ROTTEN TOMATOES: HBO Plans Barry Bonds Film

HBO Plans Barry Bonds Film

Ron Shelton to direct.

by Jeff Giles | November 29, 2007

Cheer up, Barry Bonds -- you may have just been handed a federal indictment for perjury, but hey, HBO Films is making a movie about you!

Then again, maybe that isn't cause for celebration after all. The movie in question is based on events depicted in Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports, the book written by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. (If you haven't kept up on their ongoing investigation, suffice it to say that Fainaru-Wada and Williams are most definitely not on the Bonds family's Christmas card list.)

According to Variety, Ron Shelton has been hired to direct the film, as well as co-write the screenplay with John Norville (the duo previously collaborated on Tin Cup). The project will lengthen Shelton's already-impressive sports-film resume, which includes Bull Durham, Cobb, White Men Can't Jump, and Tin Cup.

Source: Variety

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(1-13 of 13 posts) | Reply

Gimy writes:
on Nov 29 2007 05:55 AM

this is why they make widesceen tv's...cuz without it, there's no way you'll be able to see his entire head. seriously, who's gonna play him? mr. potato head perhaps...gangsta humpty dumpty? just do a zoom shot of somebody's thumb with a face drawn on? the movie set will have more prop syringes than a Courtney Love bioepic, more "bend over and poke it in my 2ss" cut scenes than Queer as Folk...and finally, it'll feature a bigger d3ck(head) than Boogie Nights.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Nov 29 2007 07:02 AM

to accurately represent the physical changes bonds went through after bulking up, they should get T.I to play pre-steroids Bonds and Michael Clarke Duncan (or is it michael duncan clarke? i can never remember, the big guy from green mile, daredevil, armageddon, etc) to play post-steroid Bonds. zing!

(Reply to this)

walkingdead09 writes:
on Nov 29 2007 09:31 AM

GIMY, I'd like to state that your jokes were not only unfunny, but lacked creativity. Try a little harder next time.

(Reply to this)

CtrlAltDestroy writes:
on Nov 29 2007 09:44 AM

lambaste Bonds all you want but hopefully this movie sheds light on how Bonds is the fall boy for the MLB and their ridiculous steriod policy - they have been aware of abuse for decades and now their just stickin to Bonds to cover their own assess - not to mention someones gotta take the fall; the attorney general wasted thousands of dollars trying to indicte players and now someone's gotta take the fall to justify all that wasted taxpayers money.
SHAME ON YOU AND YOUR HOLIER THAN THOU ATTITUDE BUD SELIG, YOU SHOULD BE STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO BONDS IN THAT COURTROOM.

(Reply to this)

cwhatever writes:
on Nov 29 2007 10:05 AM

Michael Jai White is the go-to guy for sports biopics. Make it happen HBO.

(Reply to this)

Gimy writes:
on Nov 29 2007 10:49 AM

walkingdead...nice name, great description on your sh3t sense of humor as well. "try a little harder next time"...bet thats your girlfriend's favorite qoute after your 2 second love fest

CTRLALT...everybody, EVERY...BODY...is at fault. bonds is the posterchild for the roids era because he's such a pr3ck about it and used a more expensive and UNDEDECTIBLE drug. calling out legends of the past(ruth, mantle) wasn't smart either showing his racist side. roids were against the rules back in 1991, but SUPPOSEDLY selig didn't know about it and the owners didn't either? ha, thats hilarious. i was in high school when mcguire and sosa were battling for HR history. EVERYBODY on my baseball team knew they were on steroids, it was obvious. yet the owners, other players, coaches AND selig supposedly had no clue? yeah right. only way this ends quickly is when Mitchell releases the huge report(sometime in the next couple of weeks) and the mlb does an absolute marketing fest and campaign of apology. if they admitted they f3cked up, admitted they did it for the money and apologized it would go away alot faster. they won't, they will absolutely ROAST the guys who will be named(there's rumors a superstar or two is named) and this will continue to drag on for years and years along with the big * debate. not to mention it doesn't help having an absolute joke of a testing system. honestly, if you're a baseball fan...its not gonna be a good time

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tabascoman77 writes:
on Nov 29 2007 06:20 PM

There's still no real evidence he ever did anything.

And they desperately brought up the whole indictment thing again because they needed to save face rather than say "we give up".

Even Bonds' lawyer told the press that he can't imagine what they could possibly have after all this time.

They even had to file an extension to get the indictment because they had zip on Bonds.

