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Spinoff of Field of Dreams Thread: Thoughts on "The Natural"
Posted on 10/8/25 at 3:17 pm
Posted on 10/8/25 at 3:17 pm
Sometime in the past week or two, YouTube put up The Natural with Robert Redford in free movies. This past weekend, I watched it for the upteenth time.
The Sandlot is my favorites kids baseball movie, and The Natural is my favorite adult baseball movie. I've always enjoyed baseball history from the 20's through the 50's so the time period of the movie is right in my wheelhouse. I loved the movie enough I even bought a New York Knights #9 jersey a few years ago.
Thoughts on this baseball classic?
The Sandlot is my favorites kids baseball movie, and The Natural is my favorite adult baseball movie. I've always enjoyed baseball history from the 20's through the 50's so the time period of the movie is right in my wheelhouse. I loved the movie enough I even bought a New York Knights #9 jersey a few years ago.
Thoughts on this baseball classic?
13
Posted on 10/8/25 at 3:24 pm to TheFonz
Favorite baseball movie
Posted on 10/8/25 at 3:39 pm to TheFonz
Great movie, among the best sports films of all time
Posted on 10/8/25 at 3:45 pm to TheFonz
The only weak spot I think is the way Bump Bailey died. It didn't look like he hit the wall that hard. Getting beaned by a fastball would have been more realistic (see Ray Chapman).
Other than that, I think it is a brilliant movie. I will confess that I have never read the book.
Other than that, I think it is a brilliant movie. I will confess that I have never read the book.
Posted on 10/8/25 at 5:06 pm to TheFonz
I grew up with The Natural on vhs rotation. What’s not to love? It helped that Redford had some baseball experience in his younger days. His hands were good, stayed in the zone.
Posted on 10/8/25 at 5:08 pm to TheFonz
The ending of the book is very different.
Posted on 10/8/25 at 5:43 pm to TheFonz
I can hear the music when I watch this gif.
Young GeauxldMember was obsessed with The Natural. I even made a bat with my Dad’s spoke shaves and burned “Wonder Boy” and a bolt of lightning on it. Great memories. Have an upvote, sir.
This post was edited on 10/8/25 at 5:45 pm
Posted on 10/8/25 at 6:29 pm to TheFonz
quote:
I will confess that I have never read the book.
I read it in college and wrote a 15 page paper on it. As I researched the book, it made me realize that writing was a craft; an art—not just “making shite up.” As I researched the author, Bernard Malamud, I came to understand he was a genius who worked as hard at writing as a modern day ball player works at his sport.
And Hobbs’ ending is way different. Hobbs is Achilles. His flaw is hubris. “Wonderboy” is Excalibur. Iris is The Lady in the Lake, etc.
Posted on 10/8/25 at 6:45 pm to TheFonz
quote:
Thoughts on this baseball classic?
Amazing. So well done.
One drawback? His kid throws like a girl.
"And I'm not going to pretend he doesn't"
This post was edited on 10/8/25 at 6:51 pm
Posted on 10/8/25 at 10:20 pm to TheFonz
I grew up hoping that one day lightning would strike the tree in my yard so that I could have my very own magic bat and stop striking out every time I stepped up to the plate
Posted on 10/8/25 at 10:42 pm to TheFonz
Really enjoy the movie
Such a cool shot when Glenn Close is the only one standing in the crowd in the white dress .
So was Hobbs just bouncing around the minors all that time after he recovered from the gunshot wound ?
The Whammer is also Brandi’s dad in Joe Dirt among many other roles of his
Such a cool shot when Glenn Close is the only one standing in the crowd in the white dress .
So was Hobbs just bouncing around the minors all that time after he recovered from the gunshot wound ?
The Whammer is also Brandi’s dad in Joe Dirt among many other roles of his
This post was edited on 10/8/25 at 10:43 pm
Posted on 10/9/25 at 2:43 am to TheFonz
I wore number 9 all through little leagues. I can't even count how many times I watched that movie 
Posted on 10/9/25 at 3:36 am to Lawyered
quote:
The Whammer is also Brandi’s dad in Joe Dirt among many other roles of his
Or the lead in Walking Tall
Posted on 10/9/25 at 4:25 am to SouthEasternKaiju
quote:
One drawback? His kid throws like a girl.
Someone had to say it.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 8:09 am to TheFonz
Great movie. Still remember where and when i saw it in the theater.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:13 am to Lawyered
quote:
So was Hobbs just bouncing around the minors all that time after he recovered from the gunshot wound ?
I think he was out of the game for many many years because of the gunshot wound and then many years later he was able to start playing and started working his way around the minors.
He was "the Natural", he just needed to be in a healthy enough spot to play. And I think he probably knew it would end like it did with him eventually bleeding out because of the old wound, but he had to take that one last shot because he knew he was the best.
The Natural and Bull Durham are tied for my #1 all time baseball movies. They both just put you in a special place in baseball, whether it be the golden oldie days of the game or the minor leagues. Wonderful movies.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:31 am to TheFonz
quote:That always seems off to me.
the way Bump Bailey died
Posted on 10/9/25 at 11:34 am to AlxTgr
Great score by Randy Newman.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 11:50 am to wareaglepete
quote:
Bull Durham
I’m probably the only person who loves the movie but hates the Susan Sarandon scenes when she’s not at the ballpark.. that movie drags on.
I love the baseball parts of it however
Posted on 10/9/25 at 11:55 am to A12 Oxcart
I absolutely love the movie, so I was shocked when I finally read the book and read the original ending. I didn’t care for it at all, and it’s one of the very few times where I was glad the filmmakers made a major change from the source material.
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