From History To Legend- March To Mortality

Some links before starting today. Norma had a photoblog from Hong Kong.Yesterday having had been a Friday, Parsnip had a Square Dog Friday post. And Eve is taking part in A-Z this April; you can find her posts at her blog.

Now then, here is the second of my two movie reviews for Civil War films....

“Afterwards men in tall hats and gold watch fobs will thump their chests and say what a brave charge it was. Devin, I’ve led a soldier’s life, and I’ve never seen anything as brutally clear as this.” ~ John Buford

“Win was like a brother to me, remember? Towards the end of the evening, things got a little rough. We both began to... well, there were a lot of tears. I went over to Hancock. I took him by the shoulder, I said, Win, so help me, if I ever raise my hand against you, may God strike me dead. Ain’t seen him since. He was at Malverne Hill, White Oak Swamp, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg... One of these days I will see him, I’m afraid. Across that small, deadly space.”  ~ Lewis Armistead

“Generals can do anything. There’s nothing so much like God on earth as a general on a battlefield.” ~ Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

“Soldiering has one great trap. To be a good soldier, you must love the army. To be a good commander you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. We do not fear our own death, you and I. But there comes a time... we are never prepared for so many to die. Oh, we do expect the occasional empty chair, a salute to fallen comrades. But this war goes on and on and the price gets ever higher.” ~ Robert E. Lee

"Lovely ground." ~ John Reynolds

"I thought so, sir." ~ John Buford

"Now, let's go surprise Harry Heth." ~ John Reynolds

"Up, men! And to your posts! And let no man forget today that you are from old Virginia!" ~ George Pickett

“Well, if he’s an angel, all right then, but he damned well must be a killer angel.” ~ Buster Kilrain

“That’s Hancock out there. And he ain’t gonna run. So it’s mathematical after all. If they get to that road, or beyond it, we’ll suffer over fifty percent casualties. But Harrison... I don’t believe my boys will reach that wall.” ~ James Longstreet

“There are times when a corps commander’s life does not count.” ~ Winfield Scott Hancock

Michael Shaara’s classic novel The Killer Angels won the Pulitzer for fiction in 1975. It is my favourite novel, and tells the story of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of some of the commanders, both North and South. The novel was adapted by director and scriptwriter Ronald F. Maxwell and released in 1993 as the film Gettysburg, filmed on and around the battlefield itself, involving a cast of thousands, including many re-enactors who make a life’s hobby out of this sort of thing. The film follows the novel closely, giving us the point of view of commanders on both sides in a balanced way while conveying the ferocity of the greatest battle ever fought in North America.

The film begins with a voiceover, showing the movements of the Union and Confederate armies in late June 1863, as the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen) moves north into Maryland and Pennsylvania, pursued by the Army of the Potomac, moving more quickly than expected. The Confederate army have been used to victory time and again, while the Union army has suffered losses and the incompetence of commanding generals. This time, however, things are different- the Southern cavalry commander, Jeb Stuart (Joseph Fuqua) is missing, off on one of his grand rides up north with his cavalry, leaving the infantry blind in enemy country. This worries Lee’s senior commander, James Longstreet (Tom Berenger), who has employed the use of a civilian scout to determine the movements of the enemy.

The Union army, meanwhile, is moving quickly; command has been given over to a new commander, George Meade (Richard Anderson). The cavalry commander in the field is a brigadier general by the name of John Buford (Sam Elliott), who brings his troops into Gettysburg the day before the battle. He’s been scouting the movements of the Confederate army, and has learned they’re turning south, perhaps to threaten Washington. Buford understands the value of the ground south of the small town, the best high ground around, and makes the fateful decision to stand his ground, summoning the infantry to come up quickly and take control of the high ground before the rebels can take it. Two senior corps commanders, John Reynolds (John Rothman) and Winfield Scott Hancock (Brian Mallon) know him well enough to take him seriously, and promise to have the army up in the morning.

