford gifted Joseph Gordon-Levit, my brother and I (we all acted in A river runs through it directed by Redford) each a wonderboy bat that were extra props from the movie that were never used, I know no one will ever read or let alone believe this comment but it's true but i thought what the hell I'll throw this out into the comment section anyway, what an all-time great movie from a great actor and director
Note Richard Farnsworth in this movie. Great actor. If you've never seen "The Straight Story" you absolutely should. Farnsworth gave us the performance of his lifetime. Sadly, he left us not long afterward.
Man, I talk about my favorite Baseball movies, but I’ve legit never seen this whole movie. May have to queue it up in the near future, see if my list needs updating!
2:28 Great call back to the scene where Pop meets Hobbs. That scene the water was so bad Pop spits it out the second he taste it but here you see the water is brown and Pop is mesmerized by Hobbs talent that he doesn't even notice how awful the water is.
Im 53 years old now. I was 15 when I first saw this movie. Was visiting family in MX and stayed up with my cousin to watch this on VHS. Best baseball movie I’ve ever seen. Never forget watching it for the first time then. Have seen it 100’s of times since then. Classic.
Yes, Redford played the game and was a fairly good college baseball player. I can't really tell if he's actually taking the swings and hitting these towering shots into the stands, a professional minor league player is probably the one hitting these tape make home runs, and there mixed into the film footage. Redford does have a real good cut and swing when you see him swing the bat however, you can tell he was a pretty good ballplayer. I've seen The Natural 4 times, it never gets old.
Pop, Red and Billy Boy.....how could you not be in love? Can never get tired of this scene. Then Pop drinks from the garbage fountain......does not even realize anymore. Just perfect scenes in this movie. They don't have to look perfect...they are ACTORS not models like most Hollywood pictures use today. Look at Wilfrord Brimley or for that matter Richard Farnsworth....dang.
Among the small number of movie scenes that make me cry every time is one from this movie, when Hobbs hits the home run to win the pennant. It is corny, predictable, and absolutely perfect.
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
What’s your favourite sports movie all time?
Bull Durham.
It has to be Brian's Song.
Bang the Drum Slowly.
the Replacements
Vision Quest (85')
Years ago, when my dad was in his late 70's (May God rest his soul) I brought this movie up to my dad's house. I asked him a couple of days later when I visited him again if he watched the movie. He said he did. I asked him if he like it. He said, "it was the best movie I ever saw in my life". I'm not too far from dad's age back then now. Near 72. I miss him almost every day. Dad has been gone now for 10 years.
Thanks for sharing
A fathers Greatest Joy if to be given words like those.
Awesome memories
It's refreshing to read heartfelt comments like yours. I'm almost 70 now and I think of my father every day. He taught me how to play baseball in the early 60's. He would have loved this movie as it portrayed the game when he knew it best. Thanks for sharing.
@@DocPicklez Whether we are 15 or 65 when we lose a parent that we dearly loved it hurts big time and we will always miss them. God Bless you and your loved ones.
This film is pure magic from start to finish.
In the book, 19 year old Roy Hobbs is seduced by older woman Harriet Bird who then shoots him. In the movie the obviously 47 year old Robert Redford does the scene with the ten years younger Barbara Hershey to comedic effect because he is clearly a sexy, worldly, older man with a younger woman, standing the scene on its head.
@@ji8044 They didn't quite have the whole de-aging tech down back when they made this movie :)
Yeah pretty much
Liked it better than Field of Dreams
This is the worst baseball movie I’ve ever seen , full of anachronisms and bizarre , unexplainable occurrences to go along with shoddy acting and what I call athletic choreography . I mean the ron leflore biography was 100 thousand times better than this and that was with Mr. Reading Rainbow starring in a network tv production … and if you’re wondering who ron leflore is , you’re only strengthening my point …
The dramatic music when Hobbs hits the home run into the lights gets me everytime.
Yep, the Texas Rangers used that theme song after a ranger hit a home run. Gotta love it.
