The Movie Forum shares their favorite baseball flicks and Harrison Ford films and answers your reader questions.



This week, in honor of the brand new season and upcoming release of 42, USA TODAY movie reporters Brian Truitt and Scott Bowles discussed baseball movies, from the authentic to the fun to the best and, of course, our favorite baseball flicks. We also discussed the current career trajectory of Harrison Ford, who stars in 42. While he's been a leading man most of his days, could this be the movie that begins a new character acting phase of his career? Finally we answered reader questions about shaky cams, Rush's rating, theater/studio profit splits and who is Roger Ebert's successor.

LAST TIME: The horror of horror movie remakes


John Elliot: Welcome to the USA TODAY Movie Forum!

The new baseball season has begun, and the Red Sox are in first place. All is right with the world!

I'm John Elliot, online producer for USA TODAY Movies and I will serve as your moderator. Joining me today are USA TODAY movies reporters Scott Bowles and Brian Truitt


This week? Baseball and Bladerunner

So let's get started!

In honor of the new season and the upcoming film 42 we thought we'd take some time today to discuss our favorite baseball films. But before we get into that, let's talk about 42, the new biopic of Jackie Robinson, the first player to break baseball's color barrier. Scott, you saw the film. What did you think?

Scott Bowles:42 is one of those rare films that has great moments and educational moments. It tries to enlighten its audience about recent baseball history, which can be a bit sluggish.

But the movie does a terrific job at looking at the horrible state of race, even in baseball, just decades ago. One scene, in particular, is as gripping as any of 2013.

So a mixed reaction. But the buzz is good for a big weekend.

Brian, what's your interest? You a sports nut?

Brian Truitt: My interest is high. I think it's an important story to tell and I like that Chadwick Boseman kid. He was great in the indie drama The Kill Hole.

I am a sports nut for football and pro rasslin'. For baseball? Meh. Not that big a fan but strangely I love me some hardball movies, so 42 interests me from the social angle and the on-field one too.

Scott Bowles: Ah, The Kill Hole. A good movie, indeed. But what a title. It sounds like military porn.

As for 42, Chadwick is a great find. He trained for six months just to emulate Jackie's playing style.

And, more importantly, these actors can throw a ball. I'm so tired of actors in sports films who clearly were the last one picked a recess.

Brian Truitt: I think that was a fun part about A League of Their Own - those women looked like they could play.

John Elliot: Now to the meat of it...what are a few of your favorite baseball films and why?

Brian Truitt: Well, my favorite movie of all time actually involves baseball: Field of Dreams. Everything about that movie is perfect, and I think James Earl Jones' moving speech at the end of the film not only encapsulates the love of the game but just love in general. I still cannot get through the end without crying, though. The end moment gets me every damn time.

I also adore the Major League movies - 1 and 3 specifically - and Eight Men Out,League of their Own are favorites too. And how can you not love Bull Durham? Sex and the minors!

(Not with minors. That's just wrong, kids.)

Scott Bowles: My all-time favorite baseball movie would have to be the ORIGINAL Bad News Bears. Walter Matthau was at the top of his, ahem, game. And the kids are fantastic. Rarely have a string of epithets sounded so naturally coming from children.

After that I'd have to say Bull Durham. The chemistry between Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner is so much fun.

Finally, I've got to give a nod to Moneyball. There aren't many successful baseball movies based on real people. Not only is Moneyball real, the guy is still in the majors. Home run.

Brian Truitt:Moneyball is still to me one of Brad Pitt's best performances, plus the movie is great, too. Maybe he'll be old enough soon to be in the NEXT Bad News Bears remake.

John Elliot: Have there ever been any decent baseball players turned actors? I'm blanking...

Wait...I just realized one

Bob Uecker

Brian Truitt: Oh yeah! The Ueck!

Scott Bowles: Well, Joe Dimaggio sold Mr. Coffee

Maybe players are more fit to be in commercials than movies.

Brian Truitt: The Ueck is still hard at work, announcing Brewers games if I'm not mistaken.

John Elliot: Finally, why is Kevin Costner and baseball such a good fit? Does it all trace back to Bull Durham?

Brian Truitt: Maybe a little. But I think the reason Costner works so well in baseball movies is he's the everyman. Like Redford in The Natural. He just exudes that ordinary dude who made it, out of luck or spite or whatever.