Coming with that army of Union troops is an unlikely officer, a colonel with his own regiment from Maine. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) is a professor who’s joined the war effort, a scholar and a man of principle who happens to be very good at the life of a soldier, an effective commander. His brother Tom (C. Thomas Howell) is a junior officer in the regiment, and tends to call Chamberlain by his first name. One of the senior enlisted men, Buster Kilrain (Kevin Conway) is a wise, gruff Irishman who’s been in the army most of his adult life, something of a father figure to the scholarly colonel. Their regiment is brought up along with the rest of the army, where they will meet destiny on the second day of the battle.

There had been efforts for years to adapt the book for the screen, either television or movies, but it was Maxwell who brought the film to the big screen. He received the backing of Ted Turner, who has a cameo as a Confederate officer during the climactic and ill fated Pickett’s Charge. Turner loved the novel too, and wanted to see it made. The National Parks Service allowed filming and battle re-enactment to be done on the battlefield itself, which gives the film a higher authenticity, particularly since places like Devil’s Den and Little Round Top had never seen this done. It is a long film- over four hours- but the material demanded that length. And the use of re-enactors, who know the story so well, allowed for a smoother filming process. Maxwell wrote the script, which closely adapts the novel, and which in turn paid heed to the history of the battle. Shaara noted at the time that while inner thoughts and some dialogue were his own interpretation, his foundation was on fact, and certainly his interpretation of the people on the page, and how they came to life on screen certainly rings true to who they were.

Maxwell’s direction throughout is sterling. He captures the ferocity of that war perfectly through the battle sequences, particularly the desperate fighting on Little Round Top on the second day, when the entire Union left flank is in danger, but also the cataclysm of the third day’s Pickett’s Charge. We feel the movement of vast forces of soldiers on the battlefield in how Maxwell’s camera team works, but then quickly find ourselves among regiments and get the close-up view in the midst of battle. The story gives balance to both sides- enough time is given to both perspectives, even though we know in our day that one side is wrong. It doesn’t romanticize the Old South in the infuriating way that Gone With The Wind did. And Maxwell even preserves a bit of Shaara’s humour in the story, mostly at the expense of one of Longstreet’s division commanders, George Pickett (Stephen Lang), a not that terribly bright but quite affable officer whose name will forever after be attached to the turning point of the Civil War. His three brigade commanders like to poke fun at his not so stellar academic record or his dim view of science.

Filming on place allowed for great authenticity, and that is much the same for the costuming and prop people. Many of the re-enactors would of course bring their own uniforms and gear for the project, but for those members of the cast who were featured players, their uniforms look very much of the era. This applies to makeup as well- most of the men (with a couple of minor cameos, this is an all male cast) have facial hair, some enough to house bird nests, but fitting for the time, and authentic to the men they are portraying. The music comes from Randy Edelman, and remains one of my favourite scores, emphasizing character moments at quiet interludes in the film, but also ferocious, desperate, and grand when accompanying the fury of battle.

The cast is huge. Many of the roles are cameos; documentary director Ken Burns, for instance, plays a Union staff officer during the cannonade on Cemetery Ridge preceding Pickett’s Charge. George Lazenby, a one-time James Bond, turns up as a Confederate division commander, Johnston Pettigrew, one of the other division commanders involved in Pickett’s Charge. Morgan Sheppard, an ancient looking actor with a huge resume of character roles (you’ve seen this actor in at least something), plays the third division commander of that charge. He’s a gruff staff officer when we first meet him, disgusted by the ineffectiveness of another corps commander, and placed into a vital position by Lee, who needs to fill a hole. Anderson’s appearance as General Meade is a brief one- he only appears once in the film as the commanding general, but that fits the story and the history, since Meade wasn’t that much of a factor in the battle. Donal Logue has more than a cameo, appearing frequently through the first half of the film- though he’s unrecognizable under facial hair- as Major Ellis Spear, Chamberlain’s capable and serious senior subordinate. John Rothman appears briefly as the ill fated General John Reynolds, playing the role as the man must have been: a superb commander, completely calm in the face of battle.

