The Natural directed by Barry Levinson is an awe inspiring movie of
a father and sons dream to become the best baseball player there ever was. Roy
Hobbs (Robert Redford) is a young boy who grows up playing baseball in the
fields with his father. His father unexpectantly dies by a huge tree on the
property. Later that night the tree is struck down by lighting and Roy makes a
baseball bat from it and engraves in it WONDERBOY with a lightning strike. This
bat is the bat that Roy will use throughout his entire career.
Roy leaves his farm life
and his girlfriend at the time Iris Gaines (Glenn Close) for the big leagues.
He takes a train to Chicago in order to pursue his unlimited goal of pitching
for the Chicago Cubs, but while there the story turns for the worst. When Roy
is shot by Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey) a know killer of athletes. Sixteen
years later after vanishing from the earth he reappears and wants to try out
for the New York Knights a major league team. Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) the
coach of the Knights has no faith in him. Once on the team Roy is taken for
granted not being allowed to participate in the practices sits and warms the
bench for multiple games. Finally, after realizing that the Knights are a joke
and a laughing stock of the state because they have lost every single game, Roy
is put to the test. At batting practice he hits a home run every single time,
but the coach does not realize Roy’s ability and says it is just practice and
luck wait till the game. Roy is put into the next game and while at bat the
iconic lightning strike occurs and all of a sudden the ball is in sheds on the
field. The opposing team is astonished and questions the whole thing while in
the mean time the WONDERBOY bat becomes famous. Soon after a star player in the
team Bump Bailey dies after running into a wall during a game which this becomes
ironic and just in favor of Roy because they both play the same position. Now
all of a sudden the New York Nights begin winning games now that Roy is playing
and the team is actually becoming famous and has a bigger fan base. The New
York Knights are in the news papers, magazines and they are on baseball cards.
Roy Hobbs is the ideal
player. He is attracted to the local community and an inspiration for the young
kids. He signs balls, paper, and pictures for all the kids and does not leave anyone
out. Coaches are comic relief throughout the movie. They goof off while in the
dugout singing and whistling during the practices.
But the movie can’t be
all happy and cheery because there is an evil scheme boiling up. The Judge (Robert
Prosky) wants to steal the team from the beloved Pop and Roy is not going to
just let this happen. The Judge offers him more money, but it will not work
because Roy’s loyalty is to Pop.
Rumors have been going
around about Roy’s past and the truth is about to be let out. Secret romances
arise with Memo (Kim Basinger) and it does not help Roy’s game. Yet Roy manages
to break a lot of things in his career like a clock tower and the game lights.
Roy’s Old Girlfriend Iris
appears again out of nowhere at one of the games and Roy and her begin spending
time together and reconnecting again. He learned she has a son who is 16 years
old and Roy wants to meet him.
In an instant things
change Roy is sent to the hospital after having a stomach issue. It is from a
previous injury (gunshot wound silver bullet inside stomach) that is causing
the stomach lining to deteriorate. The Doc (Mickey Treanor) insists that he not
continue playing baseball, but Roy is persistent and continues. The next
practice does not go well, but Roy will just not quit. In the mean time Roy’s
true past is found out. The Judge, Gus (Darren McGavin), and Memo are pit
against him.
Pop is satisfied with the
season no matter win or lose he is proud and happy. The National League Pennant
game is played. Roy continues to play despite his injury which is
determination. But he suffers through it, striking out twice. Before his last
time at bat he gets a note from Iris telling him his son is in the stands which
he did not know about. This motivates him, he hits a home run breaking the game
lights and ultimately wining the game. Although, this is not the end, his stomach
is bleeding. The movie is brought back in a circle with the newly united family
playing catch in the fields.
Overall this is a great
movie that everyone should watch. Although this movie was made in 1984 don’t just
judge a book by its cover because I did and the movie was remarkable and not
boring in the least bit. I could not wait to see what would occur next and I
was left on the edge of my seat. This movie it the type of movie people love to
watch because of the heroic and dedicated player of Roy Hobbs.
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