One of my all time favorite moments in movies. I miss this version of Hollywood.
we all do, kid. we all do.
This one?
ruclips.net/video/i94ldGNNSQ0/видео.html
When you read the book you discover a different ending but the producers didn’t want people to complain so they decided to give it a happy ending. 🇺🇸
I took my 12-year-old nephew to see this movie when it first came out. I loved baseball and he was playing little league ball at the time. Now he is 52 and in the late stages of ALS😢but... he still loves and remembers that movie❤
This is so sad to be so young
So sorry to hear that. Hope he gets better or at least the symptoms aren't too bad. God Bless you both.
Prayers
I never get tired of watching this scene from the movie, or the entire movie for that matter.
Any movie that Robert Redford is in or directed is going to be a good movie. Starting with "Ordinary People"
There aren’t many perfect movies, maybe a few dozen in my opinion, but this is certainly one of them. Perfect script. Perfect casting. Perfect musical scoring. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change about this film. It’s timeless.
If we only had understood that game
This is an insane take lol. The writer of this movie barely knew how baseball worked.
@@BlueButtonFly what’s insane is you think this movie should be baseball accurate. If I wanted a perfects baseball game, I’d watch it live on tv. This is a movie. It’s supposed to be exaggerated. It’s also a period piece when times were different. The Sandlot wasn’t baseball accurate, but it’s a timeless classic. A League of Their Own is another one. Moneyball might be more your thing. That’s a Hollywood chop of a movie if ever there was one.
@@Jesters_Thorny_Crown ok? Nice straw man you built yourself there. I wasn't asserting it wasn't a movie, I was asserting it wasn't a "perfect movie". But I guess if Moneyball exists it's a perfect movie lol?
Do you even know what you're talking about? This is an average looking, badly written, cliche of a film. You like it because you watched it between the ages of 13 and 15, the same reason anyone likes shitty movies.
@@BlueButtonFly oh shit. It’s the internet police. Why even bother to comment if you are just going to troll? Turd. I bet you wear a red hat and a gold diaper don’t you?
Did you see the part about opinions? It’s great that you know what a straw man argument is. Maybe actually take a critical thinking course instead of getting your vernacular from Lex “I’m unbiased, I swear” Friedman.
I love revisiting scenes from this brilliant film. “Well I sorta got sidetracked.” Hits hard.
Max Mercy said he heard Hobbs was an acrobat in the circus!😄
Story of my life.
Don't we all. 😢
Paul Newman in "The Young Philadelphians" has a great line at the end, "I'm not as good as I hoped I'd be, but I'm not as bad as I thought I was."
Iris: “I believe we have two lives.”
Roy: “What do you mean?”
Iris: “I believe we have two lives. The one we learn with, and the one we have to live after that.”
@@LesterMoore Mercy is scum but a good illustrator!
One of the greatest movies of all time, and so obscure now. Just magic from start to finish. So pleased to see it pop up randomly in my RUclips algorithm.
Sadly, baseball is obscure now. My Cubs just played the Angels. No Trout. No Ohtani. Even the Cubs beat that lousy team. Nobody knows those other Angel players except their mothers…on payday.
"One of the greatest". Haven't heard that before
it always blows my mind that when people talk about baseball movies, and especially baseball movies from the 80's, The Natural very rarely comes up, but i cannot think of one baseball movie better
The movie....I spit on your grave is better.
@@steveswangler6373 Bull Durham?
One of the greatest movies of all time, sport-related or otherwise.
I like that scene where Hobbs comes in from the outfield and throws a pitch
One of the best baseball movies ever
"one of the best movies ever."
fixed it for ya.
Every single reaction from these characters watching him hit is absolutely perfect. The wink to the batboy is icing.
I love the whisle on the first HR!
@@Stevesautopartsify Yeah, all the background extras really added to the scene. It’s funny, nobody acted all surprised or made a big fuss. They were just kind of like, “Huh…..”
