Bernard Malamud's novel about baseball and lost opportunities in life was written
in 1952 but finally got to the big screen in 1984. Robert Redford is our protagonist Roy Hobbs who missed his big opportunity to have a career following
a shooting incident. 16 years later at an age when players are retiring he gets
signed as a rookie for the New York Knights (Giants) and becomes a Joe Hardy
like sensation.
Like Joe Hardy there's some deviltry at work in the form of Robert Prosky the team owner in league with Arnold Rothstein like bookmaker Darren McGavin who want to bet against the fast rising Knights powered by Redford.
The film has a real baseball feel to it and Malamud dipped into baseball lore to come up with his characters. Joe Don Baker as The Whammer is a not too veiled portrayal of Babe Ruth. Michael Madsen who crashes into the outfield wall and fractures a skull is based on Dodger outfielder Pete Reiser who ended his career though not fatally with too many encounters with Ebbets Field's outfield wall. Hobbs himself as we see him practicing in the Iowa cornfield is Bob Feller no doubt.
The Natural is impeccably cast besides those mentioned there is Robert Duvall the sportswriter who both eventually remember where he saw Redford before and who smells a rat in the pennant race. His character is based on legendary sportswriter Hugh Fullerton who discovered the Black Sox scandal. Wilford Brimley is the crusty old manager of the Knights and Richard Farnsworth his coach.
For a change women in this baseball movie got some roles of substance. Barbara Hershey is brief but memorable as a deranged baseball groupie who shoots Redford in the abdomen, said incident based on the shooting of Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus. Kim Basinger plays another baseball groupie, a temptress to lead Redford astray. And Glenn Close got a Supporting Actress nomination as his faithful girlfriend.
The Natural got other nominations for Best Music Score, Art Direction, and Cinematography.
Redford looked pretty good on the field, a lot better than Gary Cooper for instance playing Lou Gehrig. The Natural takes its place among the great films about baseball.
Like Joe Hardy there's some deviltry at work in the form of Robert Prosky the team owner in league with Arnold Rothstein like bookmaker Darren McGavin who want to bet against the fast rising Knights powered by Redford.
The film has a real baseball feel to it and Malamud dipped into baseball lore to come up with his characters. Joe Don Baker as The Whammer is a not too veiled portrayal of Babe Ruth. Michael Madsen who crashes into the outfield wall and fractures a skull is based on Dodger outfielder Pete Reiser who ended his career though not fatally with too many encounters with Ebbets Field's outfield wall. Hobbs himself as we see him practicing in the Iowa cornfield is Bob Feller no doubt.
The Natural is impeccably cast besides those mentioned there is Robert Duvall the sportswriter who both eventually remember where he saw Redford before and who smells a rat in the pennant race. His character is based on legendary sportswriter Hugh Fullerton who discovered the Black Sox scandal. Wilford Brimley is the crusty old manager of the Knights and Richard Farnsworth his coach.
For a change women in this baseball movie got some roles of substance. Barbara Hershey is brief but memorable as a deranged baseball groupie who shoots Redford in the abdomen, said incident based on the shooting of Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus. Kim Basinger plays another baseball groupie, a temptress to lead Redford astray. And Glenn Close got a Supporting Actress nomination as his faithful girlfriend.
The Natural got other nominations for Best Music Score, Art Direction, and Cinematography.
Redford looked pretty good on the field, a lot better than Gary Cooper for instance playing Lou Gehrig. The Natural takes its place among the great films about baseball.