Scott Bowles: I agree, Brian. He has a down home demeanor that lends itself well to athletes. Especially those who enjoy tying one on.

But another element is that Costner is a natural athlete. He played baseball and golf as a younger guy, and knows sports. He also had a terrific turn in Tin Cup. He doesn't get enough credit for playing the entertaining jock, because it's no mean feat.

Brian Truitt: That is true, like somebody who all he did in high school was play sports and date cheerleaders. And while we're speaking of Bull Durham, Tim Robbins couldn't look less like a baseball player if he wanted to.

Scott Bowles: He's got bulk, but little coordination, it seems. In terms of modern-day jocks, do any come to mind other than Dwayne Johnson?

Brian Truitt: Not really. Most of the pro wrestlers are too bulky to pull that off. You have a lot of men and women crossing from MMA to films - they're kind of like how you used to see NFL guys trying to break into acting. But then again, they are a lot of actors like Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt who have athletic builds and can perform a line reading.

John Elliot: Harrison Ford also stars in 42 as Branch Rickey, the baseball manager who signed Jackie Robinson and pushed for the integration of baseball.

We're used to seeing Harrison Ford in iconic leading roles (Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard, Dr. Richard Kimble) but his role in 42 is a bit of a departure for him, that of secondary/supporting character. Brian, does this mark a new phase in Ford's career?

Brian Truitt: Yeah, I really do. Look, I love Harrison Ford as a leading man - he is a lead in most of my favorite movies ever. But, at this point in his career - like many others - he seems to be embracing roles as more of a character actor, and that's cool. I'd rather him do those than crack a whip one more time at age 75 or whatever. (Then again, I'd nerd out for that too.)

Scott Bowles: Great question, John, especially because he's going to be profiled in our Friday paper.

Harrison is an interesting guy. He was the most iconic action hero of the past half century, but has accepted that, at 70, he isn't going to be swinging transoms on the Death Star.

For this film, in particular (his first sports movie), Ford utterly disappears. Fat suit, wig with receding hairline, and fake bushy eyebrows. The director said he hardly recognized Ford.

Ford considers this the movie that he makes the shift from leading man to character actor. The results are pretty good so far, though it'll take adjusting to see Indiana Jones in a bit part.

Brian Truitt: I think most of us will take as much Harrison Ford in our movie diets as we can get, and him taking on more of these roles is probably a way to do that. And if we get to see him one more time as Han Solo, then that's just a yummy mix of gravy and icing right there.

Scott Bowles: Speaking of Han: I tried to glean from him whether he'll make at least a cameo in any upcoming Star Wars installments.

The guy, who is known along with Tommy Lee Jones as being the most prickly interviews in Hollywood, gave an agressive no-comment on the issue. "I got nothing to say about that," he said.

So the galaxy will have to wait and see.

John Elliot: Finally, what are a few of your favorite Harrison Ford roles?

Scott Bowles: Two, by far. Blade Runner and Witness. I can't recall two dramas that had me more rapt.

Of course, Star Wars and Indiana Jones eclipse normal movies. I guess they are more touchstones, and I love them. But in terms of showing his chops as an actor, I've got to with Decker and Book.

What about you, Mr. Truitt?

Brian Truitt: As much of a Star Wars nerd as I am, Indiana Jones will ALWAYS be my No. 1 Harrison Ford role. Just such a throwback character and icon and one we probably won't see the likes of ever again. Blade Runner was fantastic as well, but for his non-geeky stuff I'll pick American Graffiti, a movie more people these days need to see. And I have to figure that his character in the Anchorman sequel will be epic as well.

John Elliot: Now let's move on to some questions from our lovely readers!

Mike Wells from Salt Lake City, Utah asks:

I'll be brief ---- "hand held" camera shots ---- not steady cam but shaky cam use is exploding ---- shaky cam for action shots, yes --- sometimes to show movement or observation ---- all okay ---- but shaky cam otherwise is more than a distraction --- constant motion in the background during non-action scenes makes people motion sick ---- it's needless, doesn't enhance storytelling ---- in years past it would be considered poor camera work ---- so ----- why is it so prevalent ????