Directing and Acting: perfectly in synch.
Beautifully shot film with a great story. Love this film.
One of the many movies I saw with my father who's now gone. Still one of my favorites. It brings back many memories and the ending is just epic.
There is a reason Redford is a legend. Movies like this showcase that reason!
I loved him in Waldo Pepper, 3 Days of the Condor and Sneakers.
This was a perfect role for him and he was great - I believe he was 44 years at the time.
Robert Redford is one of the greatest actors & directors of all time. His movies are works of art on every level: acting, cinematography, musical score, everything.
Jeremiah Johnson my all time fav
One of the few times a movie exceeds the book by a million percent. One of the great sports films ever.
I could watch this film 3 times in a day. Perfection.
He was way too old for the part and looked like anything but a "natural" as a baseball player.
It was terrible casting.
@@ji8044 you’re kidding yourself. He was perfectly cast. Brilliantly acted, you can believe him in the role. Yes he was mid to late 40s, but that was the point, he was sign sight unseen on the basis that he was beat up and old for a baseball player.
@@rhyshilders Nope, in the book he's 35, but Redford was a ludicrous 47 years old. Plus Redford was a tennis player who never spent a single day on the diamond in his life. They had to cast very old looking actors around him, like Wilford Brimley and Richard Farnworth in an effort to make him look younger by comparison.
@@ji8044 And yet millions of us love it. To each his own. Cheers and Happy Independence Day!
@@ji8044 nah again I disagree. Couldn’t care less what was in the book. Hobbs is a person who is beaten down from life’s trials, of an age he shouldn’t be playing baseball, and Robert Redford played it perfectly.
You are entitled to not like it, but it’s a beloved movie classic for a reason, and a big chunk of that is people loving Redford in the role.
Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium. They were lucky to still have it to film this. From the right angles and close-ups it could have passed for the Polo Grounds. By the way how many others noticed how horrid that water is coming out of the drinking fountain?
Come on man, that's Lake Erie water! I live down in Dunkirk and I drink that stuff every day. It's good for you, puts hair on your chest.
Every drinking fountain which looks like that has horrid water.
@@BudSchnelkerwhat’s could be wrong sharing a little iron, zinc and other heavy metals amongst friends, I say.
The manager literally brings up how bad the water is earlier in the movie when the team is losing but because he is only focused on Hobbs hitting batting practice he drinks it without noticing or complaint.
I grew up in lasalle near love canal and im fine ,, I can remember them hiring extras to fill the stadium , my cousins were in it.
I absolutely LOVE the sound of a bat hitting a ball. I go to Triple-A games in Tacoma, WA just to hear that sound!
That sound feels even better going through the hands ;)
@@jojo89ofcourse52 I'll have to take your word for it. I was a career .211 hitter through high school with no power!
The Rainers.
i went to one minor league game once, in Louisville. I tried to keep an open mind, but it was just so different from a major league park and the game lacked that spark. I know those fellas were trying to get somewhere and deserved better from me as a baseball fan, but it just wasn't connecting with me.
A vastly underrated movie that is uplifting to the soul and spirit.
Tears when watch with my son.
Best damn hitter i ever seen.
Peace ✌️ 2024
On of the best movies ever
I never noticed the color of the water when he gets a drink until now.
I guess they didn't care about rusty lead pipes back then
If I recall Pops complains about how bad the water is and usually spits it out, but is so shocked that Roy can hit that good doesn't even notice it that time.
@@jayhouston7054 "Wouldn't you think that I could get a fresh drink of water after all the years I spent in this game? Red, did you talk to that bastard partner of mine about the drinking fountain?"
@@Rosarymeds I'm not sure how you expect lead pipes to develop rust.
@@jayhouston7054notice he never takes his focus off hobbs
I forget how much I LOVE baseball until I see these highlights and it reminds me why it's special.
Love this film.
Absolutely love it.