C. Thomas Howell plays the younger Chamberlain with a certain naive quality that works. Tom is the brother who always looked up to his older brother, joined the military because that’s what his brother was doing, and seems oblivious at times to military protocol, particularly his tendency to forget to address his brother by rank. He’s been in the army for awhile, has seen a lot, and yet that boyish naivety is still there. Kevin Conway, a character actor who’s been in multiple roles in the movies and television for years, gets one of the best parts as Kilrain. He’s a career soldier, the sort of senior enlisted man who make up the backbone of military services. And he’s gruff and disgusted by the foolishness of high command, something one might expect out of such a soldier. Yet he also does his duty, and is surprisingly thoughtful and wise. A conversation along the way with Chamberlain shows the father-son relationship between the two, and Kilrain’s principles as a person. He believes that only a fool judges people by the group or race- that you take people one at a time. It’s such a good role, and Conway makes it so memorable.

Brian Mallon gets the most screen time of the senior corps commanders in the Union Army as General Hancock. The real man was one of the finest officers in the army, a tough, tenacious, exceptional officer, and Mallon plays those qualities in his performance. Hancock is a commander who’s a natural leader, an inspiration to those around him, and calm under pressure. Mallon conveys that, but also shows the other side of the man, the humanity of Hancock, and a melancholy over an old friend who’s fighting on the Confederate side.

That friend, as it turns out, is Lewis Armistead (Richard Jordan), a brigade commander under Pickett, who, as fate would have it, is facing Hancock’s lines on the third day of battle. Both men become aware of each other being across the empty space between the lines, and both aware this means these two best friends will be fighting each other. It’s a twist that weighs heavily on them both, and we see that particularly in Jordan’s performance. It is the most poignant role in the film- we like Armistead tremendously; there’s a great warmth in the character. He has a sense of humour, but there’s also tragedy to him; he expresses that to his old friend Longstreet, particularly in a explaining about a vow he made the last time he saw Hancock. And now fate has brought him to fight Hancock head on. The performance is made all the more poignant by the fact that this was Jordan’s final performance; he died soon after filming was wrapped, and the film is dedicated to the memory of Jordan and Shaara.

Stephen Lang has spent years playing various character roles, often villains, but this is my favourite role by the actor. He plays Pickett just as you’d expect the real man to be. Pickett’s not a bright guy- he finished dead last in his class at West Point- but he’s capable and reliable, able to follow through on orders. He also seems to be good company, cheerfully taking jokes at his own expense, even instigating some of them, a boyish sort of fellow engaged to a woman half his age. Pickett is a jovial officer- and so the ill-fated charge that bears his name leaves him utterly shattered. When we last see him, he’s a broken man, and Lang conveys all of those qualities in his performance.

This is one of my favourite roles for Sam Elliott. John Buford was fated to die later in 1863, and for many years was a forgotten figure in the Civil War. It was perhaps the benefit of Shaara’s novel that started to give him serious attention and credit again. A bright man with a gift for topography and the best use of the land for military purposes, it was Buford’s decision to fight at Gettysburg and his stubborn fight on the first day that allowed the Union infantry to come up and occupy the high ground. In doing so, Buford saved the battle and perhaps the war. Elliott conveys the tenacious nature of the man, his frustrations at commanders, and his tough, capable, and steady character. Buford is a man who can see what’s to come; his prediction of the battle to one of his brigade commanders is chillingly accurate, at least for the losing side.