Illegal drug use and cheating has been rampant in the Majors for years. Babe Ruth used to put nails in his bat, as did Ty Cobb. Gaylord Perry used spitballs AND admitted it happily in his autobiography. Nolan Ryan and Kenny Rogers are notorious for scuffing. Hank Aaron used Amphetamines as did most players in the 70's to get an extra boost of energy. None of this is NEW.

We just let it go for so long because we loved the game and wanted to believe there were players who were truly great. Now, we're seeing the strings and we want blood.

I'm just sick of it. I love this game and don't want to see it fall but America LOVES a scandal, so we're gonna get us a scandal.

Bonds is the scapegoat, so let's get our pitchforks and shovels and spears and torches and go on the hunt.

Enjoy the show.

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Mike_Nelson82 writes:
on Nov 29 2007 07:11 PM

I just hope the movie addresses the sexual impotence and bondage. Even if it never happened, I still wish to see Cuba Gooding Jr. get his comeuppance for Boat Trip.

(Reply to this)

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Nov 29 2007 08:59 PM

tabascoman77, um no evidence? Are you blind, deaf or plain ol' stupid?

The man's head doulbled in growth where's your explanation....

the man's power numbers went obscenly up after he turned 35, something no great hitter

has ever done, because it is impossible in a natural state.

Oh, the man actually has admitted In Court dOcuments THAT HE DID Use STEROIDS!!! but

unknowingly of course he thought it was flackseed oil, yeah and the moon is made up of

cheese.

Oh, and the fact you bring up such beloved baseball legends and heck, american icons

like babe ruth and henry aaron with this rascist, adulterer , lying , cheating monster?

Give me break, tabascoman77, you shame yourself as a human being for such a comparison,

Now, if you can't comprehend why he's being attacked so much its because ummm how

can i put this so you can understand.... He's the freakin greatest baseball player ever

if he doesn't cheat SO when he does and breaks all of the most hallowed records and

poisons America's pasttime WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD? HMM, SHOULD WE TREAT HIM THE

SAME AS SOME ORDINARY PLAYER? DO YOU REALLY THINK ITS SMART OR FAIR TO TREAT HIM THE

SAME WAY AS JASON GRIMSLEY OR MATT LAWTON?

HE COULD HAVE TAKEN THE GAME TO ALL TIME HEIGHTS AND BECOME THE GREATEST BUT HE BLEW IT

AND DAMNED HIMSELF INTO SPORTS HELL!!!! Please, this man gets all he deserves and more

if you ask me!

(Reply to this)

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Nov 29 2007 09:08 PM

Gimy, Great job like always! Funny as hell and hope you keep up

the funny because i can always need a good laugh in my sad life! god bless, gimy and

the funny blogs he writes, oh and good job blank blank: michael clark duncan is a

great choice to play berry, but he's just too good a person to play such an evil man.

plus, more importantly bonds' voice is very high, very similar to Mike Tyson or

Michael Jackson (in high pitchness not exactly you guys, buts its uncanny how all these

men share the same disgraceful existence that once started so majesticaly) Thus, i do

say Aries Spears;) why not, i can get a few laughs and the guy does a great Tyson and

Shaq... talk about a difference in pitch tones, dont'hca think?

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tabascoman77 writes:
on Nov 30 2007 12:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#1317326)
Couch Tomato, I've dealt with guys like you who love to just come up with random crap off the top of their heads.

1) Give me a source where "Barry Bonds' head grew" because there is none. I've heard that tired line and you and all the other people out there who love to scream bloody murder at the top of your lungs can never produce a source.

2) What do you mean having high power numbers at the age of 35 is "something no great hitter has ever done, because it is impossible in a natural state"??? Hank Aaron did it TWICE!!!

AARON:
------
Age 34: 29
Age 35: 44 (!!!)
Age 36: 38
Age 37: 47 HOMERUNS!
Age 38: 34
Age 39: 40 Homers (!!!)

Hank Aaron, from the time he was 35, hit 203 homeruns. He hit 40 3 times, eclipsing the totals he had when he was in the early 30's. When he was 37 years old, Aaron hit 47 homeruns in a SINGLE SEASON. That total is a CAREER HIGH.

So, say what you said again. Only, this time, sound like you know what you're talking about.

3) Under testimony, Bonds admitted to receiving "The Cream" and "The Clear" from his trainer which he believed to be muscle cream and flaxseed oil. The containers he received were unmarked. I know you're bent on not believing him (you seem to be the "oh-yeah-right" cynical type who loves drama) but there are such things as containers of drugs with small print on them that aren't sold under the counter. And, yes, they are legal. Everyone from my Grandmother to my friends have used some sort of cortizone muscle cream that contained some form of steroids.

