A wonderful film about baseball, love, sex and romance - not necessarily in that order. It took Susan Sarandon's career to a whole new level, proving you can have love goddesses over 30 (a marvellous role and she is marvellous in it); it also introduced her to off screen partner Tim Robbins who really made his name with this as the idiotic pitcher who is not without cunning and soul.
When I first saw the film I thought these two parts were the best - but watching it again I think I like Kevin Costner's ball player the most. Crash, the great minor leaguer who had a brief spell in the majors, who doesn't have the talent to back his intelligence and love for the game; who hates being called into teach Robbins but part of him loves it, too, who enjoys camraderie of the game but is also slightly aloof from his fellow players (all of whom are dumber than he is - including, really, the coach), who is not above using a teammates voodoo to help him play better.
The whole film is steeped in atmosphere - the cash drop coms, the bull, the dialogue players have with each other, the different players (religious, Hispanic), the crappy music, the cheerful groupie. For sights, smells and feels it leaves every baseball film (and most sports films) in its wake.
Maybe the last section goes on a bit too long - Robbins leaving - it's as if the film doesn't want to end, which i can understand since it's been so much fun. Ron Shelton said the problem with most baseball films is they end with "the big match" - this one does too, though, in a way: you know when Costner and Sarandon do get together its going to be the root of the century, and so it is.
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