Bull Durham (1988)
Average Rating: 7.9/10
Reviews Counted: 60
Fresh: 58 | Rotten: 2
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.
Average Rating: 8/10
Critic Reviews: 14
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 0
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.
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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 49,528
Movie Info
A blend of comedy, drama and romance, Bull Durham follows the intertwining of three lives brought together by the great American pastime. Crash Davis (Kevin Costner, showcasing his Midwestern charm) is a perennial Minor Leaguer assigned to the Durham Bulls, a hapless team with a long tradition of mediocrity. There he tutors a young, dim-witted pitching prodigy, Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) in the ways of baseball, life, and love. Each strikes up a romance with Annie (Susan Sarandon), the team's
Jun 15, 1988 Wide
Oct 28, 1998
Orion Pictures
Cast
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Kevin Costner
Crash Davis -
Susan Sarandon
Annie Savoy -
Tim Robbins
Ebby Calvin "Nuke" L... -
Trey Wilson
Joe "Skip" Riggins -
Robert Wuhl
Larry Hockett -
Jenny Robertson
Millie -
Max Patkin
Himself -
William O'Leary
Jimmy -
Greg Avelone
Doc -
Garland Bunting
Teddy (Radio Announc... -
Robert Dickman
Whitey -
Danny Gans
Deke -
Timothy Kirk
Ed -
Rick Marzan
Jose -
David Neidorf
Bobby -
Henry Sanders
Sandy -
Tom Silardi
Tony -
Lloyd Williams
Mickey -
Don S. Davis
Scared Batter -
George 'Buck' Flower
Nuke's Father -
Sid Aikens
Baseball Player -
Pete Bock
Minister -
Craig Brown
Baseball Player -
Wes Currin
Baseball Player -
Butch Davis
Baseball Player -
Paul Devlin
Baseball Player -
Tobi Eshelman
Bat Boy -
Antoinette Forsyth
Ballpark Announcer -
Jeff Greene
Baseball Player -
Kelly Heath
Baseball Player -
Mo Johnson
Baseball Player -
Todd Kopeznski
Baseball Player -
John Lovingood
Baseball Player -
Eddie Matthews
Baseball Player -
Alan Mejia
Chu Chu -
Alan Paternoster
Baseball Player -
Shirley Anne Ritter
Cocktail Waitress -
Dean Robinson
Dino -
Tom Shultz
Baseball Player -
Sam Veraldi
Baseball Player -
Stephen Ware
Abused Umpire -
El Chico Williams
Baseball Player -
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Bill Robinson
Baseball Player -
C.K. Bibby
Mayor
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Bull Durham Trailer & Photos
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (2) | DVD (28)
It firmly establishes Kevin Costner as the next Robert Redford. It loads the bases for the gloriously talented Susan Sarandon, and she responds by belting one right out of the park. And it features an irresistible newcomer named Tim Robbins.
Ron Shelton, who wrote and directed the film, displays a knowledge of and affection for the national pastime. You can see it in the knowing detail he brings to even the minor characters.
[Shelton is] uncanny at putting us inside his players' heads when they're on the mound or up at bat, running their private litanies of encouragement and subversion to psych themselves up.
Rather than a vapid national epic, it is a warm, droll, deftly cracked romantic comedy.
The acting in Bull Durham cannot be faulted and should be remembered at Oscar time. Sarandon has one of the juiciest female roles in years and she makes you think no one could play it better.
Shelton locates the tension and the humor between pitches, between ball games, between the sheets. It helps too that he has written the wittiest, busiest screenplay since Moonstruck, and that his three stars do their very best screen work.
Bull Durham is the feel-good movie of the Summer of '88. The sooner you see it, the happier your summer's going to be. So what are you waiting for?
A smart, witty character piece that eschews the stale sports flick formul
Bull Durham is a jaunty, refreshing comedy that mixes sex The ambling pace and inventiveness of Bull Durham are the doing of Shelton, a filmmaker worth watching. This film is a tidy summing-up of one aspect of America`s favorite sport.
[Crash's] remit? To teach talented but undisciplined pitcher Ebby (Tim Robbins) about hurling a ball. And a little about life.
I will always respect Bull Durham for what it represents in terms of love of baseball, but it will not be on my list of favorite sports movies.
This witty, sharply observed tale belnds sports, comedy and romance and benefits immensely from the appealing performances by Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins.
A winning, mature comedy about sex and baseball.
A romantic fable about baseball.
Classic performances, witty and insightful script, this is about so much more than baseball and will no doubt prove to be a quiet classic.
Deserves its status among sports films, but its ongoing appeal reflects that it's something more: an old-fashioned romantic comedy that succeeds in establishing and deepening memorable characters through memorably flavorful dialogue. [Blu-ray]
Shelton's sharp sense of how these characters interact and improve each other (both knowingly and unknowingly) gives the film its impact
The Bull Durham cast was assembled with obvious care.
An unadulterated joy of a sports movie that can't be recommended highly enough.
...one of most entertaining and flat-out indelible baseball films within modern cinema...
Audience Reviews for Bull Durham
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Movies Like Bull Durham
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- Millie: [Annie snaps off the radio] Crash must've called the guy a cocksucker.
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- Joe "Skip" Riggins: What's our record, Larry?
- Larry Hockett: Eight and sixteen.
- Joe "Skip" Riggins: Eight... and sixteen. How'd we ever win eight?
- Larry Hockett: It's a miracle.
- Joe "Skip" Riggins: It's a miracle. This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.
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- Crash Davis: Your shower shoes have fungus on them. You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press'll think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob.
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- Crash Davis: ...I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
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Latest News on Bull Durham
July 1, 2013:
Kevin Costner Returns to Sports Drama with McFarlandHe'll play a real-life track coach in the upcoming Disney project.
October 16, 2008:
Shelton, Robbins Confirm Bull Durham 2 RumorsOffering proof that no rumor is too silly to be believed, Ron Shelton and Tim Robbins have confirmed...
October 10, 2008:
Weekly Ketchup: Steve Carell to Get Smart again.This week saw the announcement of a couple of sequels, some casting news/rumors for two big DC...
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