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Loading Grand Slam DVD Giftset 3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)
Base HitsBy Jeffrey M. Anderson Buy Grand Slam DVD Giftset on DVD
Lou Gehrig was known as the "Iron Horse" for his stamina. He set the record for consecutive games played, at 2130 (eventually broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in who finished with 2632 in 1998) and he may have been the greatest first baseman ever. After 16 seasons with the New York Yankees, he came down with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, later known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He gave a farewell speech that was simple but moving, and it provided a perfect ending for a movie. The ultimate Gehrig biopic, The Pride of the Yankees (1942), came together at the exact right time with the exact right cast and crew. Sam Wood (A Night at the Opera, Kitty Foyle), a reliable MGM staff director, helmed a screenplay by Herman Mankiewicz (Citizen Kane) with help from legendary cinematographer Rudolph Mate (The Passion of Joan of Arc). None other than William Cameron Menzies (The Thief of Bagdad) did the production design. Teresa Wright (Shadow of a Doubt) was nominated for an Oscar as Lou's wife, Walter Brennan turns in one of his greatest performances as a sportswriter, and Babe Ruth plays himself. As Gehrig, Gary Cooper had the role of a lifetime; no one now or since was better suited to the aw-shucks American hero role, at least one that could pull off the stature of a master athlete. Cooper had just come off an Oscar-nominated performance as another real-life American hero in Sergeant York, and so he was primed for it. He received another Oscar nomination for his trouble. Apparently Cooper could not master Gehrig's left-handed batting stance, and so the editor Daniel Mandell (who won an Oscar) came up with a plan: Cooper would bat right and run to third, and then the editor simply reversed the shots. The Pride of the Yankees itself can be a little cornball. It invented some of the movies' most enduring cliches, such as the hospitalized boy who asks the Babe and Lou to hit him a home run and the line, "Give it to me straight, doc. How much time have I got?" Thankfully, the film avoids any gruesome hospital scenes or explaining just what symptoms Gehrig came down with. Instead, it shows a man who went out just as simply and as proudly as he came in. Many consider The Pride of the Yankees the greatest baseball movie ever made, but my current favorite is The Rookie (2002). The disc comes with optional subtitles but no other extras. Whereas The Pride of the Yankees had seemingly endless resources to tell its story, The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) tells a no less heroic tale, but on a tiny shoestring budget. Running almost half the length of Pride, this movie is forced to skimp on details of Jackie's life, not to mention that it has to settle for second-rate actors. All, that is, except for Robinson himself, who, playing himself, makes this film very much worth seeing. Asking the man to act out the hardships of his life once again so soon after he actually experienced them must have been tough. And, unlike Cooper, Robinson appears like he can actually play. Watching Robinson learn how to play first base after mastering second provides a fascinating insider look at the game's mechanics. With Eight Men Out (1988), John Sayles attempts to vindicate the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox," consisting of eight players accused of throwing the World Series. He paints them as poor, dumb working stiffs who have no power against the moguls in charge. Team owner Charles Comiskey (played by Clifton James) comes across as particularly cruel. Superstar "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (D.B. Sweeney) is not the center of attention here, and because of his lack of screen time he comes across as godlike and untouchable. Most of the focus is on Buck Weaver (John Cusack), who only had a cursory involvement in the scandal, and pitcher Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn) who did not have many seasons left in his sore arm. Sayles gives the film an intelligent, well-researched, nostalgic tone with plenty of quiet moments to round out the excitement. The baseball scenes are nicely shot, but it's painful to watch the players trying to lose. Charlie Sheen rounds out the cast as Hap Felsch. Sayles himself co-stars as reporter Ring Lardner with the real-life Studs Terkel at his side playing Hugh Fullerton. Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd, Bill Irwin, John Mahoney, Michael Rooker and Richard Edson also star. The disc, originally issued in 2001, comes with the theatrical trailer, optional French and Spanish soundtracks and optional French and Spanish subtitles. Bull Durham (1988) is the only movie in the box not based on a true story; and I would have gladly swapped it for The Rookie or Cobb to make the set complete. Ron Shelton's witty tale about the minor leagues might have been the greatest baseball movie ever made if not for the sluggish centerpiece performance by Kevin Costner. His bland, badly timed line readings just kill Shelton's otherwise sparkling dialogue. On the other hand, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins shine in their roles as a sexy baseball muse and a hotshot young pitcher. (They fell in love and became an item on this film.) The DVD contained in the box set is not the same as the 2002 "Special Edition." It lacks the photo galleries, featurettes and other bonuses, but still contains commentary tracks by Shelton, Costner and Robbins. Starring: Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Walter Brennan, Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee, John Cusack, David Strathairn, Charlie Sheen, D.B. Sweeney, Studs Terkel, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins SIDEBAR: The Top 15 Baseball Movies
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