Redford’s dress sense, leather jacket, shirt, tie and fedora are the dog’s bollocks.
A classic,instant stop down. As soon as I see it on the menu,I STOP AND WATCH
I think Caleb Deschanel should have won an Oscar for his cinematography of this film. I remember watching a video of the making of this film, and Mr. Deschanel waited for quite some time for the right light for that shot of Glenn Close in that hat.
He also, nearly choked to death Mr. Redford and Ms. Hershey when they were filming in the dining car.
Beautifully shot❤
Nearly choked to death?
The greatest baseball movie ever made.
This simply a great story with great actors, great cinematography, great direction. It’s amazing that you don’t need CGI to make a great film.
"Well you're better than anyone I ever had. And you're the best GD hitter I ever saw.......suit up."
My favorite scene in the movie.
Love that so much
🎯 gets me everytime!
Chills me to this day.
Amazing. The guy who doubted him the most in the end is the most impressed. Great storytelling
It's still shocking to me that Robert Redford was only two years younger than Wilford Brimley.
Diabetus
@@don0612And wine, booze, women and song?🤔
Wow
“The diabetus”
@@don0612😂
The Face.
This movie is deep, it's working on multiple levels, lots of symbolism. The whole movie has Greek/Arthurian symbology. The name of the team is the Knights, the bat represents Excalibur, the Judge likes the dark (Hades), the journalist Max Mercy represents Vulcan as he is able to make and break men. Hobbs' whole journey to get back to baseball is like the Odyssey, Iris Gaines is like the Lady in the Water and the woman on the train/Memo Paris are like the Sirens, keeping him from his true destiny, retuning home (baseball/greatness). The gambler, Gus Sands, is Psychlops, in fact, in one scene he covers an eye as he tries to guess how much money is in Hobbs' pocket. Pop Fischer is the Fischer King, both the protector and embodiment of the game of baseball. This true masterpiece is filled with great feats by Roy Hobbs, mythical accomplishments: knocking the cover off a baseball, making a bat from a tree struck by lightning, hitting four homers in one game, hitting a ball through the clock and, of course, the finale where he creates an early light show by crushing a ball into the stadium lights....one of the greatest moments in cinema.
thank you for this.
@@brianhammerstein My pleasure, sir.
Seldom does a comment on RUclips leave me in awe, and actually, I can't think of anything that approaches this. Impressive to the max - I've read it 3 times already and it gets better and better. Well done is all I can think of, but my vocabulary is quite limited.
Much the same as "Oh Brother where art Thou?".
Great analysis.
Brimley was born looking like that, perpetually 60ish.
As a teenager, he was beloved by his friends for buying them beer.
🍺🍻
In Cocoon he was years younger than everyone else in the retirement home. He was 23 and 26 years younger than Hume Cronyn and Don Ameche. He was 9 years younger than Maureen Stapleton and 25 years younger than Jessica Tandy.
Yeah, this was his first movie, only 23 years old.
Folks need to see him with Jack Lemmon in The China Syndrome. Great stuff, but sobering.
I love this scene so much.
He asks Hobbs everything as a viewer we would want him too. Explaining the bats history makes it real, not imaginary. It was built when he was a kid and he built it out of a tree struck by lightning. No fancy flashbacks, no call of bs from the coach. Just simple storytelling within a story.
I'm probably the only guy who will say Redford is my favorite actor and he's good here. However I was disappointed in the film. I wanted a real baseball movie like Bull Durham, not a unexplainable story and far-fetch heroics. It was rather silly.
@@billlozier5551 Story was explained rather well I thought. Each their own.
@@perceptionmatters7082 yes, so explain to me where Redford was all those years in between?
There was no reveal. He's answer was " does it matter"? Yeah, it sorta DOES! That's what a story is all about. The journey not the destination. Jmo but a rather silly answer. You must be an easy person to please. Good for you.
@@billlozier5551 He was nearly killed by a psycho fan. The injury prevented him from playing. The same injury shows at the end once his dream is complete.
