A Reel Opinion: STAR WARS - Our Only Hope

In less than a week, the calendar will read May 4^th. For fans of a certain far, far away galaxy, the day is a national, if not world-wide holiday. May the 4^th celebrates STAR WARS day, with more than one generation of fans coining the phrase, “may the fourth be with you”; a pun on the line, “may the Force be with you”. The day has been celebrated for years, with fans taking the opportunity to revisit the films that they love. This year will be the same, but this time it will mean much more. 

For many fans, May the 4^th is the day to watch STAR WARS, either their favorite film of the Saga, or to begin a month-long binge of all 11 films. This year is unique, as the closing chapter in the “Skywalker Saga”, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019), has just arrived for home viewing. This means that for the first time in the franchise’s 43-year-old history, fans will be able to take in the entire story. 

But the most vital reason why this May the 4^th is so unique is because of the current state of the world. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of everyone; shuttering movie theatres, ballparks, restaurants, cantinas, and parks. Everything normal is gone. Everything we love on hold. These are dark times, and that is where STAR WARS is needed the most. Since 1977, STAR WARS has had one important theme; hope. That one, simple word that means so much to everyone. So difficult to find and maintain, and so easy to lose. By revisiting the Saga, we can find it again. Not just because we are once again visiting that galaxy and the characters we love, but because the adventures of those characters can show us the way; how resilience and loyalty can overcome any odds…even if they are 3,721 to 1. After all, giving us something to cheer for is exactly what STAR WARS was made for. In the 1970’s, cinema was overtaken by nihilistic anti-heroes in tragic films such as TAXI DRIVER and THE GODFATHER. Creator George Lucas changed all that with his earnest good vs. evil adventure, complete with a bell-ringing, arm-raising victory capped off with a medal ceremony. It was a knockout ending that gave the franchise an identity that has stuck. 

Call it nostalgia if need be, but nostalgia is not just sentimentality; it is a memory of something that happened, no matter how long ago. So on this coming May the 4^th, put aside these dark times and just watch STAR WARS. Some of us may watch them all, some of us just our favorites. Others (like this Blogger), may start the Saga a few days early, so a personal favorite may be viewed on the 4^th. It doesn’t matter how we do it,  just travel back to that galaxy and remember what we love about them. Take in the musical swell of Luke’s binary sunset. Gasp at Vader’s long-kept secret. Laugh at Yoda’s mischief. Thrill at Han Solo going full throttle in an asteroid field, and shed a tear when he comes home. Return BB-8’s thumbs-up, and marvel at Darth Maul’s dexterity. Put your arm around a loved one and share it for the first time or again. Find that new hope. 

May the Force be with you. 

Irrfan Khan 1967 - 2020

Actor Irrfan Khan has passed away at 53. 

A star of India’s TV and Bollywood who successfully transitioned to American blockbusters, Khan was on his way to an athletic career in first-class cricket, but could not play in a stepping-stone tournament due to a lack of funds. He completed his MA in Jaipur, India, before joining the National School of Drama in New Delhi in 1984 to study acting. 

After a brief stint in television, he made his film debut in the Oscar-nominated SALAAM BOMBAY, in a cameo-role. He went back to TV for another decade, and after a few unsuccessful films, had his breakthrough role in 2001 in the BAFTA winner, THE WARRIOR. His first Bollywood role came in 2005 with the film ROG, with his performance praised by critics. 

He moved over to American and international cinema with roles in Oscar-winning films such as Danny Boyle’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008), Ang Lee’s LIFE OF PI (2012), and the acclaimed THE LUNCHBOX (2013). He appeared in blockbuster films such as THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012), JURASSIC WORLD (2015), and INFERNO (2016). He would also appear as a grieving father in Wes Anderson’s THE DARJEELING LIMITED in 2007. 

His career included four wins for Best Actor from the Filmfare Awards; honoring artistic achievements in the Hindi-language of India. He took home a Screen Actors Guild Award when SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was honored for Best Ensemble. 

