The Natural (1984)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Bernard Malamud (novel)
Roger Towne (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The best there was!

Plot:

An average baseball player comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a legendary player with almost divine talent.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Tree | 1930s | Lightning | Team

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Roy Hobbs
Glenn Close	...	Iris Gaines
Kim Basinger	...	Memo Paris
Wilford Brimley	...	Pop Fisher
Barbara Hershey	...	Harriet Bird
Robert Prosky	...	The Judge
Richard Farnsworth	...	Red Blow
Joe Don Baker	...	The Whammer
John Finnegan	...	Sam Simpson
Alan Fudge	...	Ed Hobbs
Paul Sullivan Jr.	...	Young Roy
Rachel Hall	...	Young Iris
Robert Rich III	...	Ted Hobbs
Michael Madsen	...	Bartholomew 'Bump' Bailey
Jon Van Ness	...	John Olsen
Mickey Treanor	...	Doc Dizzy
George Wilkosz	...	Bobby Savoy
Anthony J. Ferrara	...	Coach Wilson
Philip Mankowski	...	Hank Benz
Danny Aiello III	...	Emil LaJong
Joe Castellano	...	Allie Stubbs
Eddie Cipot	...	Gabby Laslow
Ken Grassano	...	Al Fowler
Robert Kalaf	...	Cal Baker
Barry Kivel	...	Pat McGee
Steven Kronovet	...	Tommy Hinkle
James Meyer	...	Dutch Schultz
Mike Starr	...	Boone (as Michael Starr)
Sam Green	...	Murphy
Martin Grey	...	Additional Knight
Joseph Mosso	...	Additional Knight
Richard Oliveri	...	Additional Knight
Lawrence Couzens	...	Additional Knight
Duke McGuire	...	Additional Knight
Stephen Poliachik	...	Additional Knight
Kevin Lester	...	Additional Knight
Joseph Charboneau	...	Additional Knight
Robert Rudnick	...	Additional Knight
Ken Kamholz	...	Additional Knight
Sibby Sisti	...	Pirates Manager
Phillip D. Rosenberg	...	Pitcher Youngberry
Christopher B. Rehbaum	...	Pitcher John Rhoades
Nicholas Koleff	...	Umpire Augie
Jerry Stockman	...	Umpire Babe
James Quamo	...	Memorial Game Umpire
Joe Strnad	...	Final Game Home Plate Umpire (as Joseph Strnad)
James Mohr	...	Al
Ralph Tabakin	...	Al's Customer
Dennis Gould	...	Carnival Boy
Joshua Abbey	...	Home Plate Photographer
Gayle Vance	...	Maid at Party
George Scheitinger	...	League Official
Peter Poth	...	Dr. Knobb
Bernie McInerney	...	Hospital Doctor
Elizabeth Ann Klein	...	Stern Nurse
Charles Sergis	...	Newsreel Narrator (voice)
Edward Walsh	...	Newsreel Presenter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Duvall	...	Max Mercy
Mark Atienza	...	Young Roy Hobbs (uncredited)
Darren McGavin	...	Gus Sands (uncredited)
Brian Reingold	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)

Directed by
Barry Levinson

Writing credits
Bernard Malamud		(novel)
Roger Towne		(writer) and
Phil Dusenberry		(writer)

Produced by
Philip M. Breen	....	executive producer
Robert F. Colesberry	....	associate producer
Mark Johnson	....	producer
Roger Towne	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Newman

Cinematography by
Caleb Deschanel

Film Editing by
Christopher Holmes		(final cut)
Stu Linder

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Mel Bourne
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
John Sweeney
Bruce Weintraub

Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham
Bernie Pollack

Makeup Department
Tom Hoerber	....	makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Bunny Parker	....	hair stylist (as Bernadette Parker)

Production Management
Peter Burrell	....	additional unit production manager (as Peter J. Burrell)
Robert F. Colesberry	....	unit production manager
Tom Razzano	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Crowley	....	first assistant director
Tom Davies	....	second assistant director
Carol Smetana	....	second assistant director
Chris Soldo	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joe Acord	....	construction coordinator: New York
Barry Bedig	....	property master
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant property master
Joe Garlington	....	propmaker
Speed Hopkins	....	art director: New York
Robert Müller	....	construction coordinator: Los Angeles
James J. Murakami	....	art director: Los Angeles
Gregory Puchalski	....	sign painter