Brian Truitt: I think The Blair Witch Project kinda ruined that for everyone, being all popular and such. It is a device used waaaaaaaay too much in horror movies, that's for sure. I think a lot of people use it to convey real-life danger, and then pass it on to the audience visually and viscerally. However, usually the only thing it makes me think of is "I shouldn't have eaten those Goobers."

Scott Bowles: Great question, Mike. Though you might not be pleased with the answer.

I see the surge as being due to one thing: the iphone. Filmmakers, like most businesses, are rushing to see the world the way kids see it: camera phones, social media, yaddy.

In fact, filmmakers are looking to make movies MORE jumpy. The directos of Paranormal 4 say the only cameras they purchased were ones you could get at Best Buy. And must was done by computer cams. The idea, they said, was to make it look so amateurish it's real.

But even stars share your impatience. Matt Damon says the favorite line in a review of the Bourne series was from a reader who blogged "Would someone please buy the director a g****** Steadycam?

Jeff Kantor from Fort Collins, CO asks:

How come "Rush" got an R rating?

Brian Truitt: According to the lovely folks at the MPAA, it is for "sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use." Sex and boobs will get you every time. But what's interesting is that it's a Ron Howard film getting that rating, and one starring Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth.

Scott Bowles: Maybe they need a s&b rating.

That's an odd rating, Jeff, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Ron Howard re-approach the MPAA with a cut-down version before it hits screens. Studios are flocking to PG-13 films, and few sports films manage an R rating (other than, say, Scorsese's Raging Bull).

Still, the rating alone makes this a somewhat unusual sports flick. And Howard did a fine job with Cinderella Man.

Brian Truitt: I think half the movies on Cinemax would be rated S&B.

Harrison from New York asks:

How much of a $12 movie ticket goes to the theater and how much goes to the studio?

Scott Bowles: Great question, Harrison.

The way box office revenues work is this: The studio gets, roughly, 60-70% of ticket sales in a movie's first two weeks. After that, the local theater takes the lion's share of the revenues.

The problem with that is that movies are now terribly front-loaded. That's why you see a media blitz for a film as the 'must see event' of the year, then drop it like a grenade after it opens. The studios make more money in the first couple weeks, which is why there's so much attention now to openings.

Brian Truitt: Heck, I didn't even know that. You the man, Scott! Although I sometimes wonder if a theater went all digital and got rid of projectionists and such how much that would cut down on overall costs. Just hook up a really nice Blu-ray player to screens and whatnot.

Scott Bowles: If there's a bright side, it's this. If you see a movie has been around for weeks, like The Artist, it means people are talking about it well after the studios have quit hawking it.

A film's duration in theaters is as much a seal of approval as anything Hollywood hawks in its Super Bowl promos.

Chris from Jersey asks:

Now that Ebert has died, who (other than the great Claudia Puig) do you think is the most influential critic in America?

Brian Truitt: There's another critic other than Claudia??? WHAAAAAAT?

But seriously, I think Ebert will be the last of the REALLY influential critics because of his TV stature. Most people knew him from that, and not from his written stuff probably until the age of the Internet when they could read the Sun-Times online. Now there are sooooooo many critics in the world, professional and otherwise, I don't think there is a singular, popular voice. Actually most of the critics I read, like Bill Goodykoontz over at the Arizona Republic, I find online at newspapers and at film sites if I like their style. Don't think we'll ever have another Ebert, though.

Scott Bowles: Nice tribute to Roger (and to Claudia), Chris.

Ebert's passing certainly marks the end of an era. We no longer depend on critics the way we once did, now that Twitter allows for reviews 30 seconds after opening. Community debates on film have become hotter than any critical square-offs.

Among the titans, though, we still have the wonderful Leonard Maltin, who is as much historian and critic. And Ms. Puig!

Other than that, there isn't a critic out there worth listening to. Not that I'm biased. Hopefully Claudia will give that comment four stars.

John Elliot: Unfortunately, it's time for us to wrap up

Thank you Brian and Scott! And a VERY big thank you to all our readers who participated and submitted questions.

Scott Bowles: See you at the flicks.

Brian Truitt: Thanks John and Scott for a good time as always. And thanks to the readers for the awesome questions. I'm off to go find the Lost Ark of the Covenant. See ya!



Read or Share this story: