Ava DuVernay’s skilled documentary “Venus Vs.,” which debuts on Espn July 2, charts Venus Williams’ two-year battle from 2005 to 2007 for equal prize money among genders at Wimbledon. In the film, sports journalist Howard Bryant explains that it takes a certain collision of factors for someone to be the right and most effective person to champion a cause. In 1973, it was Billie Jean King. In this millennium it’s Williams, a superstar in the world of tennis who also understands acutely what it is to be an outsider in that sport -- racially, economically and in terms of gender.Though King eventually pressured the Us Open to agree to equal compensation, at the time it was the only one of the four tournaments to change, with the European and Australian Opens holding their macho ground for subsequent decades. King is one of the pro tennis player interviewees in the documentary, along...
- 7/2/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Los Angeles -- There's a scene in "42" in which Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball, endures intolerably cruel racial slurs from the Philadelphia Phillies' manager.
It's early in the 1947 season. Each time the Brooklyn Dodgers' first baseman comes up to bat, manager Ben Chapman emerges from the dugout, stands on the field and taunts him with increasingly personal and vitriolic attacks. It's a visible struggle, but No. 42 maintains his composure before a crowd of thousands.
As a viewer, it's uncomfortable to watch – although as writer-director Brian Helgeland points out, "if anything, the language we have in that scene was cleaned up from what it was."
Such hatred may seem archaic, an ugly episode in our nation's history that we'd rather forget. But remembering Robinson's accomplishments is more important than ever, say people involved with "42" and baseball historians alike. And because he was such an inspiring cultural figure,...
It's early in the 1947 season. Each time the Brooklyn Dodgers' first baseman comes up to bat, manager Ben Chapman emerges from the dugout, stands on the field and taunts him with increasingly personal and vitriolic attacks. It's a visible struggle, but No. 42 maintains his composure before a crowd of thousands.
As a viewer, it's uncomfortable to watch – although as writer-director Brian Helgeland points out, "if anything, the language we have in that scene was cleaned up from what it was."
Such hatred may seem archaic, an ugly episode in our nation's history that we'd rather forget. But remembering Robinson's accomplishments is more important than ever, say people involved with "42" and baseball historians alike. And because he was such an inspiring cultural figure,...
- 4/3/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Barry Levinson – who directed The Natural, Wag the Dog, Rain Man and about a dozen other notable flicks – is on board to helm a Hank Aaron biopic which focuses on the baseball icon’s quest to beat Babe Ruth’s career home run record. Writer Adam Mazer (You Don’t Know Jack) is also on deck. The project is born from the Howard Bryant book “The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron,” and Aaron will reportedly be on hand to aid in the production. The Hall-of-Famer is one of the greatest ball players of all time. He got his start in the Negro American League and ended up playing 23 seasons in the major leagues, but the movie will most directly focus on 1972 – 1974 when Aaron was chasing the Sultan of Swat amidst death threats and an overwhelming amount of people who didn’t want to see a black man beat...
- 4/4/2012
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
"The Natural" helmer Barry Levinson is set to direct a film about baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and his quest to break Babe Ruth’s home run record says The Hollywood Reporter.
Adam Mazer ("You Don’t Know Jack") has come onboard to adapt the script from Howard Bryant's book "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" with a take he and Levinson developed.
The story will focus on the period of 1972 to 1974, when Aaron chased then shattered a sacrosanct record held for decades by Ruth, who hit 714 home runs during his career.
Aaron and his supporters faced death threats and hate mail because some fans didn’t want a black man to break Ruth’s record.
Aaron himself will serve as a consultant on the film which Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are producing.
Adam Mazer ("You Don’t Know Jack") has come onboard to adapt the script from Howard Bryant's book "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" with a take he and Levinson developed.
The story will focus on the period of 1972 to 1974, when Aaron chased then shattered a sacrosanct record held for decades by Ruth, who hit 714 home runs during his career.
Aaron and his supporters faced death threats and hate mail because some fans didn’t want a black man to break Ruth’s record.
Aaron himself will serve as a consultant on the film which Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are producing.
