Topic: Bull Durham (1988)

[Antares]

Bull Durham





Year: 1988
Film Studio: Orion Pictures, Mount Company
Genre: Sports, Comedy, Romance
Length: 108 Min.

Director
Ron Shelton (1945)

Writing
Ron Shelton (1945)...Written By

Producer
Mark Burg
Charles Hirschhorn
David V. Lester
Thom Mount (1948)

Cinematographer
Bobby Byrne

Music
Michael Convertino (1953)...Composer

Stars
Kevin Costner (1955) as Crash Davis
Susan Sarandon (1946) as Annie Savoy
Tim Robbins (1958) as Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh
Trey Wilson (1948) as Joe Riggins
Robert Wuhl (1951) as Larry Hockett
William O'Leary (1957) as Jimmy
David Neidorf as Bobby
Danny Gans (1956) as Deke

Review
       The late eighties saw the release of some of the best sports movies ever made. In a span of five years Hoosiers, The Natural, Eight Men Out, Field of Dreams, Major League and Bull Durham were released to both critical and box office success. What separates these five films from their predecessors is the use of actors who actually had athletic ability, although one could make the case that Robert Redford was a little too old to play Roy Hobbs in The Natural. Tim Robbins may have been a little too gangly and awkward to portray an up and coming pitching prodigy, but his quirky and off-kilter approach to the role made up for any physical shortcomings associated with his performance. On the other hand, Kevin Costner was a one-time baseball prospect in his youth, and it shows. His fluid swing and the ease of his baseball gamesmanship give the film an air of credibility to the countless sports fans that this film is targeted to. Long gone are the days of an Anthony Perkins, Ray Milland or William Bendix portraying baseball players that look like they haven’t been on a playing field in over twenty years.

       According to his new catcher and unwilling mentor ‘Crash’ Davis (Kevin Costner), Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), a newly signed bonus baby pitcher for the Durham Bulls, was blessed by the gods with a thunderbolt for a right arm. Unfortunately, he hits the strike zone as frequently as a real thunderbolt strikes the same place on earth twice. Davis is a journeyman catcher who has bounced around the minor leagues his whole career and is traded to the Bulls as “the player to be named later”. His sole purpose with the Bulls is to give LaLoosh the guidance and instruction needed to help graduate ‘Nuke’ up to ‘The Show’. LaLoosh is also being guided by a middle aged baseball groupie named Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon.), whose existential philosophy on life and her vast baseball knowledge steer ‘Nuke’ into a re-channeling of his energy and thought processes, all under the guise of carnal creativity. The one problem facing this trio is that Annie hasn’t come to the reality yet that ‘Crash’ is truly her soul mate and that she really is in love with him. She too will have to be guided by ‘Crash’, before she can also graduate to the big league ‘Show’ of a lasting meaningful relationship.

       A first rate comedy and a quasi love story help to make Bull Durham an enjoyable romp that can be appreciated by both sexes, especially when viewed back-to-back with its sister film Field of Dreams, also starring Costner. To some this is the only way to truly kick off the baseball season each year.


Review Criterion
- The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
- Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
- Historically important film, considered a classic.
- An entertaining film that’s fun or engaging to watch.
– A good film that’s worth a Netflix venture.
- Borderline viewable.
– A bad film that may have a moment of interest.
– Insipid, trite and sophomoric, and that's its good points.
– A film so vacuous, it will suck 2 hours from the remainder of your life.
- A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.

[Najemikon]

Never seen this properly. But then I'd have to take your word for it on the quality of the baseball references anyway.

It was a much better sport when it was named Rounders...

[Antares]

It was a much better sport when it was named Rounders...

Alas, much like everything else you create, we find its inherent faults, and we improve upon it.

You know, like form of government, sans monarchy.  

I guess you could say that we are the UK's quality control department.  

[Najemikon]

Government? I think we'd better settle for a no score draw on that one!

We let children play rounders (sorry, baseball) until they can handle the grown ups cricket. Not sure if you lot could work that out, just like you can't play snooker on a proper sized table!

But what would you expect from a nation that has to dress up to play rugby? Because that's the one where you carry the ball with your hands; football, you may be surprised to hear, is generally played with ones feet.

[Antares]

I know one thing you can expect from this nation.

When you go to a sporting event here, you can rest assured that the fans around you will use the lavatories, instead of pissing their pants because they're too sloshed to realize they need to relieve themselves.   

Is it true that football was created as a direct result of this phenomenon? You know, running around and swinging your leg at a ball to speed up the drying process for your urine soaked britches. 

[Najemikon]

Well that's a matter of opinion, but only theory for you because there's no way you've ever been sloshed on American beer!