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tod Scott Brody	....	sound effects editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Jimmy Ling	....	sound effects editor
Chris McLaughlin	....	production sound
Andrew Patterson	....	sound editor
Andrew Patterson	....	sound effects editor
Bill Phillips	....	supervising sound editor
Hal Sanders	....	sound effects editor
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Stuebe	....	production sound (as James Stuebe)
Jeff Wexler	....	production sound

Special Effects by
Gregg Bond	....	special effects prop artist
Linda Bond	....	special effects artist
Roger Hansen	....	special effects
Eric Roberts	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Roger Dorney	....	visual effects
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)

Stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt double: Michael Madson

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Brown	....	assistant camera (as Bob Brown)
Craig Denault	....	camera operator
Alan R. Disler	....	assistant camera
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Clyde Hart	....	key grip
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Gábor Kövér	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bob E. Krattiger	....	lamp operator
Scott Rathner	....	additional second assistant camera
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Jürgen Vollmer	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lisa Clarkson	....	additional casting
Louis DiGiaimo	....	additional casting
Mary Jo Markey	....	extras casting
Una McClure	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jules Melillo	....	costume supervisor
James W. Tyson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Andy Blumenthal	....	additional editor
Battle Davis	....	additional editor
Jere Huggins	....	additional editor
Neil Kirk	....	apprentice film editor
Liza Randol	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Foster	....	song producer
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Joe Tuley	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Rick Mercier	....	transportation coordinator (as Richard Mercier)

Other crew
Ted Bafaloukos	....	creative consultant
Robert Bean	....	production consultant
Sherrie Bradshaw	....	assistant production accountant
Casey Brown	....	production assistant
Rick Cerrone	....	baseball consultant
Joe D'Alessandro	....	production assistant
Kevin Duncan	....	production assistant
Anthony J. Ferrara	....	baseball trainer
Lynn Goldman	....	location manager
Ann Guerin	....	publicist
Ken Hendler	....	baseball trainer
Shelley Houis	....	production coordinator
Malcolm Kahn	....	production consultant
Gene Kirby	....	baseball consultant
Kathy Kristich	....	production assistant
Ann Luly	....	misc crew
Patrick Markey	....	production executive
Tom Paolucci	....	craft service
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor
Stratton Rawson	....	location manager
Frank 'Spec' Shea	....	baseball throwing instructor
Gary Stanek	....	location manager
Bob Richthammer	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Delphi II Productions
• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1984) (France) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (Belgium) (video)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• Alixandre Furs  furs
• Hollywood Rental Company  lighting
• Market Street Studios  post-production facilities
• Sportsrobe  costumes

Runtime:

134 min | USA:144 min (Director's Cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Norway:12 | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

All-High Stadium - 50 Mercer Avenue, Buffalo, New York, USA

Company:

Delphi II Productions

Trivia:

While late actor Darren McGavin had a major supporting role as the bookmaker Gus Sands respectively, McGavin received no credit for his role in the film. In the recent retrospective documentary on the Special Edition DVD of "The Natural", actor Robert Prosky, who plays the Judge, claims that McGavin was cast late in the picture and would have to receive a lesser billing than the other stars. As a result, McGavin chose to go uncredited. Prosky also noted that McGavin wound up "drawing more attention to himself" as a result.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Bump Bailey's bronze plaque shown briefly after his funeral is misspelled "IN MEMORIUM"; the correct spelling is "MEMORIAM."

Quotes:

Pop Fisher: I shoulda been a farmer.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Homer at the Bat (#3.17)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

My favorite baseball movie. Truly magical.

A wonderful, magical fairy tale, and morality play. This is the type of movie that as a new father, I cannot wait until my son is old enough to watch this with me.

I know much has been made about Redford being too old to play Roy Hobbs. But much of the story asks you to believe in incredible things, so to me, this is a minor issue.

Everything about this movie is first rate. The cast which includes Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley and a pair of terrific performances turned in by Robert Duval and Darren McGavin.

It is easy to see that all of the actors trust the material and believe in their characters.

Barry Levinson tells the story in a straight forward style, he doesn't try to build any false suspense or surprise twists. When you watch this movie you know exactly what is going to happen long before it does, but you don't care, because it unfolds intelligently and without pretense.

My two favorite components of this movie are the cinematography by Caleb Deschanel and the beautiful, moving score composed by Randy Newman. I first enjoyed Mr. Deschanel's work on "Being There", and felt Mr. Newman's score for "Ragtime" was the best score of 1981.

"The Natural" is so much more than a baseball movie. It is a story about faith, good and evil, right and wrong, fathers and sons. It is about all that is good in baseball and in life.

10 out of 10