The Movie Guys — Jeff Howard and Dave Neil: Costner finds the plate in ‘For Love of the Game’

Friday, Sept. 17, 1999 | 10:31 a.m.

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzz written by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.

Grades: Jeff, B; Dave, A-.

Starring: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C, Reilly, Jena Malone and Brian Cox.

Directed by: Sam Raimi.

Screenplay by: Dana Stevens.

Rated: PG-13 for mild profanity and mature themes.

Running Time: 140 minutes.

Playing at: Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Regal Cinemas Sunset Station 13, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Las Vegas Drive-In, Cinedome 12 Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century Orleans 12, Century Desert, UA Showcase mall, UA Rainbow Promenade.

Synopsis:

Billy Chapel is the veteran pitcher and heart and soul of the Detroit Tigers who is forced to examine his personal and professional priorities while pitching one of the best games of his successful career. With both the threat of being traded after 20 years and losing the love of his life weighing heavy on his shoulders, he stands alone on the pitcher's mound in a stadium of full of opposing fans and re-evaluates the direction in his life. Aware that the stakes in his life have increased dramatically, Chapel realizes that he has some serious decisions to make -- decisions which will not only determine his future as an athlete, but as a man.

Dave: Ah, baseball. America's pastime. The game that has given us some of the most recognizable, if not colorful, figures this century. Anyone who knows me can tell you that the game of baseball has always been a heightened passion of mine, and so have been the films that have centered themselves around its diamond. Certainly, the sport has suffered enough scrutiny this decade, which may explain star Kevin Costner's absence from the cinematic ballfield. Then again, maybe not.

Whatever the case may be, Costner has finally made it to "the show." By that I mean, he played the career minor-leaguer Crash Davis in 1988's "Bull Durham." The following year had him building a ball park in the middle of an Iowa corn field so ghost Shoeless Joe Jackson and company could play their beloved sport in "Field of Dreams."

Now he can say he has taken to the major league field as veteran pitcher Billy Chapel, whose prolific career is destined for the Hall of Fame. Yet, his life is at a crossroads both professionally and personally. His team, the Detroit Tigers, is to be under new management and is looking to trade him for younger talent, and his love, Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston), looks to end their relationship. Now, on the night that he is pitching a nearly impossible perfect game against the New York Yankees, Chapel reflects on his life and career.

Jeff: As we saw earlier this year with "Message in a Bottle," Costner sticks with the romantic comedy formula (a genre that serves him well), and with the role of Billy Chapel, his most challenging character to date, he delivers a complex and emotional performance. I believe it's the best of his career. I know what you're thinking: "Kevin Costner in another baseball movie?" But "For Love of the Game" is much more than baseball, it's a highly compelling love story set within the backdrop of major league baseball. Chapel takes time to reflect on his five-year relationship with his girlfriend, Jane, during his final game of his professional career. Normally films told in flashback are certain death, but director Sam Raimi (better known for his horror films such as "Evil Dead" and "Army of Darkness") handles it like a pro.

You will become totally engrossed in the high and low aspects of their relationship and the uncontrollable excitement of his final game. Raimi is an untapped talent in Hollywood and demonstrates his enormous versatility and skill as one of our generation's greatest directors, first with last year's "A Simple Plan" and now with "For Love of the Game." His use of slow motion for dramatic effect is eloquent, and the tension he creates in Chapel's final moments of the big game is accomplished with great dexterity.

Dave: A variety of aspects contribute to that "uncontrollable excitement" Jeff refers to. Raimi shows us Chapel's ability to block out the jeers of the Yankee fans by aesthetically muting the stadium and hazing out every surrounding distraction except for the elements essential to his game -- the pitch, the swing of the bat, the umpire's call. The baseball game's action is excitingly believable from every strikeout to a ground-out to a long fly ball out. The film even drafted Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully (for the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Fox Sports personality Steve Lyons to call the play-by-play, adding to the realism and enjoyment of the event.

Composer Basil Poledouris captures the simplicity of the game, delivering a powerfully stirring score. Finally, Costner is in athletic form as an actor, talking himself through each inning and revealing his vulnerability and determination. But no, this is not just a sports flick for the boys. During his drive for a perfect game, Chapel recalls moments in his love affair that have driven him to the night of the game.

Jeff: While Dave drooled over the baseball aspects of the film I was captivated by the love story. It starts out as a perfect relationship: Both agree that they will see each other once a month, only when Chapel blows into town for a game. All other times they have their own lives to do as they wish -- no rules, no nagging, no phone calls. But all of that changes. The struggle is between Chapel's love for the game and his love for Jane. He learns how you can't have the best of both worlds and he must finally choose which is more important in his life. This revelation and decision all take place on the pitcher's mound during the most important game of his career.

Balancing out the romance is the talented Kelly Preston, portraying Jane, an introverted journalist who is afraid of commitment. She can hold her own against Costner and sparks fly when they are together. This is a suitable date movie and a perfect film for people of all ages who have a love for baseball and are hopeless romantics at heart.

Dave: And while Jeff gushes over the romance, I found myself holding my breath with every out by the eighth inning. With a one-run lead, a tiring arm, thoughts of possible retirement and Jane leaving him forever, Chapel slowly begins to realize the prolific nature of the game he is involved in and makes the astounding decisions that will affect his life. Does he maintain the perfect game or blow it in the bottom of the ninth? Does he retire from the game or is he traded to the San Francisco Giants by season's end? Does he get the girl or not? Well, we won't say. Not because we don't want to tell you, as per our reputation for giving away the endings to films, but because it's his love of the game that Chapel accepts, and what life has given him that's important. Costner may be the film's hurler, but he hits a final grand slam that would place him in the Ho llywood version of Cooperstown.

Movie Buzz

Touchstone takes "Tennessee": Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay are readying the Pearl Harbor action film "Tennessee" for Disney's Touchstone Pictures. The film will have a $100 million-plus budget and tell the tale of two brothers who fall in love with the same woman in the midst of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The film was written by "Braveheart" scribe Randall Wallace. No stars are set for the film, but Bay is hoping to get Gene Hackman and Gwyneth Paltrow for the parts of President Roosevelt and the film's romantic lead, respectively.

Spielberg to take over Kubrick film?: One of the unfinished projects the late Stanley Kubrick had in development was "A.I." (for Artificial Intelligence). The project seemed to be a moot point after the director's demise. Now, according to the London Sunday Times, Steven Spielberg may take on the sci-fi film. According to the paper, Warner Bros. and the Kubrick family may soon be handing over Kubrick's notes on the project to Spielberg, passing the proverbial torch to this generation's most successful director.

"Green Miles" of smiles: It's only been seen by a select few, but "The Green Mile" is already being touted as a big Oscar contender. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that the Tom Hanks drama (based on Stephen King's novella) was incredibly well received at its first screening in Arizona. The audience gave the film a score in the high 90s, one of the best results ever for a Warner Bros. film. "Mile" was directed by Frank Darabont, the man behind "The Shawshank Redemption," and will be released later this year.

Name That Flick

In what movie was Kevin Bacon's first starring role? Bobby Acevedo was the first to call and correctly answer "Animal House." Way to go, Bobby! For this week, try to guess the answer to this question: Which actor played Lou Gehrig in the 1942 film "Pride of the Yankees"? If you think you know, call The Movie Guys hotline at 225-9026 or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com. Be sure to spell your name and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.

Be sure to pick up this week's issue of the Las Vegas Weekly to read our interview with Kevin Costner, star of the new film "For Love of the Game." See you next week!

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