The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd. The smell of ballpark franks. Yep, the 2013 Major League Baseball season is upon us. In tribute to our national pastime, we at RT have assembled a great lineup of our own: the best-reviewed baseball movies of all time!
From sentimental favorites to insightful documentaries to wild comedies, we've got a veritable murderer's row of heavy hitters. And since baseball fans are stat geeks, we decided to let you in on our ground rules. We've used a weighted formula that takes into account a movie's Tomatometer, number of reviews, and release date. Also, every movie here needed at least 20 reviews to qualify for inclusion.
Enough talk: it's time to play ball with the best-reviewed baseball flicks of all time!
From sentimental favorites to insightful documentaries to wild comedies, we've got a veritable murderer's row of heavy hitters. And since baseball fans are stat geeks, we decided to let you in on our ground rules. We've used a weighted formula that takes into account a movie's Tomatometer, number of reviews, and release date. Also, every movie here needed at least 20 reviews to qualify for inclusion.
Enough talk: it's time to play ball with the best-reviewed baseball flicks of all time!
The Sandlot (1993)
63%
Critics Consensus: It may be shamelessly derivative and overly nostalgic, but The Sandlot is nevertheless a genuinely sweet and funny coming-of-age adventure.
Synopsis: The Sandlot is sparsely narrated by the main character (now an adult) who occasionally drops in on the action to comment on events or help move the...
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#
20
Off the Black (2006)
65%
Critics Consensus: Nick Nolte shines in his role as an irascible high school umpire, imbuing this indie coming-of-age dramedy with heft and true-to-life warmth.
Synopsis: When the growing divide between a troubled teen and his emotionally distant father finds the boy seeking the friendship of a disheveled and...
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Directed By:
James Ponsoldt
#
19
Cobb (1994)
67%
Critics Consensus: Tommy Lee Jones's searing performance helps to elevate Cobb above your typical sports biopic; he's so effective, in fact, that some may find the film unpleasant.
Synopsis: What does a biographer do when the truth about his subject is far less pleasant than the legend? That is the moral dilemma at the heart of Cobb, which...
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Directed By:
Ron Shelton
#
18
Fever Pitch (The Perfect Catch) (2005)
64%
Critics Consensus: While not a home run, Fever Pitch has enough charm and on-screen chemistry between the two leads to make it a solid hit.
Synopsis: Nick Hornby's acclaimed memoir about one man's struggle to balance his love of a woman and his love for soccer was the basis of a well-reviewed...
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17
A League of Their Own (1992)
77%
Critics Consensus: Sentimental and light, but still thoroughly charming, A League of Their Own is buoyed by solid performances from a wonderful cast.
Synopsis: The All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943, when most of the men of baseball-playing age were far away in Europe and...
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Directed By:
Penny Marshall
#
16
Ballplayer: Pelotero (2012)
88%
Critics Consensus: Gripping and surprisingly nuanced, Ballplayer: Pelotero is a frank exploration of the nature of corruption in baseball recruitment.
Synopsis: This compelling documentary, narrated by John Leguizamo and executive produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, is a gritty and never before...
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Starring:
John Leguizamo
#
15
Fear Strikes Out (1957)
81%
Critics Consensus: Based on the true story of troubled baseball star Jimmy Piersall, Fear Strikes Out is an emotionally compelling drama featuring excellent performances from Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden.
Synopsis: Anthony Perkins stars as troubled baseball great Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out. Based on Piersall's shattering tell-all autobiography, the film...
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Directed By:
Robert Mulligan
#
14
Major League (1989)
81%
Critics Consensus: Major League may be predictable and formulaic, but buoyed by the script's light, silly humor -- not to mention the well-built sports action sequences and funny performances.
Synopsis: Inheriting the Cleveland Indians baseball team from her late husband, covetous ex-showgirl Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton) wants to move the...
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Directed By:
David S. Ward
#
13
The Natural (1984)
82%
Critics Consensus: Though heavy with sentiment, The Natural is an irresistible classic, and a sincere testament to America's national pastime.
