Directed by Bennett Miller from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin,Moneyballtells the true story of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his attempts to build a competitive team on a budget with the help of computer-generated analysis. Using real-life individuals as well as original characters inspired by real-life people, such as Jonah Hill’s character Peter Brand, who first introduced Beane to the idea of using a sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing to build a cheap but efficient team. Like most screenplays involving Sorkin,Moneyballturns what sounds mundane into an innovative and invigorating sports story.
Will Brad Pitt’s F1 win at the box office?
Brad Pitt in a sports movie. That makes sense. F1 - a film centered around Formula One racing and produced by the legendary Jerry Bruckheimer. It will be released on June 27th 2025. Still sounds good to me. But here’s the thing: it’s going to be distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures. Will the A+ actor and the iconic behind-the-scenes name be able to lift this big-screen theatrical production out of all the drama that WB has put themselves in lately? You already know the cinematography at least is going to be out of this world. What’s your opinion? Will F1 succeed or crash before the finish line? I want to hear your thoughts down below.
Besides having a solid script,Moneyballboasts an impressive ensemble cast to star alongside Pitt and Hill. Featuring the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, and Reed Diamond, the film has actors like Pratt who would go on to become much more prevalent later in their careers. Whether you’rea fan of baseball or not,Moneyballis the kind of film that fascinates you with well-written characters who are passionate about the subject while making it easy to understand.
‘Moneyball’ Isn’t Entirely Accurate, but Gets the Important Points Across
As with any dramatic recreation of a real-life story,Moneyballtakes creative liberties with the true story. In this particular instance, it’s the portrayal of the Oakland A’s and their meteoric rise to success in the 2002 MLB season, with much of the 20-game winning streak showcased in the film glossing over the fact that the pitching staff (specifically the three starting pitchers) were incredibly talented, with no mention of them in the movie. The movie is much more focused on Billy Beane and his distant relationship with the players, which allowed him to make more calculated (and sometimes cold) decisions.
However, despite what could be considered a glaring oversight,Moneyballmanages to get its larger and more important point across. Beane and Brand helped change the sport that they both loved, with the sabermetric approach being adopted by other teams that would go on to win the World Series. More importantly, accurate or not to actual baseball history, the main message got through to audiences. The Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself, with a 94% “fresh” critic rating based on an aggregate of 273 reviews.
Moreover, with an 86% audience rating (over 50,000 entries submitted),Moneyballis receiving plenty of love. Now, more viewers than ever will get a chance to experience this film when it hits Peacock on Apr. 1. Whether revisiting this exciting and cleverBrad Pittsports drama or watching it for the first time, watching the movie will make it hard not to be romantic about baseball.
