Moneyball Review

        Moneyball is one of those sports films and films in general where it invigorates some much-needed synergy to a sub-genre. Sports films by nature are mostly historical dramatizations since it’s based on an actual person or team. Here, the film about the 2002 Oakland A’s and based on the book by the same name shows a new approach to winning for an underdog. 

1. Billy Beane and Peter Brand

        Played by Brad Pitt, Billy is the General Manager for the A’s. He’s confronted with three key players that have been signed by other wealthier teams in the Major Leagues. While meeting with another executive in Cleveland, he meets Peter Brand. Brand has come up with a statistical program that details undervalued players with hidden talent called Sabermetrics. Basically, it means that a team pays nothing for a player that is overlooked but has talent. Throughout the film, we see just how much Billy is willing to do everything he can to make the team win.

        As far as I’m aware, this is the first time a sports film deals with the perspective of the General Manager. We see the meeting where Beane is meeting with the other scouts and is easily annoyed. Due in large part that the way the scouts describe a player isn’t adequate for Billy to ask if the aforementioned player can hit the ball. Beane is a no-nonsense guy who is devoted to the new way of scouting that he alienates the scouts. 

        Aside from seeing the team throughout the season in various points, there’s another story that focuses on Billy’s brief playing career. We get an understanding why he is sold on sabermetrics. Little moments when he was just a high school player and scouts were telling his parents the cliché wax poetic of describing a player. Billy wants to make sure that the same player coming into the league, doesn’t fall in the same rut as he did. 

        The overall chemistry between Billy and Peter works. They gel when Billy walks him through telling a player he’s either cut or traded to another team. It more or less gives the audience a closer look of how things are done, albeit in a dramatized way. I find that unique since it’s that moment where it’s personal to the GM and player and we’re like a fly on the wall watching it play out since a guy’s career is changing or ending. The best part is when they work together to make deals with other teams to get less valued but productive players.

        We gradually see Peter evolving from a just an member of the team's analytics to being an active role player to Billy's grand plan. It's subtle since he wears suits most of the time. But he gradually becomes comfortable as Billy teaches him the little things of a GM. Right down to wearing the team's ballcap when executing a trade. 

2. Winning an Unfair Game

        As the subtitle of the book implies or states, Baseball is unfair. And it goes with any sport, you can have the best players and coaches, but another team will always be better than the one you root for. That’s what’s going on with the A’s in the movie. I was shocked by how much money they had in comparison to the Yankees. The movie doesn’t go too in-depth as to why, but I investigated it, and they had overpaid players back in the 90s.

        What I like about the film is that it mostly sticks to the tropes of a sports film. At its core, it’s an underdog film. Billy and Peter are using a new method that brings in undervalued players to bring the A’s to a World Series. You have moments where the scouts and the Manager each question the GM about the new method.

        Billy is constantly bombarded, and we even hear sports radio talk as the film progresses. It’s a massive challenge to win, and you have to imagine hearing a bunch of armchair GMs dictate how the team is failing, without never being exposed to the internals of the team. Right down to his own daughter asking if he’ll be fired. Billy tries to prove all the naysayers wrong. And it shows as we see the team win a record 20 games.

        This also when we are exposed to Scott Hatteberg. He’s played by Chris Pratt, and he’s the audiences connection to the success of the Moneyball scheme. Throughout the film, Billy wants Scott to be on the rotation but the manager is adamant that he won’t be at bat. Inevitably, when the team’s record is in jeopardy. Scott is put in and the rest they say is history. 

        One last thing I want to talk about is that the film uses real footage of the season. Shocker I know that they couldn't actually get the actors to dramatize the season. What I find endearing is that immerses the whole film. With the streak being presented with the A's footage. Right down to the radio talk shows adjusting from the cynicism of questioning the team to praising them.

3. My Favorite Scene

        When you have a film that you like, it’s tough to explain why a specific scene is your favorite. Mine for Moneyball is when the team is on a losing streak. Prior to this, Billy gets frustrated and tosses a chair from his office to a framed picture. He’s had enough and storms into the bullpen. After a loss, the team is partying, Beane smashes the boombox and asks if losing is fun. 

        We see just how it's played out. With the player standing up with his hands on his hips as Billy asks the simple question if losing is fun. Which then the player humbles up. As far as I’m aware, no sports film has ever tackled just how a team responds to losing. You would think that a lot of players would be mad in the most part. Here, we get an understanding as to why, their best players are gone, and they just accepted that the season is a lost cause. 

4. Overall 

        Moneyball is one of the best baseball films that I’ve seen. It’s easily up there as the best Sports films in general.