Also you taking this very personally.
Everything ok ?
@@perceptionmatters7082 🤣🤣🤣🤣 thanks for your concern. I'm fine. I just LIVE baseball and the movie was weak in my opinion which is the true opinion or not understanding me. 🤣🤣🤣
Great movie with an old type story, no fancy crap etc, just straight forward from beginning to end
“Fancy crap!” 😂 Love it. And I agree w you 100%!
At start of BP he was called ‘grandpa.’ By the end he was called ‘kid.’
Two different people used those terms. The player called him grandpa because he was older then all of the players, the batting coach called him kid because he was older than Hobbs.
Hobbs was supposed to be 35 in the movie, so it's kind of weird for anyone to be calling him 'grandpa'.
@@willshad35 in sports is a grandpa lol
This movie is special on so many levels. Thank God for heroes.
"Hobbs!" Then "Roy!" Love that
Better yet, calling him kid.
Yeah 👍🏻 😊
Great insight. He barked "Hobbs" like he was a nothing, then tried again with respectful first name "Roy." He went from whatever old man to hold up buddy.
Even though director Barry Levinson changed the outcome of Bernard Malamud’s novel, the film is the best baseball movie of all time. Perfectly cast and beautifully filmed, it captures the innocence of baseball in America, the relentlessness of greed, and restless spirit of the underdog.
You couldn't find a less athletic and less age appropriate group of actors if you tried.
I too enjoy this film, but my fave baseball movie is Bull Durham.
Well said!
Shattering the tower clock face at Wrigley Field gives me the goosebumps every single time! Watching him strike out "The Whammer" at the county fair is priceless.
You can almost hear the vendor, in the stands, hollering, "Oh $hit!"
I really like that people are just discovering this brilliant movie -enjoy - it is a classic Redford and Brimley are superb
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Loved it so much. Still do. Have not seen it in a long time though. Love Robert Redford so much.
One of my favorite scenes in movie history
Best second of this clip was 2:35, of Bobby, the bat boy, the smile on his face. Just wonderful.
Not only is Robert Redford’s Roy Hobbs batting left handed and wearing No. 9, his swing is identical to one of the all time greatest hitters Ted Williams.
LMFAO,.
He was 47 years old, and the only sport he had ever played in his life was tennis. It was just absurd.
And Redford was about as unathletic as anyone. His skinny legs give away any chance to look like a power hitter, where most of the energy comes from the hips and legs. And before anyone mentions Ruth , he had a big fat ass on top of his skinny legs. All in all it was a good movie though.
It’s real good balanced swing. It’s bat speed that determines power
By cinema hitters standards definitely an above average swing. Tom Selleck may have had the best. Costner and Redford I would say are neck and neck.
If a Willie Mays movie comes out they need to find an actor who can carry the Say Hey Kid, God rest him.
@@ji8044 Go away troll. Redford played baseball at Van Nuys High School (where future L.A. Dodgers hurler Don Drysdale was on the team) and was good enough to win an athletic scholarship to the University of Colorado to play baseball, but flunked out due to partying and a drinking problem. When Drysdale was interviewed and asked about Redford, he said that Redford was a good ballplayer. Redford was a fine hitter and during rehearsals of The Natural he hit a few pitches into the upper right field deck of War Memorial Stadium.
Only thing i really like about baseball is the sweet sound of the the wood hitting the ball right in the sweet spot😊
So many great baseball movies. This one will always be top two. 💪🏼
One of my all time favourite movies. I feel it is underappreciated as a lot of people I know have never heard of it.
What a wonderful acting.. old timers whenever they wanted to give you a compliment always be reserved.. like "not too bad". Such minor details as coach was so captivated by Roy he hasn't noticed the water from the fountain was just as bad as the other day, yet he didn't spit it out
This movie and The Legend of Bagger Vance are all timers.
Agreed. Robert Redford’s movies are pure works of art on every level.
