ST. LOUIS — When I think of Barry Levinson's "The Natural," I think of Randy Newman's score first.
Every kid who dreamed of being a baseball player in the past 36 years has heard it in his head as he circled the imaginary bases in his backyards. The scene of Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) swinging with a bloodied jersey, cracking the ball way out of the park, into the lights above.
In a time where baseball has been taken away by the coronavirus, thinking back on this classic film is required practice. A dose of nostalgia from cinema's past that is designed to make you feel good. As another baseball film, "Field of Dreams," instructed: it reminds you that all was once good... and could be again. Released on May 11, 1984, "The Natural" combined the surreal and some baseball magic to sweep moviegoers off their feet. All this time later, the effect hasn't diminished much at all.
"The Natural," loosely based on a true story of a young phenom who was all set to try out for a Major League team when tragedy struck him, has that lovely old time feel. Taking place several decades ago, with a team called the New York Knights, the movie hasn't lost its touch. A down and out club in need of something gets a remarkable addition: the "older" phenom with a lethal bat, carved out of a tree that was struck by lightning.
This was premium Redford too. He looked the part, even if there was a moderate chance he was hitting fly balls on those baseballs the camera convinced us left the park. He had that effortless-looking hair with the fit physique and a smile that pierced through any layer of negativity, even consistent ones from the manager (played by the late Wilford Brimley). There was the reporter (Robert Duvall) who knew there was more to this guy's story, and the woman who came into Hobbs' life at the right time (Glenn Close).
Close was nominated for an Oscar, with the film receiving four total Academy Award nominations. Newman may be known for his "Toy Story" tunes, but this is still his finest work to date. A music theme that can be played and immediately erase a bad mood. In a way, it personified that bold ideal of baseball clearing the bad out of the world. A hopeful note with a rousing build and crescendo finish. There's a reason the cinematography snagged an Oscar nomination. Who can forget the flickers from the fireworks landing on the field as the silhouette of Hobbs circled the last two bases. I sure can't.
Fun Fact: That's Michael Madsen's Mr. Blonde from Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" crashing through the outfield wall, paving the way for Hobbs to get into the lineup.
There's so much about this film that I cherish, but a few things stick out. I remember fondly watching the bat boy hand Hobbs the new bat after he broke his lightning one right before the big blast. The look on the young man's face as Hobbs took it into his hands and smiled. Those are the moments in a movie that simply refuse to die over the years.
When I watched the movie for the first time with my dad, I had to ask him why Hobbs was shot by Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey). Why did she feel the need to hamper his success? I can't remember his exact response, but I would imagine it centered around jealousy and people feeling a need to rain on someone else's parade. Sometimes, a life can be misled by one moment. "The Natural," a comeback story for the ages, proved that misfortune can be reversed.
If you need a baseball classic to cure your sports-less blues, take another ride with Redford and company. A film designed to make you feel good and smile all day long.
Now if you would excuse me, I am going to see which tree I should carve a bat from around Princeton Heights.
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