- 4/4/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Baseball legend Hank Aaron will be getting his own big screen biopic, and Barry Levinson is set to direct it. Levinson is a talented director that has made some great films in his career such as The Natural, which is one of my favorite baseball movies of all time. He also directed Young Sherlock Holmes, Rain Man, Bugsy, Sleepers, and a ton of other good movies. I think he's the best choice as a director to take on a movie like this. The script is being written by Adam Mazer (Empire State).
The movie will be based on the book by Howard Bryant called The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron and according to Variety the story "will follow the right fielders chase of Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974." This should make for a great movie as this was a very big part of Aaron's life.
The movie will be based on the book by Howard Bryant called The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron and according to Variety the story "will follow the right fielders chase of Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974." This should make for a great movie as this was a very big part of Aaron's life.
- 4/3/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
EW has confirmed that producers Mike Tollin (Varsity Blues, Coach Carter) and Glenn Rigberg (Struck By Lightning) have obtained the rights to make a feature film biopic about Henry “Hank” Aaron, the baseball legend who broke Babe Ruth’s decades-long career home-run record on April 8, 1974. This project has instantly become one of the hottest sports movie projects in Hollywood.
Barry Levinson (The Natural) is attached to direct, working with screenwriter Adam Mazer, who wrote Levinson’s HBO biopic on Jack Kevorkian, You Don’t Know Jack, which Rigberg exec produced. Based on Howard Bryant’s book The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron,...
Barry Levinson (The Natural) is attached to direct, working with screenwriter Adam Mazer, who wrote Levinson’s HBO biopic on Jack Kevorkian, You Don’t Know Jack, which Rigberg exec produced. Based on Howard Bryant’s book The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron,...
- 4/3/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
Barry Levinson's 1984 film The Natural is widely regarded as one of the best sports movies of all time, and it might actually be the best baseball movie ever made. (Calm down, The Sandlot enthusiasts!) It's safe to say Levinson knows how to handle the genre, and like so many underdog sports heroes, it looks like the director is returning to the diamond for one more game. Variety reports Levinson is taking on a still-untitled biopic of baseball icon Hank Aaron, the man who bested The Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth's, home run record back in 1974 and held the title until 2007, when the steroid-infused Barry Bonds snapped the streak. More below! Based on Howard Bryant's book The Last Hero: The Story of Hank Aaron, the film will follow the famous right fielder's chase to beat Ruth's record during the 1972-1974 seasons. Adam Mazer, who worked with Levinson on...
- 4/3/2012
- by Ben Pearson
- firstshowing.net
Hank Aaron never blew up a light tower with one of his home runs, but that doesn't preclude him from the Hollywood treatment. Variety reports that Aaron's life story will get turned into a movie by Barry Levinson, the man famous for bringing Roy Hobbs and "The Natural" to the big screen.
Based on the book "The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron" by Howard Bryant, the new film will focus on Aaron's career between 1972 and 1974 -- the years he was chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. That time period was a tough one for the Atlanta Braves star, as he received numerous death threats about supplanting Ruth as baseball's home run king.
Aaron ended the 1973 season one home run short of Ruth, and wouldn't break the record until 1974. He finished his career with 755 home runs and held the record for over 30 years, before being passed by...
Based on the book "The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron" by Howard Bryant, the new film will focus on Aaron's career between 1972 and 1974 -- the years he was chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. That time period was a tough one for the Atlanta Braves star, as he received numerous death threats about supplanting Ruth as baseball's home run king.
Aaron ended the 1973 season one home run short of Ruth, and wouldn't break the record until 1974. He finished his career with 755 home runs and held the record for over 30 years, before being passed by...
- 4/3/2012
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
It seems the baseball movie is back in vogue in Hollywood. While the genre pics are generally well-received stateside, studios and the like have been reluctant to put too much money behind them in recent times, as the sport doesn't play well internationally, where box office dollars are more important than ever. But with Jackie Robinson getting the big-screen treatment courtesy of Brian Helgeland's "42," another giant of the game is stepping up to the plate.
Barry Levinson is set to direct a biopic of Hammerin' Hank Aaron in a forthcoming film. Of course, the ins and outs of the diamond are nothing new to the director, who helmed one of the all-time greatest movies of the genre, "The Natural." If you're just catching up, Hank Aaron was the all-time leader of home runs for years, dramatically breaking Babe Ruth's record on April 8th, 1974. His record has since been...
Barry Levinson is set to direct a biopic of Hammerin' Hank Aaron in a forthcoming film. Of course, the ins and outs of the diamond are nothing new to the director, who helmed one of the all-time greatest movies of the genre, "The Natural." If you're just catching up, Hank Aaron was the all-time leader of home runs for years, dramatically breaking Babe Ruth's record on April 8th, 1974. His record has since been...
- 4/3/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Producers Mike Tollin, Glenn Hank set Hank Aaron biopic for Barry Levinson. Having acquired life rights to the baseball legend, producers Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are ready to bring Hank Aaron's life to screen with The Natural helmer Barry Levinson helming from the script by Empire State's Adam Mazer. Variety reports that the project which is based on Howard Bryant's book Project is based on "The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron" Howard Bryant book, follows the right fielder as he chase's Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974. Aaron fell just one home run off the record in 1973, but passed Ruth's mark on April 8th the following year with home run number 715.
- 4/3/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Producers Mike Tollin, Glenn Hank set Hank Aaron biopic for Barry Levinson. Having acquired life rights to the baseball legend, producers Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are ready to bring Hank Aaron's life to screen with The Natural helmer Barry Levinson helming from the script by Empire State's Adam Mazer. Variety reports that the project which is based on Howard Bryant's book Project is based on "The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron" Howard Bryant book, follows the right fielder as he chase's Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974. Aaron fell just one home run off the record in 1973, but passed Ruth's mark on April 8th the following year with home run number 715.
- 4/3/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Producers Mike Tollin, Glenn Hank set Hank Aaron biopic for Barry Levinson. Having acquired life rights to the baseball legend, producers Mike Tollin and Glenn Rigberg are ready to bring Hank Aaron's life to screen with The Natural helmer Barry Levinson helming from the script by Empire State's Adam Mazer. Variety reports that the project which is based on Howard Bryant's book Project is based on "The Last Hero: The Life Story of Henry Aaron" Howard Bryant book, follows the right fielder as he chase's Babe Ruth's home run record from 1972 to 1974. Aaron fell just one home run off the record in 1973, but passed Ruth's mark on April 8th the following year with home run number 715.
- 4/3/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
With another Major League Baseball postseason upon us, I find myself once again reflecting upon how much - or more aptly, how little - I care. It is a sensation I know well, as it has been with me for the last five Octobers. However, the roots of that disillusionment began 11 years earlier. The Tenth Inning, Ken Burns' sequel to his critically acclaimed miniseries Baseball, aired this past week on PBS. Watching it and reliving the past 16 years in the world of baseball accentuated this round of reflection.
I remember exactly where I was the night of September 14, 1994. I was driving south on highway 281 toward downtown San Antonio when the news of the World Series' cancellation was broadcast over the radio. The strike by the players had been in effect over a month, and neither the Mlbpa nor the owners would budge in their demands. The passengers in my car were not baseball fans,...
I remember exactly where I was the night of September 14, 1994. I was driving south on highway 281 toward downtown San Antonio when the news of the World Series' cancellation was broadcast over the radio. The strike by the players had been in effect over a month, and neither the Mlbpa nor the owners would budge in their demands. The passengers in my car were not baseball fans,...
- 10/6/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
In this week’s Summer Must Issue, Rescue Me star Denis Leary ruminates on the new season of his FX firefighter show — and his sinister plan to kidnap Michael J. Fox. Alas, there wasn’t space in the magazine to include the actor-comedian’s “Summer Musts.” But thanks to the wonderment that is the Internet, you can read all about them after the jump.
Movies
The Expendables
“I’m looking forward to seeing that. It’s every old action star in the same movie. It’s Sly , and Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren, right? I’m not surprised Sly didn’t...
Movies
The Expendables
“I’m looking forward to seeing that. It’s every old action star in the same movie. It’s Sly , and Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren, right? I’m not surprised Sly didn’t...
- 7/3/2010
- by Clark Collis
- EW.com - PopWatch
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