Well, I'm biased in both directions as far as
this film is concerned. On one hand, I always love a good sports film, but on
the other hand, I disagree with Kevin Costner getting in another baseball uniform
unless he wants to do it as a manager. He was already old when he did Field Of
Dreams, and that was 10 years ago. Actually, I just found out the man is only
44. I guess the receding hairline thing he has going on threw me for a loop. Now
that I think about it, I suppose Kevin was a perfect pick to play an aging,
on-the-blunt-end-of-retirement, burnt out pitcher. At least he would have been
better than Bob Saget or Merryl Streep, who I heard were also being considered
for the part. Personally, I think Cal Ripkin would have been the obvious
choice. Well, I like how this movie took a Jerry McGuire approach to filmmaking.
It was two completely separate movies really. One was a movie about a guy and a
girl and how they fell in love and shit. The other was an intense film about a
man's baseball career coming to an unwanted end. The plots crossed paths every
so often, but you could really make two different movies by concentrating on
one or the other or at least turning one down and the other up a few notches.
Like treble and bass, I suppose. Well, For Love Of the Game, as it was, was a
very good mix of both the treble and bass. One part chick flick, one part guy flick.
The chick I was with liked the girly part, and the guy in me liked the cool part.
Compared to Jerry McGuire, the sports part was a little more predictable than
I'd have liked, but the girly part was much more tolerable (sorry ladies, but
that "You complete me" stuff just made me think that the movie wanted
to think it was much deeper than it was). So what is For Love of the Game
about? Well, Kevin plays a pitcher toward the very end of his contract and
career. (By the way, I now like calling actors by just their first name). The
manager of Kevie's team is selling the team and trading him to San Fran or
something like that, unless he's going to retire. The Kev-man doesn't know if
he wants to do this, so the game that the movie centers around is possibly his
last game ever. The flick had some very excellently placed flashbacks, which made
up probably 85% of the film as it was. The movie is really dependent on
character development, which is good, considering it has, with few exceptions,
a relatively predictable plot. But thankfully, the movie doesn't have nearly as
many independent clauses as that last sentence. But it showed us his
relationship with players from other teams, some rookie-type guy on his team,
and his best friend, his catcher. It was a very well-thought out film with
respect to the placement of scenes and information in a very non-linear,
non-chronological film. And I think Kelly Preston wanted something too. But it
wasn't constant dirty sex like in the beginning of Jerry McGuire, so I wasn't
paying too much attention. All in all, For Love of the Game was a good film.
Very worth seeing. And it's a good date movie because you'll both like it (probably).
Upon retrospect, I'm glad I didn't go see The Sixth Sense with a chick because
then I'd probably have had to talk about it afterward instead of just sit there
in awe of how great it was. That's why I like Joe. He's always a good guy to
just sit next to in awe. But I think I've traveled away from the point I may
have been trying to make here. I'm giving For Love Of the Game 8 bugs. It's got
a predictable ending, but it is a very good screenwriting feat, nonetheless.
Alright, this quote came after a long night driving back home from Ocean City,
NJ to Bridgeport, PA by way of Cheese Quake, NY (we missed a turn somewhere
along the way)...
Quote Of the Day 9/24/99
Char's friend: "Is there a way I can get up at 6:15?"
Actual Char: "Yeah. Well..., there's a way you can set an alarm to go off
at 6:15."
I think we've all been there. And I'm pretty sure I remember him leaving sometime around noon.
For Love of the Bed,
Sleepy Cricket.
Still Standing Right Here...
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