Moneyball - (September 23rd, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #2 with $19,501,302
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $40,867,592
Gross Revenue: $40,867,592
Production Budget: $50 million
Director: Bennett Miller
In terms of Hollywood heavyweights, few actors can out-rank Brad Pitt (pretty impressive for a guy who once had a job handing out flyers for El Pollo Loco in a full-body chicken suit), and the hype surrounding his newest project, based on the 2003 Michael Lewis book of the same name, was very prevalent. A few weeks back, Pitt granted an interview to Entertainment Weekly concerning his entire career, and it was clear that both he and Sony Pictures had tremendously high hopes for Moneyball. One notable and humorous buzz generator involved the revelation that Pitt himself knew very little about baseball, which would make his playing Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane considerably more difficult than many would have initially anticipated. Still, with Jonah Hill and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as part of the cast and a story based on historical fact that revolutionized the way baseball is played, Moneyball had all the makings of a hit blockbuster. Now, I am anything but an avid baseball fan, but promotions promised an inspiring and engaging plot that would earn its place among many classic sports films, so needless to say, sheer curiosity got the better of some of my more traditional subject matter preferences.
Opening at the end of the 2001 baseball season with the Oakland Athletics losing to the New York Yankees, and the loss of several key players to free agency, Moneyball follows General Manager Billy Bean’s (Brad Pitt) attempts to rebuild his roster with a paltry budget in comparison to many other big league teams. After a rather unfruitful visit to the Cleveland Indians, Billy meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a Yale economics graduate with highly unconventional ideas concerning assessing player value. Seizing the opportunity, Billy hires Peter and together, the two decide to select players almost exclusively concerning their measured on base percentage (OBP). This new tactics is dismissed as ludicrous by scouts and the Athletics’ manager, Art Howe (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), but Billy believes in his gamble and uses underdogs to hopefully build a winning season. With no immediate success and significant criticism from both analysts and fans, Billy can only hope that his new strategy eventually pans out, otherwise he will have effectively destroyed his career in Major League Baseball.
Based on the above plot synopsis, one would think that a film focused on statistics and strategy would be boring, and a movie of over two hours of talking about baseball should have driven me absolutely nuts, but take my positive reaction as a testament to Moneyball’s overall quality. The script and pacing are smart, engaging, and energetic, in essence building anticipation for this undeniable underdog team, the standout sequences being when Billy Beane discusses a trade over the phone. Brad Pitt gives one of the best performances of his career, showcasing a cool confidence interspersed with moments of uncertainty and genuine levity that make Beane a likable and empathic character. Jonah Hill is also considerably surprising; once playing the same sarcastic character over and over, I had largely written him off as no longer entertaining, but this time around, he portrays a different sentiment as an earnest intellectual, thereby considerably increasing his credibility as a versatile actor. As much as I would like to balance so many positive elements with a few criticisms, the reality is that there is not much to complain about in Moneyball.
If I absolutely had to point out a few disappointments regarding Moneyball, I would have to say that I believe Phillip Seymour Hoffman was wrongfully cast; to be clear, it is not that he gave a bad performance, it is just that an actor of his talent deserves more screen time than what was understandably allotted to the character of Art Howe. Another small shortcoming would come from the some of the heavy baseball dialogue scenes that were a little difficult to follow…I’m sure fanatics had no problem, but casual fans need a little more easing into that kind of jargon. Beyond that, I really have no complaints concerning Moneyball, because it remains the best type of inspiring and heartfelt sports drama. The few-and-far-in-between pure baseball scenes are thrilling, keeping the audience on edge and rooting even though the outcome is already known…I don’t care who you are, that accomplishment is impressive. Plain and simple, I cannot emphasize it enough, with strong acting, likable characters, smart dialogue, and an engaging story, Moneyball is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.
Despite considerable star-power, Moneyball was unable to topple The Lion King, but no number of box office analysts could have predicted the casualties that would have fallen to the Disney powerhouse. Earning $40 million so far against a $50 million budget may seem like a cause for concern among the executives at Sony Pictures, but one must consider that the film has yet to be released internationally. Moneyball has an undeniable American slant, but should the film be released in the Hispanic, Japanese, or Korean markets, the baseball subject matter will resonate in an incredibly strong way. Promising financial future aside, Moneyball remains one of the few sports movies in recent memory worthy of a strong draw, and I fully expect Brad Pitt to receive the recognition he deserves when Awards Season comes around. Fan of the actor or the game, it doesn’t matter, do not miss Moneyball!
Overall Recommendation: Very High