4) Babe Ruth was far from innocent. In fact, Ty Cobb and Pete Rose are two of the greatest players to ever play the game. Babe Ruth constantly raised hell in his personal life, party non-stop, and screwed prostitutes left and right WHILE he was married. You act like Barry Bonds is the only screwed-up player ever. Ty Cobb, one of the greatest hitters to play the game was an angry, lying, no-good, rotten racist *** who slapped people around and generally hated almost everyone he came in contact with. At one point, after meeting with Joe Jackson after all the years of pent-up anger, he asked Jackson, "Don't you know me, Joe?" Jackson replied, "I do know you, Ty, I just wasn't sure you wanted to talk to me...a lot of them don't." And don't even get me started on Pete Rose and what a great thing HE threw away when he was caught gambling. Bonds is NOT the first player to be the most screwed up. Or did you want to talk about Milton Bradley?

You act like Bonds is the end-all, be-all horrible player. So what if he cheated on his wife? Big deal! Like that has ANYTHING to do with the game. I'm sure if you shook the closets of every single player in the Majors, you would find skeletons you never DREAMED of finding. Do you know how many NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA players have sex with prostitutes, escorts, strippers, and/or groupies on the road? Yeah, let's beat him up because his personal life isn't perfect.

As far as I'm concerned, unless there is real evidence of wrongdoing, then nobody has the right to go after him. So far, there is NO EVIDENCE he has done ANYTHING wrong.

IF, however, he has been found to have broken the record by using illegal drugs, then he should be punished. HOWEVER, then there needs to be a backlog on EVERY player who EVER used drugs and/or cheated in some form or another. Like Jose Canseco and Mark Maguire. They used steroids and cheated. I think it's time to take away their World Series rings. And Nolan Ryan and Gaylord Perry for doctoring the baseball. Suddenly, their records don't look so kosher.

And then, there's Hank Aaron who had admitted to possibly doing Amphetamines. Uh-oh! No wonder he hit that many homers in his late 30's!

Tomato, come back to me when you have something useful to say. Because crap like "his head grew" and "he has a high-pitch voice" is all speculative B.S., AT BEST.

(Reply to this)

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Dec 03 2007 10:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#1317588)
your still wrong tabsco man and history will prove me right so get

used to saying sorry to a whole bunch of folks when this bastard is easily found to be

one of the worst cheaters i n sports history and he we willbecome one of the most hated

ever... all justifly so, and all HAIL the SINGLE SEASON HR KING: ROGER MARIS; CAREER

HR LEADER: HANK AARON; GREATEST PLAYER, SLUGGER OF ALL TIME/: George Herman Babe RUTH!

Barry you can go Fuc*k Yourself! hope you suffer as much as you tortured and destroyed

AMERICA'S PASTIME WITH YOUR DESPICABLE CAREER!!!!!!!!!1111

(Reply to this)

tabascoman77 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 09:52 PM

In reply to this comment (#1326956)
[quote]Originally posted by [b]CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe][/b]
your still wrong tabsco man and history will prove me right so get

used to saying sorry to a whole bunch of folks when this bastard is easily found to be

one of the worst cheaters i n sports history and he we willbecome one of the most hated

ever... all justifly so, and all HAIL the SINGLE SEASON HR KING: ROGER MARIS; CAREER

HR LEADER: HANK AARON; GREATEST PLAYER, SLUGGER OF ALL TIME/: George Herman Babe RUTH!

Barry you can go Fuc*k Yourself! hope you suffer as much as you tortured and destroyed

AMERICA'S PASTIME WITH YOUR DESPICABLE CAREER!!!!!!!!!1111[/quote]

Yeah, took you long enough.

And look what you have to say to me:
NOTHING.

All you can do is say, "your still wrong".

And...HOW am I wrong? You think that back-talking is proving me incorrect?

That's because you're either evasive or you can't read anything.

There's something to be said for people like you: uneducated.

If Bonds is found to be a cheat, then so be it. I don't care. I will be right there with you, shaking my head.

But, right now, it's a bit early to be calling him anything. We live in America and this society is built on certain ideals.

One such ideal is the idea where one is "innocent until proven guilty".

So far, he has yet to be proven guilty. We may never find out if he shot up. We may never find out that Babe Ruth used nails in his bat or if Aaron popped pills to give him more energy.

BUT, Kenny Rogers DID have something on his hand and Gaylord Perry HAS admitted to cheating. You can't even remotely deny that.

You can try...but you're going against the obvious.

And, thanks, for your wish that another human being suffers as much as he did. That speaks volumes for your character.

(Reply to this)

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