Synopsis: The film version of The Natural pulls off the neat trick of conveying the spirit of the Bernard Malamud novel upon which it is based, even while...
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Directed By:
Barry Levinson
#
12
The Rookie (2002)
84%
Critics Consensus: A heart-warming sports flick, The Rookie greatly benefits from understated direction and the emotional honesty Dennis Quaid brings to the role of Jim Morris.
Synopsis: The true story of a middle-aged baseball rookie comes to the screen from Finding Forrester (2000) screenwriter Mike Rich and the studio behind the...
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Directed By:
John Lee Hancock
#
11
Eight Men Out (1988)
86%
Critics Consensus: Perhaps less than absorbing for non-baseball fans, but nevertheless underpinned by strong performances from the cast and John Sayles' solid direction.
Synopsis: Writer/director John Sayles' dramatization of the most infamous episode in professional sports -- the fix of the 1919 World Series -- is considered by...
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Directed By:
John Sayles
#
10
Bang The Drum Slowly (1973)
88%
Critics Consensus: Bang the Drum Slowly is a touching melodrama that explores the inner workings of a baseball club and its players' personalities with remarkable depth.
Synopsis: A guaranteed tear-jerker, Bang the Drum Slowly centers on professional baseball player Bruce Pearson (Robert DeNiro) and his team mate Henry Wiggen...
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Directed By:
John D. Hancock
#
9
Field of Dreams (1989)
87%
Critics Consensus: Field of Dreams is sentimental, but in the best way; it's a mix of fairy tale, baseball, and family togetherness.
Synopsis: "If you build it, he will come." That's the ethereal message that inspires Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) to construct a baseball diamond in...
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Directed By:
Phil Alden Robinson
#
8
Up for Grabs (2003)
92%
Critics Consensus: You don't have to be a baseball fan to be entertained by the absurdities, obsessions, and greed on display in this documentary.
Synopsis: In the summer of 2001, baseball star Barry Bonds was in the final stretch of a remarkable season when he knocked his 73rd home run of the year into...
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Directed By:
Michael Wranovics
#
7
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
92%
Critics Consensus: The equally tragic and heroic story of Yankee's first baseman Lou Gehrig is eloquently told here with an iconic star turn by Gary Cooper.
Synopsis: "It's box office poison," producer Samuel Goldwyn is said to have exclaimed when he heard the idea of filming the life story of fabled first baseman...
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Directed By:
Sam Wood
#
6
Sugar (2008)
93%
Critics Consensus: Sugar is an exceptionally-crafted film -- part sports flick, part immigrant tale -- with touching and poignant drama highlighted by splendid performances.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson) weave this introspective sports drama concerning a talented Dominican baseball player who longs to...
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5
The Bad News Bears (1976)
96%
Critics Consensus: The Bad News Bears is rude, profane, and cynical, but shot through with honest, unforced humor, and held together by a deft, understated performance from Walter Matthau.
Synopsis: The success this underdog comedy from director Michael Ritchie almost single-handedly spawned the kids' sports film boom of the 1980s and '90s. When...
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Directed By:
Michael Ritchie
#
4
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999)
97%
Critics Consensus: The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is an affectionate, often very funny portrait of a baseball pioneer.
Synopsis: Hank Greenberg was the first great Jewish star in baseball; at a time when the game was still racially segregated, Greenberg became a first-class...
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Directed By:
Aviva Kempner
#
3
Moneyball (2011)
95%
Critics Consensus: Director Bennett Miller, along with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, take a niche subject and turn it into a sharp, funny, and touching portrait worthy of baseball lore.
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general...
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Directed By:
Bennett Miller
#
2
Bull Durham (1988)
97%
Critics Consensus: Kevin Costner at his funniest and most charismatic in Bull Durham, a film that's as wise about relationships as it is about minor league baseball.
Synopsis: A blend of comedy, drama and romance, Bull Durham follows the intertwining of three lives brought together by the great American pastime. Crash Davis...
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Directed By:
Ron Shelton
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