Do you want to see ‘For Love of the Game’?

For Love of the Game (1999)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Reviews Counted: 76
Fresh: 41 | Rotten: 35

Baseball wins, romance loses.

Average Rating: 6/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 11

Baseball wins, romance loses.

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User Ratings: 41,757

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Movie Info

Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, For Love of the Game brought Kevin Costner back to the world of baseball after his successes with Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium and throwing what is shaping up to be a perfect game with the help of his best friend and catcher, Gus Osinski (John C. Reilly). However, Billy is having a hard time keeping his mind on the game; he's come

PG-13, 2 hr. 18 min.

Drama, Romance

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Written By: Dana Stevens

In Theaters: Sep 17, 1999 Wide

On DVD: Aug 15, 2000

Universal Pictures

For Love of the Game Trailer & Photos

Cast

Kevin Costner
Billy Chapel
Kelly Preston
Jane Aubrey
John C. Reilly
Gus Osinski
Jena Malone
Heather Aubrey
Brian Cox
Gary Wheeler
J.K. Simmons
Frank Perry
Vin Scully
himself
Steve Lyons
Himself
Carmine Giovinazzo
Ken Strout
Bill E. Rogers
Davis Birch
Hugh Ross
Mike Udall

Critic Reviews for For Love of the Game

All Critics (76) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (35) | DVD (15)

A perfect game in Yankee Stadium is no big deal these days; two have been pitched in the past 16 months. But a good baseball movie, that's hard.

March 25, 2011 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

For the first 100 minutes or so I found this hokey but serviceable; after that my watch became more meaningful than anything I could locate on-screen.

March 25, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Thinking back through the movie, I cannot recall a single thing either character said that was worth hearing in its own right, apart from the requirements of the plot.

March 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Costner is as uneven as the storytelling itself, stone cold at moments, shimmeringly real in others.

June 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

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Robert Koehler

Variety

Top Critic

At two hours-plus, it doesn't just seem long, it sometimes feels like a double rain delay.

February 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Bob Longino

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Top Critic

Those who have even a small soft spot for baseball's soothing rhythms will be hard-pressed to resist it.

February 14, 2001 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Top Critic

Like Billy this movie is good on the field, but not so much once off it.

March 29, 2011 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

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Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Memo to all involved: It's a game.

March 25, 2011 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

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Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide's Movie Guide

An old-fashioned Hollywood sports story/romance.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

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Sarah Wenk

Common Sense Media

Costner and Preston's convincing work together go a long way in keeping the audience interested and involved.

November 26, 2009 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

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Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

For Love of the Game is painless, but it's also pompous and pious about baseball in a way that doesn't mean much to a non-fan like me.

February 13, 2008 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

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Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

[The] game stretches over most of the film, but any anticipated suspense is undercut by the sepia-tinted inserts charting the couple's bumpy uninvolving five-year romance from first meeting to acrimonious split(s)

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

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Time Out

Costner and company do a fine job getting you into the head of an aging sports idol at a pivotal moment in his life.

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews

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Robin Clifford

Reeling Reviews

*For Love of the Game continually pushes its luck past the breaking point.

January 27, 2005 Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Like Chapel, Costner believes himself to be great, even when he's slowly getting worse.

May 9, 2004 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

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Apollo Guide

While For Love of the Game has much to recommend it, particularly Costner's strong, understated performance, Raimi throws too many unnecessary curves.

June 6, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Jeffrey Westhoff

Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Preston is forgettable as "this week's blonde," adding her name to a list of women wooed by this poster boy for the strong, silent type.

February 8, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Quips Online

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John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

[Raimi's] involvement in this grating star vehicle is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of For the Love of the Game: the Evil Dead are, presumably, turning in their grave.

December 2, 2002 Full Review Source: Sight and Sound

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Andy Richards

Sight and Sound

Costner baseball flick is great at motion, not so hot at emotion.

November 7, 2002 Full Review Source: Netflix

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James Rocchi

Netflix

Instead of quitting while he's way ahead, Costner takes on For Love of the Game, a melodramatic film version of Michael Shaara's novel.

August 2, 2002 Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews

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Betty Jo Tucker

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for For Love of the Game

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Billy Chapel must choose between the woman he loves and the game he lives for. Saw it again! Absolutely love this movie. Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston dazzle completely. The story is quite good and entertaining. Sports movies like this one I could watch every day.Baseball great Billy Chapel, 40, wants nothing more

April 16, 2008

Manu Gino

Super Reviewer

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is an aging major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. Billy does everything he can to be the best at the only thing he really cares about....baseball. However, Billy lucks up and finds a great woman named Jane (Kelly Preston). Will Billy find someone that he really really cares a lot

September 10, 2009