The one, the only, Robert Redford. The last great real movie star still alive.
Tom Cruise says hold my beer.
It's good to see that even in the old days a coach was still able to get a sip of Pepsi from the fountain in the dugout.
Best baseball movie ever .
Kinda a toss up with Field of Dreams and Bull Durham
@@mjcruiser4238 Don't forget For The Love Of The Game
Not for me
Actually there is another on on my list “Bang the Drum Slowly”
Bad News Bears and The Sandlot
2:30Was that water coming from the fountain brown?😂
Looked like it was !
I noticed that, too!
In an earlier scene the brown water sets him off on a rant. This is meant to show he's so captivated by Hobbs hitting he doesn't even notice.
Judge says he's workin on it
@@charlesmiller6281Bingo!
It is so interesting that if you listen you can hear a radial aircraft engine in the background right as Hobbs was about to enter the batting cage. This would have been period for this time in history.
Richard Farnsworth and Wilford Brimley....two greats
My Mom was an extra in this film.... I watched the AA Buffalo Bisons play many a game in the Rockpile.... Great movie in a relic of stadium that is gone today....
My favorite sports movie ever
Me Too!
this scene is so memorable for me. I love it. I especially like that brown water comes out of the water fountain.
I did not appreciate the supporting cast when this was released, it so much talent.
Don Drysdale (LA Dodgers) said that Robert might have been able to play in the big leagues. They were teammates at Van Nuys High School in So Cal. Robert (or Bobby) played second base.
Amazing, he played the pivot as a left handed thrower? Or did he just learn to throw lefty for the movie? Either way i would be amazed!!!
No he never said any such thing. Redford was a tennis player. LOL
Yeah I read about that recently. It's kind of unclear how much Robert Redford actually played but Don Drysdale did like him.
@@ji8044 - Per the historical newspaper research I did on Redford during his high school days, he was indeed, a tennis player. The school year book had him on the tennis team. Could not find him on the baseball team.
The young actor who played the Bat Boy is one of the stars in the film. And it's interesting to see how he interacts with the Roy Hobbs character.
Good script eh?
The scene when Roy breaks his “Wonderboy” bat and Bobby (I think that was his name) picks it up and shows it to him makes me weepy. Roy confidently tells Bobby to pick out a winner to replace it and Bobby brings out his own homemade bat for Roy to use, which Roy accepts. The juxtaposition of the sadness of losing your bat that was like Samsons hair and then the young kid wanting to help his hero is so powerful. Thank you for acknowledging this kids important contribution to this fine film.
"Hobbs! Roy! Come here!" A good writer shows how you can change the entire dynamics between two strong characters as simply as that.
It would be awesome for every man once in their life to be able to hit a baseball the way he did in this scene.
I love that scene when the third baseman wasn't paying attention and gets squared off in the nuts... I crack up every time during that scene... Losing is a disease... Lol 😝
Wilfred Brimley was 25 when they filmed this.
🤣
I have to assume you were intending to make some kind of joke because clearly he wasn't 25! And btw his name was Wilford!!!........
Lol
It was before his diabeetus.
That's nothing. Max Von Sydow was 80 years old at birth and stayed that way for 91 years.
a time when they made amazing movies. One of my favorite movies of time and being and ex pro ball player, its really special.
I saw The Natural and Field Of Dreams both for the first time in a double feature at a movie theatre that also served beer and food. It was awesome.
One of my favorite moments in this scene: Pop Fischer is so astounded by Hobbs' hitting that he takes a sip out of the infamous broken/polluted drinking fountain and doesn't even think to gripe (again) about how it hasn't been fixed.
Now I have to watch this movie again tonight. Such a great movie!
The brown water gets me every time! lol
Great movie, one of my favorites! I can't think of a better baseball movie.
Eight Men Out, by john Sayles is 1000% better.
@@ji8044 I fell asleep twice watching that movie. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.😂
Brimley was great in that role!