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This Blogger had never been a fan of Bollywood. As a Wes Anderson fan, my introduction to Irrfan Khan was in THE DARJEELING LIMITED, which was set in India. Khan’s role, which was that of a grieving father, is one of the emotional high points of the film. He had very few lines to speak and was asked to convey his grief physically. It is an excellent, and heartbreaking performance that is just a hint of what the man was capable of. As time went by and he popped up in more American blockbusters, he seemed to make every movie just a little bit better, and it was always a treat to see him. His diverse talent had the potential to do arthouse and big-budget films, and it is possible he could have done so much more if time allowed; maybe a Bond villain or a Marvel character, or a chance to take home an Oscar. Time can be cruel, but it can be gracious, and it was gracious enough to give us Irrfan Khan.  

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Journalism Films

When the Founding Fathers conceptualized and wrote the Constitution, the freedom of the press was one of the first things to go in. For over 200 years, and even longer in other parts of the world, the press has had the immense responsibility to inform and educate…and along the way they have taken down the corrupt, stood up for those who can’t stand for themselves, and has served as the basis for the history books. 

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like a movie about people banging away on typewriters or running around with little notebooks would be very compelling cinema. But the truth is the role journalism has played in the world has provided just as many underdog stories as sports has. It’s the ultimate David and Goliath, with the stakes and the odds immensely stacked against those little notebooks. But the genre has taken on other shapes and forms, exploring journalistic ethics and responsibility. And with that, comes Reel Speak’s Top 10 Journalism Films; the movies that told those stories the best. 

So, stop the presses…

10. STATE OF PLAY (2009)

The story of the media exposing corrupt politicians is almost as old as the news business itself, and Kevin Macdonald’s thriller found fresh, new angles. Russell Crowe plays a seasoned newspaper reporter who investigates the death of a congressman’s mistress; a congressman that happens to be a friend. The film explores the relationship between politicians and the press, and the importance of media outlets needing to stand on their own. There is also the angle of veteran newspaper men having to work with new writers called Bloggers. 

9. BROADCAST NEWS (1987)

Holly Hunter leads the way as an emotional, yet rock-steady news producer in this one-half drama, one-half satire about the TV news business. Most of its time is spent on a love triangle between Hunter’s character and competing newsmen as played by William Hurt and Albert Brooks, but it does great work in showing the behind the scenes stress of putting a live news broadcast on the air. The balance between drama and humor is excellent; a screaming-match between Hunter and Brooks is hair-raising, while a disastrous newscast due to sweating a hilarious bit. A multiple Oscar nominee that has a lot going on but keeps it many storylines organized about the people that make TV work. 

8. ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)

The great Billy Wilder directs this morality tale about a newspaper reporter, as played by Kirk Douglas, who arranges for the rescue of a trapped man to be prolonged so he can milk the story for all its worth. Although somewhat dated, ACE IN THE HOLE has a lot for any journalistic ethics class to examine and debate; starting with the influence the media can have over the public, and the obvious lack of morals reporters can have when desperate for a lead story. But in the end, the truth does prevail; showing that everything always come out in the wash. 

7. THE INSIDER (1999)

The year before Russell Crowe won an Oscar for playing Maximus in GLADIATOR, he was nominated for his role as a biochemist who works with a CBS producer (Al Pacino), to get the story out on a cigarette manufacturer adding chemicals to make their product more addictive. Most of its time is spent with Crowe’s character grappling with the moral and ethical decision of breaking his confidentiality agreement with the company he’s about to take down, but it eventually gets to media responsibility; Pacino’s line of “are you a newsman, or a businessman” to his reluctant bosses rings long and hard. Directed by Michael Mann and co-stars Christopher Plummer as CBS legend Mike Wallace. 

6. SHATTERED GLASS (2003)

Before Hayden Christiansen became Darth Vader, he turned in an acclaimed role of Stephen Glass, a journalist who was exposed for fabricating stories. This true-story drama is cautionary tale about what happens when the media goes bad, but it’s not an indictment against the profession; because it’s good reporting that eventually exposes Glass’ lies. 

5. THE PAPER (1994)

Ron Howard’s comedy-drama about a small NYC paper rushing to get a murder story right. An ensemble cast of Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, Robert Duvall, Jason Robards, Jason Alexander, and Catherine O’Hara bring to life the struggles and triumphs of the people who bring newspapers to print, and the importance of getting a story right. 

4. CITIZEN KANE (1941)

Orson Welles’ monumental classic about the life and legacy of newspaper giant Charles Foster Kane. Regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, the only reason it doesn’t rank higher on this list is that it doesn’t have a whole lot of actual journalism in it. But the film is a work of journalism itself…with a reporter doing the work to discover what made Kane the man he was. 

