84 From ’84: The Natural

Every Friday on our 84 From ‘84 journey will be dedicated to the highest grossing movies of the year. There are 14 Fridays before this ends so we’ll countdown the top 14 from 1984. We’re going to call it Blockbuster Friday because, why not. Once we hit the Top 10, well the Top 12 really we’ll see some of the greatest movies not only from 1984 but the entire decade.

The Natural

A middle-aged unknown comes seemingly out of nowhere to become a legendary baseball player with almost supernatural talent.

Cast:

• Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs
• Robert Duvall as Max Mercy
• Glenn Close as Iris Gaines
• Kim Basinger as Memo Paris
• Wilford Brimley as Populus “Pop” Fisher
• Barbara Hershey as Harriet Bird
• Robert Prosky as The Judge
• Richard Farnsworth as “Red” Blow

1984 viewing

I’m a huge fan of baseball. When a movie comes out about baseball, I’m watching it.

Coming into 1984 there weren’t a lot of baseball movies to choose from. A bunch from the 1940s and 1950s like The Pride of the Yankees. Then The Bad News Bears, great movie, and it’s sequels in the 1970s. A couple made for TV movies, one with Gary Coleman, and then The Natural.

The Natural wasn’t as action packed as a young kid would hope for, but it was (and still is) a fantastic movie. All the actors were well know in 1984 and fit their roles perfectly. Robert Redford was a 70s and 80s heartthrob and Glenn Close is an elegant beauty.

There was enough action and baseball in the movie to keep me interested in Hobbs character and his quest to make it in the big leagues.

Is this still a worthwhile movie from 1984. Let’s find out…

40th Anniversary Re-watch

What a great movie! It’s a true Hero’s Journey from start to finish. Hobbs is on a quest to be the best ball player ever.

I enjoyed this more now, than I did back in 1984. From an adult perspective you can enjoy the interpersonal intrigue and drama and better understand the obstacles Hobbs faces.

Redford is a delight to watch and not just in this film. He is a fantastic actor and accepted roles in the 80s and 90s that make him appeal to our generation as well as our parents.

Glenn Close is great in this movie as well. It’s hard to believe this is only her third movie role. The other two were The World According to Garp and the Big Chill. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for all three movies! She’s also been nominated four times for Best Actress…I don’t know how she hasn’t won a single Oscar?

Hobbs travels from small town Nebraska to Chicago to become a ball player but his dream ends early from an overzealous lover. (no spoilers). Hobbs reemerges years later to fulfill his dream of being a ball player only to be met with scorn for is age.

The man who signs Hobbs to a contract, The Judge is an underhanded owner of the New York Knights who is trying to swindle Pop out of his share of the team. When Hobbs turns out to be a great ball player The Judge resorts to bribery and other tactics.

Toward the end Hobbs is dealing with his long standing injury, the one inflicted by the overzealous lover and is unable to play baseball. He decides to deal with the health consequences later and suits up for one last game.

The final game and final scenes of the movie are filmed well and invoke the right amount of suspense and emotion. Who would have thought anyone would care when Hobbs breaks his bat in the game. And then the bat boy brings him a new bat, a special bat and they exchange smiles. It’s a great scene in a movie filled with great scenes.

Favorite Line:

I guess some mistakes you never stop paying for

I love Richard Farnsworth in this movie. I’ve seen him in a few movies over the years but hands-down my favorite movie of his is The Straight Story. It’s a brilliant movie and a complete 180 for director David Lynch. Maybe it’s because Alvin Straight is from Iowa (me too) and the story was all over the news. Or possibly it’s because it is a well written and well acted movie.

It’s a beautiful movie about one man’s love for his brother and the lengths he’ll go for that love. If you haven’t seen The Straight Story watch it soon. Farnsworth was nominated for an Academy Award for the movie. OK, we’re here to talk about The Natural, let’s finish up.

Director Barry Levinson would go on to direct Good Morning, Vietnam, Bugsy, Sphere and many others. He won the Best Director Oscar in 1988 for Rain Man.

If you like baseball movies you’ll enjoy The Natural. Even if you don’t like baseball movies The Natural is more about the character and his journey, it could be any sport. The story and writing shines through.

The Natural was released on 11 May 1984 and was a box office success. It made $48 million on a $28 million budget. It’s ranks as #14 highest grossing movie of 1984.

Did you watch The Natural? If so let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on X(Twitter). The main Geekster channel is @TRNSocial and I’m @MileHighSamurai You can also find me on Bluesky @MileHighSamurai

7/10 stars

Check out the entire 84 From ’84 movie series