The Best There Ever Was

I just watched The Natural again (twice) over this weekend. Every time I see it, it seems to get a little better in some ways. It’s probably my favorite sports movie. The title of my post comes from a famous line in the movie. When the main character, Roy Hobbs, is asked what he hopes to (and later, hoped to) accomplish as a baseball player he said: “And then, when I walked down the street people would say: There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.”

For those who aren’t familiar with the plot, a promising young baseball pitcher named Roy Hobbs makes his way to a tryout with the Chicago Cubs. In his Chicago hotel he is mysteriously shot by a young woman. His subsequent hospitalization and recovery force him out of the game of baseball for several years. After 16 years pass, Hobbs makes his way to the New York Knights (a fictitious team). He proves to be the best hitter in the game, and carries his team into contention for the National League championship.

The team’s part owner (known only as the Judge) and his friend (Gus Sands, a millionaire bookie) are trying to make the game a bit more predictable so their gambling can be successful. They first seek to distract Hobbs with a woman named Memo Paris, arranging for him to meet his second femme fatale-type. While dating this woman, Hobbs falls into a major batting slump. When Hobbs’ boyhood sweetheart Iris appears at a game in Chicago, his swing mystically reappears. Hobbs then proceeds to lead the Knights to the brink of the World Series. His old injury is re-aggravated, however, and the Knights tie the Pittsburgh Pirates for first place. This forces a one-game playoff to determine the league champion. While Hobbs is recovering, his enemies try to bribe him to throw the game. He refuses and proceeds to hit the game-winning home run with two outs in the ninth inning. Hobbs is ultimately reunited with his old sweetheart and the son that he unknowingly had with her.

This fairy-tale ending and the mythic symbolism throughout the film represent a departure from the book it is based on. In the novel (by Bernard Malamud) Hobbs is a tragic hero, who strikes out at the end. Some people criticize the occasional lack of realism in the film. Still, the movie is not supposed to be about real baseball. It is about the dream of baseball, the myth of baseball. The characters are larger than life because they represent the driving forces in and around the game itself. The game never ceases to be larger than them, however, as it is the means by which the characters define themselves. The score by Randy Newman is first-rate. The music truly sets the tone for the picture. It evokes all the right emotions at the appropriate times. Roy Hobbs is given a second chance at his dream, and he makes the most of it. He had lost his way for a time, but eventually he finds himself again. Some people are turned off by a morality play, but I usually am not. I like an uplifting story and this one has that element in plenty. There are good films about coaching and teamwork (Hoosiers and Remember the Titans come to mind) but this movie captures the essence of its sport and makes it almost magical. It gets five antelopes easily.