In 2002, Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta and the Oakland A’s made baseball history after they took a small-market team at the bottom of the league payroll to the American League Division Series.
Nearly a decade later, director Bennett Miller’s ultimate achievement in “Moneyball†isn’t nearly on the same scale, but it is still an enjoyable film based on Michael Lewis’ amazing book.
Behind powerful cinematography and a story that is much more about the human spirit and perseverance than sabermetrics and the revolutionary ideas of Bill James, “Moneyball†has what every baseball movie should: heart.
Accomplished mainly by Brad Pitt’s portrayal of Billy Beane, a former first round pick, whose career never materialized the way scouts imagined, “Moneyball†is essentially the story of “The Little Engine that Could.†After he loses three of his best players to large market teams, Beane knows it’s time to change the way his team does business. Confidently and charismatically, Pitt is a more than capable Beane. Going from a fiery and eccentric General Manager to a concerned father, Pitt is able to bring the character Lewis wrote about in “Moneyball†to life.
The scenes between Pitt and his on-screen daughter, Kerris Dorsey, are especially down to earth and at times, touching. Worried about her father’s career, she’s a calming influence and a smile-inducer. The same thing can be said for Jonah Hill’s performance of Peter Brand, AKA Paul DePodesta. A far cry from Hill’s performances in the teen comedies he’s famous for, Hill pulls off the nerd role surprisingly well.
His explanations of sabermetics are incredibly simple and infectious. So much so that if baseball isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll quickly wonder why no one implemented these methods sooner. If baseball is a part of your daily bread, you’ll see a huge struggle between the old guard and the new- one that would reshape the sport forever.
This battle between Pitt, Hill and the entire baseball world, including his own scouts and manager, Art Howe [played unceremoniously by Philip Seymour Hoffman] is what drives the film. Beane’s superstitious personality [not watching games] and his relationship with his daughter are what create the real emotional connection. The banter and fun between the two not only gets the film on base, but also get it into scoring position before it ultimately scores.
The intimate shots of Pitt, doing everything from driving his car and working out, and those of Brand, working tirelessly at the computer, cement that passion these characters have for their craft. The passion is easy to see and get behind.
Things aren’t perfect however, as there could have been more attention paid to the players on the team and the draft during the 2001 off-season [The first that saw the team implement sabermetrics into the draft process]. Those who read the book will miss some of the details that made it so special, such as more focus on Beane as a player and the scouting system that failed him during his career on and off the field.
But by the last game of their season, things will get romantic and sentimental. You’ll be convinced that Beane, Brand and their misfit ballplayers are something special.
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