be 33 year old a of this writing and i know little about the roger mari mickey mantle home run chase of 1961 until the mark mcgwire sammy sosa home run chase of 1998. i do not learn a whole lot about the 61 chase in 98 but i learn enough to develop a solid interest in it . still and i do not have very high hope for 61. most of the make for tv movie that i have see haven not make a strong impression on me and include those make for cable tv and a this be ( for hbo ) . furthermore and i have never be a big billy crystal fan . though i love comedy and i have never find him to be that funny . and i do not have a lot of confidence in him to make a good drama and either . and on top of all that and i often find sport biography movie to be disappointing and often leave out important detail while at the same time over hollywoodizing . rudy and for example . but when i saw the dvd of 61 at a family dollar store and price at just $ 6 and i take a chance and buy it . and i be glad i do . crystal win tremendous respect from me with this movie . almost flawlessly and he tell one of the most interesting single season sport story that i know of . and i know of more than probably 99 % of the american population . from the start and the 1961 major league baseball season be ripe to be a classic . babe ruth single season home run record of 60 and set in 1927 and be more vulnerable than ever because of two major change . the los angeles ( later california and now anaheim ) angel and washington senator ( now texas ranger ) begin play and thus spread the pitch talent more thinly . and the regular season increase in length from 154 game which have also be the season length in 1927 to 162 and a it remain today . the big reason why i find the 61 chase more interesting than the 98 chase be that in 61 and the top two contender be teammate . both play for who else the new york yankee . one be mickey mantle ( play by thomas jane ) and who have already spend a decade with the yankee and be unquestionably the big star of the day . the other be roger mari ( barry pepper ) and who be much less heralded . mari have just emerge a a star the year before and win the american league most valuable player award in his yankee debut and which follow three solid but unspectacular year with other major league team . both mantle and maris hail from rural state oklahoma and north dakota and respectively but be very different people . mantle epitomize the word superstar . besides excel at every area of the game and he be a charismatic and care free party animal and a fan favorite and the natural heir to babe ruth and lou gehrig and joe dimaggio and other legend . in sharp contrast and mari be an introvert who largely shun the spotlight . he love the game but never attempt to be what the medium and fan want him to be . ( on a side note and i be a mari sympathizer because i can relate to be reject by people who i do not bother simply because i do not follow the crowd and i believe in judge people base on substance more than anything else . yankee fan should have love mari and embrace his phenomenal achievement that year . ) a the season progress and both mantle and maris stay near the pace to break ruth record and it be obvious that the fan favor mantle by far . and when mantle be slow by injury and the fan generally range from lukewarm to hostile in their treatment of mari a he near the record . for example and the yankee last game of the regular season and which they host and draw a crowd of just 22 and 000 even though mari enter the game tie with ruth and even though the yankee go on to win the world series that year . this be a sharp contrast to 1998 and when mcgwire regularly fill stadium in pursuit of mari record even though mcgwire team do not even make the playoff that season . and in sharp contrast to mcgwire enthusiasm for break the record and mari do not seem to get a lot of joy out of it . he have a difficult time deal with negativity from the medium and fan and also miss the birth of a son during the season . there be so many thing to love about 61 that it hard to list them all . the movie do a great job recreate 1961 in every way . crystal even manage to find actor to play not only most of the significant yankee of the season but also many of their opponent . that be not the case with most sport biography movie . pepper and jane both give excellent performance and strongly resemble the men who they play . and the movie be very fair and balanced . it present the perspective of both mantle and mari and give u an up close look at their relationship behind the scene and which be fairly good and all thing consider . mantle even move in with mari during the season . the movie doesn not white wash either man and neither of whom be squeaky clean and but it doesn not resort to sensationalism and either . for example and it show mantle drink alcohol enough in the movie that we realize he drink too much alcohol and but it doesn not dwell on that fact . in addition and the movie give u insight into mantle philosophy . the men in his family all die by the age of 45 so he figure he wasn not go to live a long life and therefore do not see a need to take good care of himself . ( shortly before his death from cancer in 1995 at the age of 63 and he acknowledge that he would have take care of himself have he know that he be go to live so long . and in response to witnessing by former yankee teammate bobby richardson and who become a minister after retire from baseball and mantle repent and become a christian . ) i have find little to criticize about this movie . i have discover only a few inaccuracy in it far less than other sport biography movie and most be minor . the main thing that i wish crystal have do differently be to give some information about what end up happen to mantle and maris . both largely go downhill from there . after a 1962 season that be very good and but far below his 61 magic and mari fell into mediocrity and injury . he never make the hall of fame and die of lymphoma on dec. 14 and 1985 ( my 15th birthday ) at the age of 15. mantle have a few more good season and but soon his hard living catch up with him and a mention above . in addition to the movie and the dvd of 61 contains an excellent 51 minute documentary about the movie and the yankee and the 61 season and host by crystal . the documentary contain extensive information about the making of the movie and lot of great story from crystal and whose love for and vast knowledge of both the game and the yankee be absolutely infectious . however and because this movie be unrated and i caution you that this be not a family movie . there be enough profanity and crude sexual humor to get it at least an easy pg 13 rating . in conclusion and the movie and the documentary combine to make 61 a great buy and especially if you find it at as low a price a i do . positive .