80's Movie Review: The Natural

The Natural follows the story of a young man, Roy Hobbs (Redford), who appears to have the physical talent necessary to become a star in the Big Leagues. Unfortunately, after proving his worth, he is dealt a career threatening injury. The film follows his attempted comeback to greatness.

Each time Hobbs steps to the plate, with his famously named bat "Wonderboy", we are reminded of a nostalgic period of America's greatest sport during the first half of the 20th Century. The Natural has an all-star cast including Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Robert Duvall. Based on the Novel of the same name, the film is heralded as a Sports Classic along side the likes of Hoosiers and Rudy.

Director Barry Levinson does a superb job in illustrating this legendary period of baseball. By combining slow motion camera angles with an emotional soundtrack composed by Randy Newman, the experience can be very emotional. The games portrayed, with Hobbs at bat, are given an almost mythic aura that hasn't been matched in by any film to date. By showing the greatness that Baseball once held in American culture, The Natural truly is one of the best sports films of all time.

The film is not just a sports masterpiece, it has great appeal to people of all tastes by combining love, friendship as well as Baseball. This story is about taking nothing for granted and savoring everything you have been given. because at any time it can be taken away. I strongly recommend The Natural to both Baseball and non-Baseball fans alike.

You can purchase this film at:

Amazon

Best Buy

Buy.com

Deep Discount

Family Video