Classic Movie Review - The Natural

Over the weekend I had the chance to watch a classic baseball movie, "The Natural." This Robert Redford classic is known as being one of the best baseball movies ever and is full of more classic moments than I can count.

The biggest part of the movie that stands out is the acting. Robert Redford plays a timeless character in Roy Hobbs. He really captures the characters love of the game and his regret in how he has spent his life. Kim Basinger as Memo Paris creates what may be the most complicated character in the movie as the girl that brings bad luck. By the end of the movie I felt as if she was a tragic character, but the movie does not really effectively capture this. Wilford Brimley as Pop was just another classic portrayal by this character actor. The rest of this cast rounds out the movie nicely with solid performances by everyone.

Direction wise the film does little wrong. Their are so many classic moments it is hard to pick out just one to highlight. But it is not these moments that bring this movie to life, but the smaller moments, that tied this movie together. Though I would be remiss if I didn't mention the final at bat with the stadium lights exploding. That scene was beautiful and there is a reason that it is constantly referenced in cinema.

What doesn't hold up well today is the plot. The movie really focuses on one ball player, while most baseball movies today focus on several players. This focus on a single player took away from the importance of the team doing well and made me only care about Roy doing well. Second the movie is told without a real narrative voice. It is up to the audience to figure things out for themselves, however there is a little to much room for interpretation for a movie like this.

So overall, great acting, great directing and an okay plot. It gets 4 out of 5 stars.