The Natural - See below for more information about the movie!
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THE NATURAL (1984)
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A young Roy Hobbs plays baseball with his father on the family farm. Roy's father dies suddenly under a tree. That tree is split in half by lightning, and Roy carves a baseball bat from it. He burns a lightning bolt on the barrel and calls it Wonderboy.
In 1923, a 19-year old Hobbs (Redford) is granted a tryout by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher. The train to Chicago makes a stop at a carnival and Roy is challenged to strike out "The Whammer" (Baker), the top hitter in the major leagues. He does so in front of many people, including a sportswriter named Max Mercy (Duvall), who draws a picture of the event.
Back on the train, the naive Hobbs is seduced by Harriet Byrd (Hershey), an alluring woman, who gravitates to him after judging that he, rather than The Whammer, is now the best baseball player in the world. Byrd lures Hobbs to a hotel room, shoots him, and then jumps out the window to her death. It is later revealed that Byrd kills rising athletes, having already murdered two others.
The story skips forward to 1939. The New York Knights have signed the now 35-year-old Hobbs to a contract, to the ire of the team's manager and co-owner, Pop Fisher (Brimley). With the Knights mired in last-place, Pop is angry about being saddled with a "middle-aged rookie" and refuses to even let him participate in team practice. After a showdown in which Roy is told he is to be sent back to the minors, Pop relents.
During the next game, the team's star player, "Bump" Bailey (Madsen), angers Pop and Roy is sent to pinch hit. Pop encourages Hobbs to knock the cover off the ball, which Hobbs does, providing the game-winning hit in a rain-shortened game. After Bump dies running through the outfield fence in pursuit of a fly ball, Roy takes over as the team's starting right fielder and plays phenomenally, becoming the league's sensation and single-handedly turning the Knights' fortunes around.
Hobbs' success prompts Mercy to try and unearth details about his background, but Hobbs is uncooperative. Mercy starts a rumor that Wonderboy is a loaded bat, but the allegation is disproven when the league weighs and measures the bat, which meets specifications.
Roy is soon summoned to a meeting with the principal owner of the Knights, The Judge (Prosky). Beforehand, Pop's assistant, Red (Farnsworth), informs Roy that The Judge has an interest in the team losing, since Pop is obligated to sell his share to The Judge if the Knights fail to win the National League pennant. To ensure that result, The Judge had ordered his chief scout to stock the roster with unknown players like Hobbs.
The Judge inquires about Roy's background but is rebuffed. The Judge then offers him a new contract as an implicit bribe to throw the season, but Hobbs makes it clear he is committed to winning the pennant. Gambler Gus Sands (McGavin) and The Judge devise a plan to manipulate him: Memo Paris (Basinger), Pop's niece, and Bump's former girlfriend, is sent to seduce Roy.
A young Roy Hobbs plays baseball with his father on the family farm. Roy's father dies suddenly under a tree. That tree is split in half by lightning, and Roy carves a baseball bat from it. He burns a lightning bolt on the barrel and calls it Wonderboy.
In 1923, a 19-year old Hobbs (Redford) is granted a tryout by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher. The train to Chicago makes a stop at a carnival and Roy is challenged to strike out "The Whammer" (Baker), the top hitter in the major leagues. He does so in front of many people, including a sportswriter named Max Mercy (Duvall), who draws a picture of the event.
Back on the train, the naive Hobbs is seduced by Harriet Byrd (Hershey), an alluring woman, who gravitates to him after judging that he, rather than The Whammer, is now the best baseball player in the world. Byrd lures Hobbs to a hotel room, shoots him, and then jumps out the window to her death. It is later revealed that Byrd kills rising athletes, having already murdered two others.
The story skips forward to 1939. The New York Knights have signed the now 35-year-old Hobbs to a contract, to the ire of the team's manager and co-owner, Pop Fisher (Brimley). With the Knights mired in last-place, Pop is angry about being saddled with a "middle-aged rookie" and refuses to even let him participate in team practice. After a showdown in which Roy is told he is to be sent back to the minors, Pop relents.
During the next game, the team's star player, "Bump" Bailey (Madsen), angers Pop and Roy is sent to pinch hit. Pop encourages Hobbs to knock the cover off the ball, which Hobbs does, providing the game-winning hit in a rain-shortened game. After Bump dies running through the outfield fence in pursuit of a fly ball, Roy takes over as the team's starting right fielder and plays phenomenally, becoming the league's sensation and single-handedly turning the Knights' fortunes around.
Hobbs' success prompts Mercy to try and unearth details about his background, but Hobbs is uncooperative. Mercy starts a rumor that Wonderboy is a loaded bat, but the allegation is disproven when the league weighs and measures the bat, which meets specifications.
Roy is soon summoned to a meeting with the principal owner of the Knights, The Judge (Prosky). Beforehand, Pop's assistant, Red (Farnsworth), informs Roy that The Judge has an interest in the team losing, since Pop is obligated to sell his share to The Judge if the Knights fail to win the National League pennant. To ensure that result, The Judge had ordered his chief scout to stock the roster with unknown players like Hobbs.
The Judge inquires about Roy's background but is rebuffed. The Judge then offers him a new contract as an implicit bribe to throw the season, but Hobbs makes it clear he is committed to winning the pennant. Gambler Gus Sands (McGavin) and The Judge devise a plan to manipulate him: Memo Paris (Basinger), Pop's niece, and Bump's former girlfriend, is sent to seduce Roy.
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Directed by
Barry Levinson
Writing credits
Bernard Malamud
(novel)
Roger Towne
and
Phil Dusenberry
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 Mankowsk...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
Robert Duvall...Max Mercy
Mark Atienza...Young Roy Hobbs (uncredited)
Sean Collins...Additional Knight (uncredited)
Darren McGavin...Gus Sands (uncredited)
Brian Reingold...Baseball Fan (uncredited)
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
Thompson O'Sullivan....dga trainee
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
James J. Murakami....art director: Los Angeles
Robert Müller....construction coordinator: Los Angeles
Gregory Puchalski....sign painter
Mike Villarino....propmaker
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
Paul Pavelka....re-recording engineer (uncredited)
Barry Levinson
Writing credits
Bernard Malamud
(novel)
Roger Towne
and
Phil Dusenberry
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 Mankowsk...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
Robert Duvall...Max Mercy
Mark Atienza...Young Roy Hobbs (uncredited)
Sean Collins...Additional Knight (uncredited)
Darren McGavin...Gus Sands (uncredited)
Brian Reingold...Baseball Fan (uncredited)
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
Thompson O'Sullivan....dga trainee
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
James J. Murakami....art director: Los Angeles
Robert Müller....construction coordinator: Los Angeles
Gregory Puchalski....sign painter
Mike Villarino....propmaker
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
Paul Pavelka....re-recording engineer (uncredited)