Pop: "When I was young, Red, my mother urged me to get out of this game. When I was a kid, she pleaded with me. And I meant to, y'know, but she died."
Red: "Tough."
Pop: "I should'a got outa' this game, and I should'a been a *farmer* . I love chickens, and ducks, and pigs. Kinda' fond of nanny-goats, I am. Aw, C'mon Fowler, throw *STRIKES* !"
Red: "Fowler's killin' worms, Pop."
Bob Redford gifted Joseph Gordon-Levit, my brother and I (we all acted in A river runs through it directed by Redford) each a wonderboy bat that were extra props from the movie that were never used, I know no one will ever read or let alone believe this comment but it's true but i thought what the hell I'll throw this out into the comment section anyway, what an all-time great movie from a great actor and director
Note Richard Farnsworth in this movie. Great actor. If you've never seen "The Straight Story" you absolutely should. Farnsworth gave us the performance of his lifetime. Sadly, he left us not long afterward.
Agreed!!
Man, I talk about my favorite Baseball movies, but I’ve legit never seen this whole movie. May have to queue it up in the near future, see if my list needs updating!
Your list will absolutely need updating !! 👍🏻
This scene is inspiring, dreams have no expiration date.
2:28 Great call back to the scene where Pop meets Hobbs. That scene the water was so bad Pop spits it out the second he taste it but here you see the water is brown and Pop is mesmerized by Hobbs talent that he doesn't even notice how awful the water is.
Pops drinking the rusty water is so funny he forgot how rusty that water fountain was.
This brings back a lot of ⚾️ memories as a kid
Favorite scenes, bar none.
2:28 *That water looks nasty brown!*
Im 53 years old now. I was 15 when I first saw this movie. Was visiting family in MX and stayed up with my cousin to watch this on VHS. Best baseball movie I’ve ever seen. Never forget watching it for the first time then. Have seen it 100’s of times since then. Classic.
A trio of the best actors of our time.
Redford was an excellent athlete. Baseball scholarship to the University of Colorado.
Yes, Redford played the game and was a fairly good college baseball player. I can't really tell if he's actually taking the swings and hitting these towering shots into the stands, a professional minor league player is probably the one hitting these tape make home runs, and there mixed into the film footage. Redford does have a real good cut and swing when you see him swing the bat however, you can tell he was a pretty good ballplayer. I've seen The Natural 4 times, it never gets old.
Measure! When I TYPE this word, that's what I expect to SEE on the screen!
No he didn't have any athletic scholarship.
@@ThomasMcConville-x9k No he didn't play in college. He played in high school.
High school and college (Before he dropped out). Don Drysdale was on his high school team.
Beautiful movie
Beautiful acting
Beautiful story
Hideous swing
Great touch the clicking of the cleats as he walked away from Pop...
I've never seen chocolate milk come out of a drinking fountain.
Just live by Homer Simpson water rules. If its brown, drink it down... If its black, send it back.
constraints or control... the reality of better over time and space and honesty and kindness...
Pop, Red and Billy Boy.....how could you not be in love? Can never get tired of this scene. Then Pop drinks from the garbage fountain......does not even realize anymore. Just perfect scenes in this movie. They don't have to look perfect...they are ACTORS not models like most Hollywood pictures use today. Look at Wilfrord Brimley or for that matter Richard Farnsworth....dang.
Might be my favorite baseball movie.
"Hobbs! Roy! You're going to have to get those balls!"
my favorite scene is the one where he hits a home run.
I’ve see this great clip a hundred times
this movie was fantastic, my favorite baseball movie ever and one of my favorite movies of any genre. read the original novel also, a fantastic book
Amazing movie, seen it so many times and just love it. Incredible.
1:33 For someone who’s been here every day. Everybody else sure does seem surprised by how good he can hit.
One of the best sounds in sports.
Among the small number of movie scenes that make me cry every time is one from this movie, when Hobbs hits the home run to win the pennant. It is corny, predictable, and absolutely perfect.