Joe: When I left the theater after watching “Moneyball” last October, I was relieved. As a long-time baseball fan in my 20s, I have searched for the perfect baseball movie for adults. I love classics like “Major League,” “Rookie of the Year” and — of course — “The Sandlot”. However, I have struggled to find baseball movies that transcend the comedy genre. Humor sprinkled into plot here and there is encouraged, but it should be backed by compelling and relatable drama. In “Moneyball,” Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is fighting for his career. The Oakland A’s did not have the financial means to compete in 2002, and in the film, Beane was desperate to keep his job and stay close to his daughter. Each of us can relate to the desire to take a bold risk — some of us actually have — and the movie connects with its audience in an intimate fashion. Also, seeing the inner workings of a baseball front office is pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Corey: It’s definitely a lot better than watching baseball. As a movie lover, however, I can’t get on board with your choice. “Moneyball” is a solid movie in my book, but to compare it to the classics is like saying LeBron is better than Jordan — it just can’t and shouldn’t be done. Now for my choice I’m taking a different route, and I’m sure most of you will recognize the song over the movie: “The Hurricane.” With Denzel Washington in the lead role and Bob Dylan taking the top spot on the soundtrack, you already have a recipe for success. In “The Hurricane,” Rubin “Hurricane” Carter (Denzel) is convicted of triple murder in the midst of his boxing career. The movie narrates how the middleweight fighter copes with almost 20 years in prison, and parallels with how a youth from Brooklyn becomes inspired by Carter’s autobiography and tries to prove Carter innocent. The Bob Dylan song says it all, but the movie does it one better.
Joe: Your irrational hatred of baseball is going to come back and bite you one day, Mr. McCall, and I will laugh wholeheartedly when you receive judgment from the sports gods. While I acknowledge the powerful drama that is “The Hurricane,” it is difficult to appeal to the sports fan base with such heavy drama. Most flock to sports for a sense of escape and while exposing a terrible social tragedy in the wrongful conviction of Mr. Carter, “The Hurricane” does not offer that luxury. However, “Moneyball” introduces some magic. The professional sports front office has long been an impenetrable fortress — a bastion of secrecy hidden from fans. In a time when every offseason in professional sports is dominated by free agency and trade talk, “Moneyball” is the movie of the moment. The methods used in this movie redefined how baseball teams construct their rosters and in doing so, documents a major revolution in baseball free agency. Also, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are a hilarious and very human duo.
Corey: C’mon, Scott Hatteberg and Ricardo Rincon were the real heroes of that film. And I’ll refrain from going into too much detail, but they casted Phillip Seymour Hoffman and used him for all of five minutes (who does that?) — I refuse to believe Art Howe (Hoffman) played no part in the team’s success, besides not starting Hatteberg. Just about every sports movie focuses on the preparation that occurs on and off the field, but “The Hurricane” centers around the life of a prominent African American boxer and the adversity that came with it in an era riddled with racism. Besides the mental battle Carter faces, the focus switches to the good-will nature of a boy that dedicates his time to helping out a man he has never met. In other words, it strays from the norm in the realm of sports movies and that uniqueness is what makes it one of my personal favorites. Besides, I’ll take Denzel over Pitt any day.
Joe: SPOILER ALERT! There is a scene at the end of “Moneyball” where Peter Brand (Hill) takes Beane into the film room shortly after the famous general manager turns down a mega offer from the Red Sox. The tape showed a ballplayer, who had unknowingly hit a long home run, trip over first base and desperately crawl back to the first base bag before realizing his accomplishment. As Brand explains to how Beane’s work with the A’s mirrors the video, Pitt’s character smiles and says, “I know what a metaphor is.” The scene is organic and resonant. If you can’t find it in yourself to root for Beane and Oakland after watching this film — the scene I have just described in particular — you have a heart made of stone. Whether it’s the sharp, witty dialogue penned by Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillan, or the everyman performance from Pitt, this is a classic story of David vs. Goliath where our small hero continues to struggle valiantly for the ultimate prize. It is heartbreaking. And as far as your Philip Seymour Hoffman comment is concerned, he was great as Art Howe. So, boom!
Corey: Woa, calm down Will Muschamp. And shame on you for adding in spoilers, I thought we ran a respectable paper here. You think enough people have watched “Moneyball” where you can just add in spoilers whenever you feel like it — you think that you’re too cool for school, but I’ve got a news flash for you Walter Cronkite … you aren’t. Either way you look at it, these are two great movies and it’s hard to debate against one or the other. And to pick one as the greatest is harder than making a sequel to the success that was “John Carter.” And since I still have some self-respect left, I will refrain from adding any spoilers and just encourage you to watch them for yourself. That includes you Joe Morgan, “The Hurricane” better be high on your list.
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org and Corey McCall at cmccall@alligator.org.
