Back in July I read Michael Lewis' "Moneyball" (read my review here). As soon as I was finished I lent the book to my 14 year old cousin who is the star pitcher on his rec league baseball team. We made a pact that when he finished the book I would take him to see the movie version.
Well, I didn't account for one thing: 14 year old boys who play baseball don't like to read.
I kept hoping my cousin would finish the book and I felt guilty about going to see the movie without him, so the movie came and went from the theater before I could see it.
Last night, thanks to Netflix, I finally saw it! I have to say, overall I was disappointed. The movie didn't have the same storytelling power as the book and for some unexplainable reason most of the scenes had very dark lighting which left me squinting.
Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's. Other than his role in "Meet Joe Black," this might be my favorite of Brad's characters. Brad portays Billy with a quiet intensity that reminded me of Kyle Chandler's Coach Taylor on "Friday Night Lights." Bravo, Brad.
Jonah Hill plays Billy Beane's right hand man, Pete. I'm not quite sure why Jonah was nominated for an Oscar, I didn't see anything exceptional in his performance. His best scene was playing middle man on the phone between Billy and the A's owner as Billy tries to secure funding to poach a player from another team.
For me, the stand out actor in the film was the young girl who played Billy's daughter, Casey. The scene where she sings and plays guitar in the music shop was my favorite in the entire movie.
The best portion of the movie was toward the end when the 2002 Oakland A's make baseball history by winning 20 games in a row. The scenes that follow their quest for the 20th win have you on the edge of your seat in suspense. They also feel closest to the tone of the book.
It was also fun to hear and see the few references to the Red Sox. First when Billy and Pete consider drafting Kevin Youkilis who they call the "Greek god of walks" and second when Billy visits Fenway Park as he considers accepting their offer to become the Red Sox's new general manager.
I know that movie versions of books are rarely as good, but given all the awards season buzz for "Moneyball," I had high hopes.
Speaking of movie versions of books, tonight I went to see "The Hunger Games" and I can't wait to share my review with you! Stay tuned!
*Images courtesy of CNN and The Guardian.