3. SPOTLIGHT (2015)

Tom McCarthy directs this Best Picture winner about The Boston Globe Spotlight investigative reporting team, who blew the lid off years of child sexual abuse cover-up by the Boston Archdiocese. Another true-story, SPOTLIGHT plays out as a procedural, taking us down to the streets of Boston as its seasoned reporters and editors, wonderfully played by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Racheal McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Brian d’Arcy, and John Slattery, take the necessary and tedious steps to take down Goliath. Its greatest strength is showing us what it takes to piece together a story, and its powerful ending shows the impact it can have on a city…and the world. 

2. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005) 

George Clooney directs and co-stars in this true-story, period-drama about broadcast legend Edward R. Murrow and his role in bringing down Senator Joe McCarthy, whose lies and bullying tactics spread fear across America in the 1950’s. David Strathairn rightfully won an Oscar for his stunning portrayal of Murrow, who takes television news, which was in its infancy at the time, into a brave new world by showing just how critical it can be in exposing the corrupt…if it has the courage to do so. Shot in glorious black-and-white and including archival footage of McCarthy, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK is required viewing for any aspiring journalism student. 

1. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)

The granddaddy of all journalism films which inspired a generation of students to get into the business. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two young reporters for The Washington Post who historically exposed the role then-President Richard Nixon played in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. The film is a masterclass on the basics of journalism, and its period setting of the 1970’s, prior to the technology-driven era, allows for a stripped-down approach to putting together the facts to deliver a coherent news story. It is ground-zero for nearly every journalism film that has come after, with its one message lasting into today; no amount of power can escape the truth. 

REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST JOURNALISM FILMS 

1. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
2. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
3. SPOTLIGHT
4. CITIZEN KANE
5. THE PAPER
6. SHATTERED GLASS
7. THE INSIDER
8. ACE IN THE HOLE
9. BROADCAST NEWS
10. STATE OF PLAY

Brian Dennehy - 1938 - 2020

Actor Brian Dennehy has passed away at the age of 81. 

Born Brian Manion Dennehy in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1938, Dennehy began his education with a football scholarship to Columbia University. He went on to graduate studies in dramatic arts at Yale and worked as a stockbroker before pursuing acting. 

His professional career began with small guest roles in the 1970’s and 80’s in shows including KOJAK, LOU GRANT, DYNASTY, and DALLAS. In 1981, he had his breakthrough role when he played Sherriff Will Teasle; an overzealous law enforcement officer of a small town who goes to war with John Rambo…as played by Sylvester Stallone in FIRST BLOOD. He earned a reputation as a tough and/or bad guy and would have memorable supporting roles in SPLIT IMAGE (1982), LEGAL EAGLES (1986), and PRESUMED INNOCENT (1990). He would win a Golden Globe in 2000 for his turn in the TV movie adaptation of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. 

Other notable film roles include GORKY PARK (1983), SILVERADO (1985), COCOON (1985), TOMMY BOY (1995), and ROMEO & JULIET (1996). He would co-star with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in RIGHTEOUS KILL (2008), provide the voice of Django in Pixar’s RATATOUILLE (2007), and would appear in Terrence Malick’s KNIGHT OF CUPS (2015). He would finish with nearly 200 film and TV credits to his name. 

He would have a productive career on stage, winning two Tony Awards; both for Best Lead Actor in a Play…for DEATH OF A SALESMAN and LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. In 2010 he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man, the villain Norman Osborn was drawn to resemble Dennehy, at the request of the writer. 

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This Blogger’s first introduction to Brian Dennehy was in FIRST BLOOD, which was first watched on HBO. Dennehy was a bastard in that film, one that we wanted to hate, but there was just something about him that was endearing. Over the years it became easy to respect the man, as every time he appeared on screen, we knew things were in good hands. Brian Dennehy was a rock; one of the best we’ve ever seen. 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Films at Sea

On this day 108 years ago, the RMS Titanic foundered in the North Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg and took with her over 1,500 souls to the depths. Less than a month after the disaster, the silent motion picture SAVED FROM THE TITANIC, starring a survivor of the sinking, premiered in the United States. That film is now lost, but it was one of the earliest voyages that cinema would take to the seas; voyages that continue to this day reaching across all film genres; adventure, fantasy, historical, war, romance…and even horror. Man’s fascination with our oceans has led to a rich legacy of sea stories in cinema…and that leads us to Reel Speak’s Top 10 Best Films at Sea. 

