Moneyball
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
Running Time: 2 hrs 13 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: September 23, 2011
PLOT: Based on the true story of the Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) and his success when he puts together a baseball club on a budget using stat analysis.
WHO'S IT FOR? It definitely helps to appreciate baseball, but this is more about the smartest guy in the room going against an old-school way of thought.
EXPECTATIONS: I knew of the book "Moneyball," but never read it. If you're a sports fan, you know of the concepts Beane introduced. I was curious to see how they could make this movie zing, since there isn't necessarily a happy ending. I wasn't worried about the cast at all, and looked forward to seeing Hill in a more serious role.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS:
Brad Pitt as Billy Beane: Man, he has a presence. I'm a fan of Pitt, and this movie is another example why. He's got a swagger about it. Billy has his flaws, like chewing tobacco, yet those flaws help us from thinking Billy is an arrogant prick. Billy sees the wrighting on the wall before everyone else. He has to figure out a new way to win because he's working with a payroll of $39 million, whereas other teams like the New York Yankees are throwing around $114 million. I had no clue about Billy's life beyond that he was the A's general manager. Bringing Billy's past into the mix helps us understand his drive and his doubts. Score: 9
Jonah Hill as Peter Brand: Every great leader needs a sidekick, right? Peter fills that role perfectly for Billy and Hill nails it for Pitt. Easily the highlight of the film is when Billy is throwing Peter into the fire and it happens over and over again. Peter is pure. He can't lie. Peter is actually the brains behind the operation. He's a computer geek on his first job when Billy sees the potential and plucks him up. I really loved seeing this side of Hill. The comedy comes from his straight-laced nerd persona, not from the usual Apatow-induced hilarity. Just so you know, the character Peter is based on a group of people in real life. Score: 10
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe: Art Howe managed the team during this run, and if you don't follow baseball, that means he was the coach. Billy and Art butt heads on how the team should be run. We get a sense of the ego that is involved with this, but there is a lack of follow-through with this role. I wanted to see how Art felt after the success. This would have also given Hoffman something more to do in this surprisingly small role. Score: 7
Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg: We know Pratt as the lovable idiot Andy on "Parks and Recreation." At least you better know him as that, that shows amazing. But we're here to talk about Moneyball so let's get back to that. Scott is a catcher on his last leg. Billy and Peter believe he can get on base more than a hot-shot rookie. There is a lot riding on this and just like Hill, Pratt is able to deadpan some great laughs out of the role. Score: 8
Robin Wright as Sharon: Sharon is completely underwritten and having Wright fill her shoes doesn't really help. On the other hand, without Sharon, we'd have less of Kerris Dorsey as Casey Beane. She plays Billy's daughter and it's another chance for us to see Billy as something other than cocky. There are some nice moments with Billy and Casey and a guitar, showing that Billy isn't just a workaholic. Those moments don't help the character of Sharon shine. Score: 5
TALKING: Yes, they talk about baseball statistics, but you don't need to be a stat-geek to follow along. Here's all you need to know, getting on base is good. I don't think they even introduce the term sabermetrics. By the way, everyone who follows baseball knows about sabermetrics. The movie does a good job of letting you keep up if you're not a fan of the game. The majority of the film plays like a good buddy flick with great banter coming from Billy and Peter. Aaron Sorkin was one of the writers and he's one of the few who has a definite style. You can feel it in Moneyball. Here's an example, "It's not that hard, tell'em," then after a split-second the other character says, "It's incredibly hard." Score: 9
SIGHTS: Moneyball uses actual game footage and intertwines well with the film. All of the actors playing baseball players actually look the part. Seeing Hoffman in a baseball uniform is reason enough for him to be in the film. Score: 8
SOUNDS: Lenka's "The Show" is a perfect fit for the film. The lyrics "I'm just a little bit caught in the middle," are just one reason this showcases Billy's journey. The fact that his kid sings it in the film helps too. On a sports geek level, "Don't Stop Believin'" is a Journey song that was adopted by the Chicago White Sox during their World Series run a few years ago. So, having the A's use it didn't fit for me. I understand if you didn't care, but for me it's a case of a film not doing its homework. Score: 8
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: It's tough to say which moment with Billy and Peter is the best, so I'll go with Billy and Peter role-playing what it would be like to trade a player.
ENDING: It's tragic from a certain viewpoint, but I found the slight sadness uplifting if that makes any sense. Being able to see and feel a victory can be a difficult thing.
QUESTIONS: Is this film giving Billy too much credit?
REWATCHABILITY: Absolutely. I'm thinking it will be nominated for a few things, so that means I should be sent a screener.
OVERALL
It's like The Social Network with a cool kid in charge. That cool kid is of course Pitt, who seems to control this movie from beginning to end. Actually, he controls it much the same way Billy Beane seemed to eventually control the Oakland A's. In fact, there is a slant while watching Moneyball that makes you believe Billy thinks he's the only reason the team is winning. Heck, without Peter Brand, does Billy Beane even have a movie or book? Thankfully, it's such an entertaining story that you shake off any raging ego involved and just enjoy.
I would say before being a baseball movie, it's a story about an underdog (albeit a rich one) trying to change a broken system. That's something everyone can root for. Watching Billy get attached to this team, attached to the idea and re-attached to the joy of baseball is great fun.
FINAL SCORE: 9/10