America’s greatest pastime may exist in an aura of nostalgia about warm summer evenings at the ball park, with a hot dog, the smell of fresh grass and that unique sound of a ball hitting a bat. But the reality is that it’s bloated game, with overpaid players who in turn force us to play inflated prices to even gain entry to theme parks they now call baseball diamonds. But in 2002, the Oakland Athletics bucked the trend you needed money in order to win.
And thus arrives “Moneyball,” the based-on-a-true-story tale that centers on Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), the GM and assistant GM that made the 2002 Oakland A’s a highly competitive Major League Baseball team (Beane took them to an AL West Division title) using a modern analytical sabermetrics system, despite having a completely budgeted, low-rent squad that were initially the laughing stock of baseball early on in the season. The marketing on the film has slowly been pushing it as an inspirational tale of underdogs making good and this newest trailer well, knocks it out of the park.
It’s a winsome and rousing spot, and for anyone who ever had an even casual interest in baseball — like this writer — you will immediately be brought back to the indescribable thrill of a pennant race, of the little guys on the team making a contribution and the excitement of a city pulling together behind a team. It’s been a while since we’ve had a solid baseball flick, but “Moneyball” seems like it may be a winner. And oh yeah, the music in the trailer is “The Mighty Rio Grande” by This Will Destroy You.
The Bennett Miller directed film hits TIFF next month before opening on September 23rd. [JoBlo via FirstShowing]
