The Natural (Director's Cut)
He lived for a dream that wouldn't die.
Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability, fixing his extraordinary talent in the mind of sportswriter Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), who eventually becomesinstrumental in Hobb's career. But a meeting with a mysterious woman shatters his dream. Years passand an older Hobbs reappears as a rookie from The New York Knights. Overcoming physical pain and defying those who have a stake in seeing the Knights lose, Hobbs, with his boyhood bat, has his chanceto lead the Knights to the pennant and to finally fulfill his dream.
Member Reviews
Watch this Film? Naturally! - TheDandyist
I can't think of any Robert Redford films off the top of my head that were real stinkers, so it comes as no surprise that he gives another real strong perfomance in this film about an aged baseball player with a dark past. What appealed to be most about this film when I first watched it was that it was not your a-typical sports movie. This film has real depth. And not all stories have happy endings..A baseball film for those who don't understand baseball. - estefan
Baseball is not an interesting sport to me, but Barry Levinson manages to direct a great film about that very sport leading up to an exciting, heart-pumping final game. Robert Redford is great in the lead role, delving well into the part to the point where while it's un-questionably Robert Redford, we nonetheless see him as the character he's portraying. Kim Basinger and Glenn Close (the latter of whom was nominated for an Oscar for this performance, for some reason) don't leave quite as big an impact. The film could have used some snipping in some areas, but the pace and the screenplay is very strong even if the antagonist comes off way too stereotypically villainy. Needless to say, this was a very enjoyable little film with a fantastic score from Randy Newman to top it all off.I don't remember this movie being so confusing... - XTRUClerk
Maybe it's the added footage and the re-shuffling of scenes that get me confused. Having seen the movie before, though admittedly a few years back, I should have found it fairly easy to follow. It doesn't help that Robert Redford plays himself as both a very young man (which he wasn't even then) and a very old man (which he wasn't yet) and looks pretty much the same in any scene. A scene where a veiled woman inexplicably shoots a bullet into Redford (something which remains unexplained almost until the very end of the film, along with other matters of paternity, etc.) is so bizarre... Aren't there other reasons to explain why it took poor old Roy Hobbs so many years to reach the majors? Don't get me wrong, the movie is still fun to watch. Loved seeing Darren McGavin (the Night Stalker) in this one, even playing the part of a really evil man. Of course watching all those balls sail into the upper deck, shatter clocks and destroy spotlights in a shower of sparks is still the best reason to watch this movie and still loads of fun. I just can't help thinking the movie would have been better with a more conventional back story. Cheers.
Member Reviews
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Watch this Film? Naturally! - TheDandyist
I can't think of any Robert Redford films off the top of my head that were real stinkers, so it comes as no surprise that he gives another real strong perfomance in this film about an aged baseball player with a dark past. What appealed to be most about this ...A baseball film for those who don't understand baseball. - estefan
Baseball is not an interesting sport to me, but Barry Levinson manages to direct a great film about that very sport leading up to an exciting, heart-pumping final game. Robert Redford is great in the lead role, delving well into the part to the point where ...I don't remember this movie being so confusing... - XTRUClerk
Maybe it's the added footage and the re-shuffling of scenes that get me confused. Having seen the movie before, though admittedly a few years back, I should have found it fairly easy to follow. It doesn't help that Robert Redford plays himself as both a ...