The Natural: A Nostalgic Fable about More than Baseball

"My life didn't turn out the way I expected."
~ Roy Hobbs

I used to watch movies every Sunday evening with a street person my wife and I befriended named Robert. One of his favorite films was The Natural, which we watched together in September 2000. Directed by Barry Levinson, The Natural stars Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a talented baseball prodigy derailed by tragedy. Years later, as a middle-aged rookie for the struggling New York Knights, he wields his homemade bat "Wonderboy" to chase redemption, glory, and pennant victory amid temptations and dark secrets.

There were any number of good lines. "I believe we all have two lives... the life we learn with and the life we live with after that." (It's an observation that for me brings to mind Vanilla Sky.)

But what about now? When does "the life we live with after that" begin?

Another interesting statement. "I didn't see it coming. I should have seen it coming." Some things that happen to us seem to have no foreshadowing even when in fact they do. Why were we so blind to it?

Interesting, too, that the movie ends with an upbeat heroic end that was altogether different from the book. I did read the book years ago and was surprised by the twist.(See The Player for an insight on how that happens.)

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Why do people want to be famous? Roy Hobbs wanted that... to be the best that ever was. Why? Iris (Glenn Close) challenges him: "Why does that matter so much to you? Isn't it good enough to know you were good?"

Too often we pursue treasures at the ends of the earth when there are acres of diamonds right here at our feet. If we would open eyes we'd see where true value lies.

Here's another great line by Redford that carries a lot of punch: "Some mistakes I guess we never stop paying for." 

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Duvall as Max, the sportswriter

Redford doesn't carry the film alone. The supporting cast is strong as well: Glenn Close as the pure-hearted Iris, Kim Basinger as the seductive Memo, Wilford Brimley as gruff manager Pop and Robert Duvall as the bloodhound sportswriter who knows there's more to the story.

Critics knocked The Natural for its sentimentalism, but isn't that what baseball used to be all about? We loved our hometown teams and the heroes who populated them. My heroes included Rocky Colavito, Tito Francona, Roberto Clemente and (of course) the Mick (Mickey Mantle). Baseball was the perfect blend of poetry, nostalgia and statistics. The Natural also reflects the vibrant and varied vicissitudes of fate.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned our friend Robert, whose life revolved around movies. After he passed away I ended up with a few of his possessions including a notebook in which he wrote down every movie he watched every day. I counted at least 17 viewings of The Natural during this period in his life. He never tired of it.