Going all the way back to Homer’s Odyssey, the sea has provided a stage perfect for storytelling. Cinema has capitalized on this for well over 100 years, using the mystery and danger and romance of the oceans as backdrops and story elements. The best films at sea are the ones that utilize the oceans the best, and make good use of all the dangers, mystery, and beauty to be found out there. 

So, anchors aweigh…

10. MOBY DICK (1956)

It’s hard to have a nautical storytelling conversation without mentioning Herman Melville’s 1851 classic Moby Dick. This version, directed by John Huston, may take one too many liberties from the book and suffers from dated visual effects, but the core of the idea is there. Gregory Peck plays the obsessed Captain Ahab to great effect, and this version would become the launching point for many sea stories to come. 

9. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

The 1970’s had its own little genre of disaster films, telling stories of human resiliency against earthquakes, high-rise fires, and airline catastrophes. Ronald Neame’s adaptation of the book of the same name has a luxury liner overturned by a tsunami, leaving its passengers to traverse the upended ship seeking a way out. The film has an ensemble cast; including Gene Hackman, Red Buttons, and Ernest Borgnine…but the real star of the film is the set design; with the filmmakers having to build upside-down interiors. The central theme at work; rich people and middle-class suddenly finding themselves as equals…is a theme that a certain James Cameron would also take to sea years later. 

8. DAS BOOT (1981)

Wolfgang Petersen’s WWII submarine film follows a German U-boat and its crew on a hazardous patrol mission in the famed Battle of the Atlantic. Using the ocean as a battlefield, DAS BOOT had outstanding sequences of high tension and excitement but didn’t lose focus on its characters; characters making up a crew living and working in harsh conditions all for the love of country. Often regarded as one of the definitive submarine movies, its six Academy Award nominations to this day holds the record for a German film. 

7. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

We simply cannot talk about sea adventures without mentioning pirates, and we can’t talk about movie pirates without mentioning Captain Jack Sparrow…as played by Johnny Depp. This Disney-produced, Gore Verbinski-directed swashbuckling ride brought all the familiar, age-old elements of pirates to life, and combined it with the maritime legends and myths in a perfect balance. Loads of fun and gorgeous to look at. 

6. THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004)

Bill Murray plays documentary filmmaker and oceanographer Steve Zissou, who goes off on a mission to hunt down a mysterious “jaguar shark” who ate his best friend in Wes Anderson’s quirky, stylistic, and surprisingly emotional journey. Anderson paints a picture of man in a mid-life crisis; feeling like he has lost his talent and consequently the end of his career and life as he’s known it. But in a brilliant move, Zissou discovers that the ocean is full of life, in more ways than one…and through that he finds a way. Lovely to look at and packed with an ensemble cast, this is an ocean journey that evokes just as many laughs as it does tears. 

5. THE ABYSS (1989)

A crew of deep-sea oil-drillers are stranded in their damaged rig miles underwater and encounter a non-terrestrial intelligence in the film that solidified James Cameron’s reputation as the most ambitious filmmaker of our time. Cameron built an underwater set and required his cast to learn how to scuba-dive, while designing special diving masks and helmets so the actors' faces could be seen. Aside from the technical achievements, which included some of the earliest uses of CGI, THE ABYSS is a clever mashup of real-world deep-sea hazards and science fiction and reminds us that there are more mysteries in the deep oceans than there are on the Moon. A towering achievement that Cameron would use as a stepping stone for something even bigger down the road. 

4. MASTER AND COMMANDER – THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003)

The only reason Peter Weir’s Napoleonic Wars sea adventure didn’t win more of its many Oscar nominations (including Best Picture), was because it had the bad luck of going up against the kraken-sized monster that was THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Russell Crowe plays the captain of a British warship on the hunt for a French vessel which has him outgunned and outmaneuvered. A battle of wits and resolve, the film gives us a genuine feel of what it was like to fight, eat, drink, and live on the sailing ships of old…with enough hardships to make any of us change our minds about the romance of old sailing ships. Beautifully shot and edited, the sea had never been presented so beautiful and deadly at the same time. 

3. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)

In this adaptation of the Tom Clancy novel, Alec Baldwin plays the first screen-version of Jack Ryan; a CIA analyst on the hunt for a Russian submarine with stealth capabilities and an arsenal of nuclear missiles…commanded by a captain (Sean Connery), with unknown intentions. Directed by John McTiernan of DIE HARD and PREDATOR fame, RED OCTOBER is a thinking-man’s thriller, with each side playing an intricate game of find-the-needle in the mighty Atlantic. The ocean isn’t presented as a battlefield as much as the haystack and has a grounded reality that makes the escalating stakes feel real.  

2. TITANIC (1997)

Director James Cameron’s Oscar-winning, cultural-smashing, money-making monster that retained the title of all-time best box office for over a decade. By filming the actual wreck of the famed ship, and painstakingly re-creating interiors and exteriors right down to the rivets and dining room china, the Titanic is brought back to life in stunning detail. The storyline of Romeo and Juliet on the doomed liner worked for audiences, and themes of man’s ego trying to conquer nature gives it even more weight. Class distinction is also at work here; where no amount of wealth held by the powerful could save them from the leviathan that Titanic would slip into. The definitive telling of the greatest true story at sea. 

1. JAWS (1975)

It may seem unfair to drop one of the greatest films of all time into a sub-genre, but Steven Spielberg’s JAWS does utilize the oceans in a way that has to be considered to be the best. Based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel about a shark that terrorizes a summer resort town, less than half of JAWS actually takes place on the ocean; the outstanding third act with Chief Brody (Roy Schieder), Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw), hunting down the shark in a boat that’s not big enough. Despite the first two acts taking place on land, we see first-hand how a terror of the ocean can affect people on shore, and we can get a wave of fear just by looking out at the sea. JAWS also uses elements from classic sea stories such as Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea, giving it a familiar spin and a timeless nature. The ocean is beautiful, but it is also formidable, and to this day John Williams’ simple shark-theme of just two notes reminds of us that. No other sea story has that claim. 

REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST FILMS AT SEA

1. JAWS
2. TITANIC
3. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
4. MASTER AND COMMANDER - THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
5. THE ABYSS
6. THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
7. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
8. DAS BOOT
9. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
10. MOBY DICK

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Baseball Films

The precautions taken during the ongoing pandemic have robbed us of the things that we love; people have lost their bars and restaurants, cinephiles have lost their movie theatres, and sports fans have lost their ballgames. The absence of baseball, from the major leagues to the little leagues, has left a tough hole to fill…but thanks to cinema, we can still celebrate America’s favorite pastime. And with that, now comes to the plate Reel Speak’s Top 10 Best Baseball Films. 

As two of America’s oldest institutions, baseball and the movies have gone together like salt and pepper. The long history of the game, with its heroes, villains, successes and failures, make it perfect for big-screen storytelling. Baseball films have come in many shapes and sizes, but nearly every one of them have a common theme; the love of the game. The films that capitalize the best on that theme are the all-stars of the genre, with story, character, and cultural impact also coming into play. 

So, batter up…

10. THE BAD NEWS BEARS (1976)

The late great Walter Matthau plays a cranky former minor leaguer tasked with managing a group of misfits in a youth baseball league. The offensive nature of this film dates it badly, but for several decades it was thebaseball movie to watch. The film broke the rules of how a movie centered around children is supposed to conduct itself, while still keeping the game an important element. Matthau turns in a character that defined him, and to this day…misfit teams in baseball (or any sport), are dubbed Bad News Bears. 

9. 42 (2013)

Before Chadwick Boseman became the Black Panther, he put on the number 42 jersey of the great Jackie Robinson; the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. 42 takes us through the torment Robinson went through, and his perseverance and drive to play the game he loved drives the film as a personal and sports drama. A required film for any fan of the game. 

