Bull Durham
“Bull Durham”
When I first talked to Taylor about the idea of writing this weekly column in the paper about movies I told him that I not only wanted to review new movies but classics as well. So that is what we will be doing this week. Seeing as how it seems we are all now locked fully into the throws of spring I’m going to talk about a movie that just feels like spring and summer to me 1989’s Bull Durham. Written and Directed by a former minor league ball player turned Hollywood guy Ron Shelton is as good as a sports movie gets.
Lets start with the cast. KEVIN COSTNER, SUSAN SARANDON, TIM ROBBINES, TREY WILSON and sports comedian ROBERT WUHL!!! That batting order alone should at the bare minimum convince you to watch this movie. If you read my column and somehow haven’t seen this movie before then that is a situation that needs to be rectified immediately! Of course after you finish reading this though. Costner kills in this movie playing the guy who has been around the block in the minor leagues far to long. Robbins in one of his first big movie roles plays the young flamethrower in need of molding and a steady hand. Sarandon plays the role of the local muse who believes she is all the inspiration new young talents need to solve the puzzle of making it to the BIGS.
The love and respect for the history of baseball in this movie is oozing off the screen and in every frame of this film. I’ve seen lots of interviews with ball players saying this film is the most accurate depiction of late 70’s early 80’s minor league ball they have ever seen. I hope that is true because it just makes you smile or at least it makes me smile. What more do you need? Its springtime in a small baseball town and in spring hope springs eternal. I can smell it now. Fresh cut grass, hot dogs, stale slightly warm ballpark beer, peanut shells under my shoes all over the grandstands and of course something we all have been missing the last year a large happy excited crowd ready for a ball game.
The characters are all lovable. Every character grows in one form or another by the end of this film. Is it perfect? No but nothing is. Sometimes you turn two because the worm burner bounces off of third base right into the hands of the short stop for the tag of the runner at second and a throw to first for an unassisted double play. Sometimes you just hit a can of corn. Don’t like baseball? That’s fine this movie is still good if you don’t. Love baseball? If so and you haven’t seen this movie before and are about to then YOU’RE WELCOME!!! 4.5 out of 5 Yellow Suckers
*This movie review was originally published in The Current River Observer as the River Reels article written by Jeffrey Riggs
