A sports classic, and what is considered as one of the most beloved sports movies of all time, the Natural is a strong entry into the sports movie genre. While the formulaic story may be a bit predictable, the Natural was nevertheless a success at the box-office, received positive critical reviews, and was nominated for several Academy Awards, mostly on the actors.
The movie focuses on Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), who is ‘the natural’ at baseball. However, he is shot and severely wounded by a seductive and mysterious woman, and his hope to start a career at the sport of baseball is seemingly crushed. Years later, a middle-aged Hobbs gets another chance at an underperforming baseball team. Meanwhile, the team’s owners want the team to lose as to kick out Pops Fisher (Wilford Brimley), the team’s co-owner/manager, so that they will earn the money. He also meets the woman of his past, but at the same time the owners of the team plan to take Hobbs out when he starts to get the team on a winning streak.
The original, more slightly complicated plot in a sports movie made me pleased by the fact to see that the Natural put an effort into itself, like in the other loveable sports film Hoosiers, which I thought was just as good as this.
Redford’s mainly a good actor. In the Natural he does simply a good though not overwhelming performance. The co-stars have the real strength in the acting: Wilford Brimley, Darren McGavin, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger and Robert Prosky.
A few consider the fictional Hobbs to be the ‘best baseball player’ ever. Indeed, the film would have felt more inspiring had it been based on a true story, but then again we know the stories of all those famous baseball players.
An accomplished sports film, the Natural was albeit a little too overlong, but as a sports film it highly succeeded, focusing more so on the characters while keeping the spirit of the baseball game in the balance.
B+
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