The Natural

The version I purchased of The Natural was the two-disk Director's Cut set. I liked that viewers had the option at the very beginning to listen to Barry Levinson, the director, explain in brief how the cut altered the movie from the original theatrical release. Now, I saw the movie in the theater and once or twice on cable over the years, but honestly, I don't remember the original that specifically to tell what the differences are. I do appreciate having Levinson's comment about the changes up front, though. Viewers don't have to listen that first, but it's presented above the 'play movie' for those who are interested in doing so as I was.I enjoy Robert Redford movies and before the era of steroids and ridiculous salaries, I loved baseball, so seeing this in the theater upon release was natural for me. I recall liking it and thinking it was a bit slow in places, so buying the Director's Cut to see if that slowness was taken away, was also a natural for me. I may not enjoy baseball like I once did, but I still like a good Redford film performance.Levinson removed several minutes from the movie's first cut, rearranged and edited, and ultimately added five minutes and in total, this lengthened the movie by five minutes. The opening was definitely more tight, as he called it. Years ago, I remember thinking the opening in particular was so slow, almost dark and dreary, and I did not feel that way in watching the DVD today.Redford is Roy Hobbs, initially a young man with a bright future in baseball until he gets shot by a mysterious woman. It's sixteen years later when he finally gets a shot at the big leagues, although not everyone is on his side, including the manager (Wilford Brimley) who refuses to play such an old rookie. He doesn't even let him practice, until one day when Hobbs challenges him. Then the manager gets a big shock: this old rookie can play.From there, it's baseball drama and folks wanting to solve the mystery of Roy Hobbs' past while also putting in play a bit of a Black Sox scandal. The supporting cast is full of top notch actors, such as Glenn Close and Robert DuVall. Darrin McGavin, Kim Bassinger, Barbara Hershey, and Robert Prosky were also part of the cast. The big finale is an explosive delight, the kind that makes a fan cheer and smile with excitement. It takes a while to get there, but it's a good journey.The second disk has all of the bonus material, including a feature (in parts without a 'play all' option which annoys me) on the creation of the story and getting the movie made. It was truly interesting to hear the director and Redford discuss the ending of the movie and how it was changed from the novel, which provides a darker, more sad ending than what is seen in the film. That's followed by short "extras" that discuss different aspects of the movie, such as making era-appropriate uniforms, use of slow motion, and the one question President Reagan had about the movie.Next comes a segment called Clubhouse Conversations which includes folks like George Will, Bob Costas, Ryne Sandberg, Jason Giambi, and Don Mattingly talking (individually, not together) about the game of baseball. After this comes the shocking story of a baseball player shot by a female stalker. Though severely injured, he survived and returned to the game of baseball. She was the inspiration for the Barbara Hershey character in The Natural. The last part of this extra is about the various mythologies used in the novel and in the movie."The Heart of The Natural" is a featurette that features Cal Ripken Jr. on the gift or talent to play the game. This extends to include topics like the media and the business of the game. He also talks about heroes and the concept of role models.So, strong Redford performance, good drama, satisfying ending, and interesting extras make this an excellent DVD. Truly, my only complaint is the lack of a 'play all' option for that initial extra on The Natural coming together. Commentary would have been great, too, but as it is, the Director's Cut set is well worth it.

Great movie for baseball fans

The best baseball movie there is.

Excellent movie

Lofty Ambition, Love, Adversity, Betrayal, Greed, Corruption... Are some of the ingredients to be found in "The Natural."As a young man, Roy Hobbs has a desire and the talent to play professional baseball. He is Waylaid and blindsided by a tragic incident that could haveKilled him. Years later, Roy shows up to try out for a struggling professional team as a middle-aged man who just wants an opportunity.The unfolding of Roy's story is captivating and suspenseful as he encounters challenges and adversity that stand in his way to be "the best" that ever was.I greatly enjoyed this movie, and highly recommend it.

I'm really torn with the Director's Cut. On one hand, I was glad to get the never-before-seen scenes. On the other, I thought this film was fine the way it was. The Director's Cut came off as being much "darker" than the original.I guess my one big complaint about the Director's Cut is that even though they added a lot more scenes, they also took a few away. I didn't mind the flashbacks, but they took away some of the dialogue between the Whammer and Hobbs on the train. There were a couple other fairly inconsequential scenes that are no longer in the film.The original was easier to follow, and I wonder how easy it would be to follow the Director's Cut without having seen the original. Since Robert Redford played Hobbs when he first set out to start his career, it might be a little confusing for those who see those early scenes, while at the same time seeing a "grown up" Hobbs as he reflects on his life. The only thing that might help clear it up is when Hobbs mentions that he was out of the game for 16 years.Also, I gave the original film the benefit of the doubt with regards to the games that were played at Wrigley Field. When Hobbs hits the home run that breaks the clock, it appears as though it was a game ending home run, due to the editing, but if you look closely, none of the players walk off the field as though the game is over (the Cubs would have last at bats.) However, when he hits four home runs the next day, you can clearly hear the announcer's voiceovers describe the home runs as being hit in the bottom of each inning. Oops.I don't want to spoil anything, but there was one interesting new scene between Bump and Roy. Given that Bump was just told that he has one more chance to shape up, his actions towards Roy aren't surprising at all.Despite his MAJOR flaws with regards to the shady women in his life, Roy Hobbs is still a hero. I would still highly recommend either one of these films, but would probably favor the original. I could have enjoyed a Director's Cut even if they just put the new scenes into their special features disc instead of ingrained into the actual movie.Whammer, "Scared?"Hobbs, "Not of you, I'm not."