I think this is the best baseball movie ever made. Here's my top 5:
1) Bull Durham 2) Major League 3) The Natural 4) Bad News Bears (original) 5) Eight Men Out
I think Field of Dreams is amazing, but I don't really consider it a true baseball movie (it's about one guy building a baseball field, instead of an acutal baseball TEAM).
1. Bull Durham 2. The Natural 3. Long Gone 4. 61* 5. Pride of the Yankees
6. Major League 7. For Love of the Game 8. Bang the Drum Slowly (remake) 9. Pastime 10.Eight Men Out
For the record, my all-time favorite movie happens to be Field of Dreams. I am in debate whether or not this is considered a baseball movie, because as you say, it does not involve a team per se. I am not sure if that is the only criteria for this, hence my not listing it in my top 5.
Field of dreams is NO QUESTION the best baseball movie ever made. I understand that it's not about a particular team, but it really doesn't have to be. The movie is not about a guy building a baseball field. The movie is about how the game of baseball can unite even the most opposite of men. How a game of catch can say so much more than words ever could. You could know the rules and regulations of the game of baseball. You could memorize the in-field fly rule and think you know baseball. But Field of Dreams is beyond rules, it's about the heart of the game.
Couldn't have said it any better. Field of Dreams is about much more than a man building a baseball field. Baseball is America's past time. Field of Dreams captures that essence of the American culture and reminds us of how magical this game truly is. James Earl Jones say's it the best: "The one constent throughout the years Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled along like a steam engine. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time."
Field of Dreams is my number one baseball movie of all time.
Yeah, I know Field of Dreams is a lot more than a guy building a baseball field. I was just generalizing when I said that. Don't get me wrong here, I loved Field of Dreams. Personally, I just think a "baseball movie" should be about a baseball "team". But hey, that's just me.
Field of Dreams is a "father-son" movie a lot more than its a baseball movie. I have a real hard time calling it a "baseball" movie. Just because baseball is in a movie, doesn't make it a baseball movie.
When you think about it, the original Star Wars trilogy is also "Father-Son"... A lot of movies explore the "father-son" relationships... You could add "About a Boy", "The Weather Man" and so many others... I would consider Field of Dreams a baseball movie because it carries the values of baseball... Now, if someone could just make a movie out of the novel "Magic Time", by the same author that wrote "Shoeless Joe"...
"I'm a writer. Non-practicing." -Hank Moody "I'm a screenwriter. Non-practicing." -Joss Tincase
1. The Natural 2. Field of Dreams(Is it a real baseball movie? I think so, but I understand people who don't.) 3. Bang the Drum Slowly 4. Major League 5. Bull Durham
I understand "Field of Dreams" doesn't have a team so it may not be considered an actual "baseball movie" but it's my favorite movie of all time and my favorite baseball movie.
1. Field of Dreams 2. Bull Durham 3. 61* 4. A League Of Their Own 5. Rookie of The Year (I know it's a kid's movie but I love it)
I know it's a Top 5 but...
6. Fever Pitch 7. The Rookie 8. The Sandlot 9. Eight Men Out 10. The Natural
Bull Durham Major Leagues Bad News Bears(hey Yankee's, you can take that trophy and shove it up your ass!) The Natural Pride of the Yankees
Field of Dreams is a baseball movie, but its not a sports movie. It's about the game, but not about the competitive side of it. It's more about how no matter what happens, we always have baseball to go back too.
Did anyone see or like Pastime. That is a good film.
And on a different kind of story Fear Strikes Out is a great film.
Ranking the best though depends on what mood I am at the time. At any given time Major League, Bull Durham, The Natural, Field of Dreams, could all be my favorite. They all bring something different to the plate.
1. Field of Dreams 2. Major League 3. The Natural 4. The Rookie 5.Fever Pitch (i know it's a pretty bad movie, but, in my book, any movie that ends with the red sox winning the world series gets 1,000,000,000,000 bonus points)
1) The Natural... I've watched the lights bursting to that music 3-4 times straight just to see how many times in a row it can make the hair on my arms stand up. 2) Field of Dreams... Ray Liota is very underappreciated in his role here. 3) Eight Men Out... I remember watching this as a kid and realizing that the modern day athletes I worshiped were probably not any better, a good eye opener. 4) Bull Durham 5) The Sand Lot
Baseball movies seem to either be amazing or horrible. Rookie of the Year and that movie where Brendan Frasier is some pitching phenom from Mexico might be the worst films I've ever watched. That film where the kid is the Yankee's manager is pretty horrible too. That movie with Keanu coaching those kids in the hood in Chicago is equally cringe-worthy.
Major League Bull Durham A league of their own Field of dreams For love of the game
The movie you are referring to with the kid manager is not with the yankees, its the twins and its called little big league. The scout is with brendan frasier. I love baseball and have pitched for years, thats why for love of the game made it on my list. The game of baseball is slow enough without having to watch the natural. But major league is a just a great movie. So many great quotes.
1) The Natural 2) Bull Durham 3) Field of Dreams 4) Eight Men Out 5) Pride of the Yankees
Of course, I think the order you orignally see them may play a part in this. The natural is just the perfect baseball movie for me. Bull Durham is great, and the one I am most likely to watch over and over...as is Field of Dreams. And yes, FoD is most certainly a baseball movie. I cannot leave 'Pride" off...it captures a very special time in baseball during a special time in baseball and movie making.
I do like Major League...but I cannot put it in my top 5. I also really liked *61, but cannot fit it into the top 5.
One interesting note regarding baseball history...any of us with Field of Dreams and Eight Men Out on our lists have stories that portray Shoeless Joe differently. In FoD he was intelligent, well spoken and thoughtful...in Eight Men Out, he was much more like he was in real life (according to biographers)...slow, gullible and lacking common sense. Great baseball player either way.
Also...I would stongly recommend reading the book that FoD was based on: Shoeless joe, by Ray Kinsella. Also his book "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy", which I think as a book was even more entertaining. Any baseball fan that can accept that they are baseball fantasy will love them.
The name of the author is not Eay Kinsella, but W.P. Kinsella (William Patrick)... If I remember correctly, the first time the name Ray Kisella was used, it was is a J.D. Salinger short story...
"I'm a writer. Non-practicing." -Hank Moody "I'm a screenwriter. Non-practicing." -Joss Tincase