Moneyball (2011)

• Year: 2011
• Released: 23 Sep 2011
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Nominated for 6 Oscars. 29 wins & 82 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Moneyball
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/moneyball
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 2160p
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
• Runtime: 133 min
• Writer: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
• Director: Bennett Miller
• Cast: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill
• Keywords: based on true story, based on a true story, sports, 1970s, 1980s,

	7.6/10
	87/100
	94% – Critics
	86% – Audience

Moneyball Storyline

The Oakland A’s end their 2001 season with a loss in the AL fifth game of a best of five elimination series, still an admirable accomplishment seeing as the A’s are considered a poor team with a payroll one-third of that of a rich team like the New York Yankees. During the off season, they lose three of their star players through free agency, most problematic being first baseman Jason Giambi. Without more money which he doesn’t get from owner Stephen Schott, the A’s GM, Billy Beane, knows that they will never win the World Series as richer teams will always be able to pilfer their best players – ones they have been able to nurture – with more lucrative contracts. Billy knows they have to think differently about how to replace the three, looking at what they require in combination rather than looking at the three as individuals, which is different than the way scouts have looked at players over the sport’s history. In a meeting with Cleveland Indians management about players, Billy meets Peter Brand, a quiet Yale Economics graduate, who works for the Indians doing player analysis. Upon questioning Peter later in private, Billy realizes that purely academic Peter has much the same thought process as he does. Billy hires him as the A’s Assistant GM after receiving what he considers the correct answer to Billy’s question on his own checkered past as a first round 1979 draft pick which led to notoriety as a failure as a player. But once on the payroll, Peter convinces Billy to look at the entire dugout, and acquire undervalued players for what they can do in order for the team to win. As an example, they acquire former catcher Scott Hatteberg, whose career is seen as being over by all other teams due to an elbow injury that doesn’t allow him to throw. Although not a hitter, they acquire him for his ability to “get on base” in whatever way required (usually by walks), and plan to teach him how to play first base, a generally non-throwing position. These moves don’t sit well with the A’s scouting team and sports analysts. Problematic is that the A’s Manager, Art Howe, who also doesn’t agree with or understand the strategy, refuses to listen to Billy about how best to manage the team as assembled. Billy knows that his and Peter’s jobs are on the line if they don’t produce, which he realizes means nothing less than winning the World Series. But more important to Billy is to show the world of baseball that his way is the right way.

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Moneyball Movie Reviews

Moneyball isn’t focussed on just playing Baseball but instead the inner workings of building the greatest team.

Hundreds of sports films, hundreds of them. Pretty sure Hollywood has tackled every type of sport, including Baseball several times over. Why should this one be any different? Well, this is the true story of the Oakland Athletics to which their General Manager at the time used a new technique of deciding a team: the Moneyball model. Using statistics and logic to pick the most effective players at the cheapest price, therefore building the ultimate economical team. Such a model could change the Baseball industry and negate years of traditional intuition. This is not so much about changing Baseball, but a personal journey for Billy Beane. He himself was chosen to play professionally, ditching his chances of further education. It didn’t work out, and so he desired to change the system and defy the industry as a personal vendetta against them. Completely unconventional, having a computer system pick the most suitable players as opposed to listening to veterans who have something that algorithms do not: experience. Thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I can say I have no interest in Baseball (not particularly huge in the UK). A screenplay by Aaron Sorkin was destined to keep me captivated. Every script he writes is filled with sharp, concise dialogue that keeps you hooked on the characters. Brad Pitt looked effortlessly natural, owned every scene he was in. Jonah Hill…get ready guys…I actually liked. Finally!? A film I like him in. Cool, calm and calculated, was perfect at playing a graduate economist. Bennett Miller’s direction was clean with a great mixture of old footage of Baseball games with the reconstructed acting. There’s a scene towards the end where the result of a game relies on Chris Pratt hitting the ball. When he does…silence. I felt the tingles, was beautifully executed. Whilst the sport of Baseball does not interest me in the slightest, I loved the focus on the team building and thought it was brilliantly acted by everyone.

But what if you don’t like baseball films?!

I would sure think that “Moneyball” would have a very limited international appeal–especially in countries where they don’t have professional baseball. And, even in the States, I can’t see this as being an easy sell if the audience member is not a fan of the sport. While I have enjoyed some ball films, I am not a huge fan of pro sports–so keep this in mind when I say how underwhelmed I was by the whole thing. Much of this also is because the film has been nominated for six Academy Awards–one for Best Picture, one for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor. So, I expected a lot and the film seemed to deliver less.

This film is based on the real life general manager of the Oakland A’s back in the early 2000s. He came up with a statistical system by which he was able to replace big-money free agents with lesser players and STILL win–all by applying a lot of statistical analyses. For fans of fantasy baseball, this will be of some interest. As for me, I just didn’t care–mostly because with the huge salaries, teams that move at the drop of a hat and various scandals, pro sports lost me as a fan long ago–and I just didn’t care who won or lost. Now IF Brad Pitt’s character had seemed like a particularly compelling person, I might have cared…but he didn’t.

Overall, unless you are a big sports film fan, don’t see the film or at least significantly lower your expectations. Pitt’s and Jonah Hill’s performances weren’t bad…but both have done better work.

Much more than just a baseball film

Despite being a non-sports fan, let alone a non-baseball fan, there are still a lot of great sports films out there…of which ‘Moneyball’ is an example of one.

It is not going to be for all tastes. It is wordy with a lot of talk and not a whole lot of baseball, which may be a disappointment for fans, but to me that was not a bad thing at all. It saw a different side to the sport and how sports films are approached and portrayed, and it was done wonderfully, apart from a couple of scenes that were a touch too talky.

‘Moneyball’ is a very well made film, not one of the most visually beautiful films of the year but still beautifully shot and the scenery is very handsome. Bennett Miller does a fine job directing, keeping the film engrossing and the drama alert and easy to follow. The music complements very nicely, never over-bearing or too low-key.

Aaron Sorkin’s script is smart and intelligent, filled with humour and heart, while the storytelling is well paced and enthralling, managing to make something exciting out of a potentially dry subject matter or a film that could have suffered from sluggish execution in lesser hands.

Brad Pitt’s lead performance is full of daring enthusiasm and he wins one over with his charisma. In contrast, Jonah Hill is superbly understated and Philip Seymour Hoffmann steals every scene he’s in.

Overall, a great film that is more than just a film about baseball. 9/10 Bethany Cox