8. THE SANDLOT (1993)

Just as THE BAD NEWS BEARS had its own generation of fans, THE SANDLOT has its own as well. We are introduced to Scotty Smalls, a new kid in town who falls in with the neighborhood kids who live and breath the game of baseball, playing from dawn to dusk in a dusty, run-down field. Far from a kids’ film, fans of all ages can appreciate the down-to-earth, nostalgia-dripped story of youth and coming-of-age. Funny and emotional, it made a mark on pop culture with some classic characters such as The Great Bambino, along with often-quoted lines such as “FORE-EV-ER”, and of course, “you’re killing me Smalls”. 

7. MONEYBALL (2011)

Nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture, Bennett Miller’s baseball drama breaks the mold of the traditional ballpark-set film by taking the action off the field. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A’s who uses unconventional methods to assemble his team…drawing ire from fans and the entrenched, baseball establishment. It’s a great look behind the curtain and works for fans of the game and for outsiders who don’t the know the difference between Billy Beane and a beanbag. 

6. THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942)

The granddaddy of all baseball films, and perhaps of all sports movies. Gary Cooper plays legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, who died at the age of 37 from ALS, which later became known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s a sports biography and a homage to the man, with the game of baseball clearly in his big heart. The end-scene of Gehrig’s famous speech to Yankee Stadium is an emotional weeper, and a final stamp on a film that has stood the test of time. 

5. BULL DURHAM (1988)

It can be argued that minor league baseball is the purest form of pro-ball, with players trying their best to get into The Show in earnest. Kevin Costner plays a long-time minor leaguer tasked with tutoring a dim-witted pitcher (Tim Robbins)…and the new duo spark a ton of laughs as they teach each other about baseball, life, and love. It’s a down-to-earth comedy with a fair balance of dramatic moments, and for many fans has stood the test of time as one of the best films about the game.  

4. FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)

Kevin Costner plays a farmer who mows down his vital crop to build a baseball field, because voices from the corn told him to do so. What could have been a silly concept turns into a mystery wrapped up in a ghost tale with an all-important father-son story. It explores an important, historical event in Major League Baseball while digging deep into its characters, all of whom have a deep love of the game. A Best Picture nominee, it is often quoted and has become a permanent stamp in American culture…and no one, absolutely no one with a soul can stop the tears from flowing in its emotional final scene of “wanna have a catch?”. 

3. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992)

Based on the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was created to fill the hole left with major league players fighting in World War II. Tom Hanks plays a former player and drunk tasked with managing one of the new teams and turns in one of his most memorable performances…along with delivering one of the most iconic lines of all sports films; “there’s no crying in baseball!” As great as Hanks is, he is just a small part of a grand and emotional film about the game and the talented ladies who played it. The film has plenty of laughs, along with some heart-wrenching moments…and the ensemble cast of Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, Anne Ramsay, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and David Strathairn are all excellent. 

2. MAJOR LEAGUE (1989)

Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, and Wesley Snipes lead the way as misfit players on a Cleveland Indians team which was set up to fail, so its greedy owner can move the team to Miami. As a sports comedy it soars, but it maintains a realism that keeps things from getting too ridiculous…and all fans know that the basic plot is something that actually could happen. Bob Uecker is at his best playing the Indians’ play-by-play announcer, delivering one zinger after another, and his “oh my god the Indians have won it!” is the emotional stuff that baseball was made for. 

1. THE NATURAL (1984)

Two outs in the bottom of the ninth, man on base, down by a run. Robert Redford’s character of Roy Hobbs limps up to the plate, takes two strikes, breaks his beloved bat…and then delivers the greatest home run ever seen in cinema, backed by Randy Newman’s magnificent score. It is a moment in cinema that has been endlessly compared to every 9^th inning, two-out home run in every baseball game on every level all across America. It’s a finale that viewers can get up and cheer for not just because of how well it is executed, but for the journey that Roy Hobbs has taken to get there. A young prodigy that had his bright career sidetracked, he returns nearly 20 years later to give it one last go…battling his own age and his own teammates just to play the game he loves the most. The supporting cast of Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Darren McGavin, and Michael Madsen are all excellent, and the direction of Barry Levinson provides more than one stirring moment. No other movie reminds us of how much we love baseball more than THE NATURAL. 

 REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST BASEBALL FILMS

1. THE NATURAL
2. MAJOR LEAGUE
3. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
4. FIELD OF DREAMS
5. BULL DURHAM
6. THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES
7. MONEYBALL
8. THE SANDLOT
9. 42
10. THE BAD NEWS BEARS