How can you not be romantic about Baseball? That's what is ask of anyone associated with the game. Even though this movie is about Baseball, it really isn't....so to speak. Best way to describe it to someone that isn't a fan of Sports movies in general? I would say that Moneyball is a cross between A Beautiful Mind and The Natural. At it's core, the film is about Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who set out to change a game that has gone unchanged in a 100 years. In modern day times, the game has become extremely unfair when large market teams like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox who have unlimited funds are able to poach the best players from smaller market teams. This isn't new. The poaching of players has been around as long as the game itself.

But what is new was in these guys, working off the theory proposed by Bill James who came up with a new way of analyzing Baseball players called Sabermetrics. Because of these 3 guys, the game has changed in regards to how each team now puts their own rosters together. It hasn't quite worked out for the Padres. But that's a story for another time. Let's get back to the movie at hand....

Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman were amazing and Jonah Hill held his own. The film was superbly directed by Bennett Miller and the writing was by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. The entire cast and those working behind the scenes to get this made is a metaphor for what the movie itself is about, that you need all the little parts working together as a team to reach your objective.

I have nothing but admiration for Moneyball and what it took to make it to the Silver Screen. Sports movies in general are a niche market, so the audience size is going to be cut in half to begin with which is a shame. I do think that you have to be a fan of Sports and Baseball in particular to really immerse yourself in everything that Moneyball has to say about the game and it's history. That's not to say that non-fans can't enjoy the movie. But it doesn't hurt. There are some pretty amazing moments to be found within the film, most notably when it tracks the 20 game winning streak, culminating in one of the most breathtaking moments I have ever experience in a Baseball movie. It ranks right up there with Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) in The Natural. Props to Chris Pratt who plays Scott Hatteberg with the 'shot heard around the world'. Most people know Chris as Andy from his role on Parks And Recreation.

I highly recommend this as a Buy. Dare I say it? I think I may have a new #1 Baseball movie and THAT's saying a lot coming from me.

I don't understand the 'great' acting he did.

He lost weight and combed his Afro back.

I actually thought he did a great job here. It's not a showy role for sure. Would I say it was Oscar material? Not really. But still a good part for him.