Martin Sheen is given the role of General Lee, and he plays the role well. Looking at history, one is struck with the dignity of Lee, his intelligence, and his skill as an officer. These are qualities that Sheen brings across throughout the film. He’s still a torn man; he remembers that he once took a vow as an officer in the Union army, and that he served with many of the men fighting against him. And yet he believes his duty first and foremost is to his home state. He’s also an officer with great empathy for his men; he says that a good commander must love the army, but also be willing to order the death of that which he loves. It’s a great contradiction, but it fits in perfectly with the character of the man. Another element that resonates is his anger- it’s a quality Lee tries to keep harnessed, but it shows itself in a late night meeting with Stuart, whose absence until the battle has started has leaved the general deeply disappointed. The anger he expresses to Stuart is effective in the moment- a mark of a man who could be very dangerous when riled. Sheen takes all of these into account with his performance, and it rates as one of his finest roles.

Tom Berenger also inhabits the role of Longstreet just as you’d expect the man to be. Longstreet was a military genius, devising systems of trench warfare decades before its time. He was a methodical, defensive commander of great skill, an effective general who’d advanced to his position based on his own talent. He was also a man of gloom and frustration, with a tragic past, suffering multiple personal losses during the War. Berenger plays Longstreet with gravity and force, a man of strength. He knows what’s coming- he tries to argue with Lee about moving the army away from the field and threatening Washington directly- but to no avail. And Berenger’s Longstreet feels the loss of what happens, the responsibility for it all, very heavily.

Jeff Daniels gives his best performance as Chamberlain. The fighting professor from Maine was the sort of person who could master any subject before him, and he certainly excelled at military life, ending up as one of the most extraordinary soldiers of the war. He’s a man of scholarly knowledge and deeply held principles, a man who believes in the cause he is fighting for. Daniels brings those qualities to the role, and also comes across as a highly capable leader, trusted by his men, someone whose ability to speak can be persuasive. He also shows the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Chamberlain, whose last minute use of a textbook tactic saves the second day and the Union army on Little Round Top.

Gettysburg is one of my favourite films, if not my favourite. The tale of the pivotal battle of a terrible war captures the immediacy of battle, the desperate odds on both sides, and the ferocious nature of that war. It also gives the viewer outstanding performances all around, bringing figures from the past back to life in rich and deep ways. It is, quite simply, a magnificent achievement in film.

A Selection Of Ten Favourite Books

Some links before I get myself started today. Yesterday was a Sunday, so we had a Snippet Sunday post at our joint blog. Krisztina had some thoughts at her blog. Parsnip had this video at her blog. Whisk asked if you were ready for zombies. Maria writes about writing right. And Lorelei had a Murphy's Law kind of day.

A few days ago on Facebook, there was a meme going around about particular favourite books. I wrote them down, and decided to expand today on what draws me to each book in turn. It occurs to me looking at this list of ten books that I haven’t included any Canadian authors- Robertson Davies, Farley Mowat, L.M. Montgomery, or Alice Munro rate among my favourites. Not Margaret Atwood though; it’s a matter of personal taste. I get why she’s so acclaimed, but reading her work just doesn’t do it for me. I remember a line from a television show: books are like old friends, and every once in awhile you have to drop in and see how they’re doing. These ten books are personal favourites, ones that I like coming back to from time to time.

The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara. My favourite novel. It won the Pulitzer for fiction in 1975. It tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War, from the point of view of commanders on both Union and Confederate sides. Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John Buford, and others come alive in Shaara’s insightful novel that sticks to the facts of the timeline of that battle. While it’s technically a novel, with dialogue and character interpretation as part of that, it follows the events of the battle closely, and rings true to who these men were. Shaara’s style feels clipped and efficient, presenting both sides of the conflict fairly, and fleshes out the inner voices of the characters. His writing style has certainly been an influence on me, and I’ve long since lost track of how many times I’ve read the novel. Every once in awhile it demands re-reading.

The Lord Of The Rings, J.R. Tolkien. The masterful trilogy by Tolkien tells the story of Middle Earth, following in the footsteps of his earlier children’s book The Hobbit. It follows the adventures of a varied band of warriors and hobbits as they embark on a quest to destroy the source of power of a dark lord rising up once again against the world. Tolkien expands greatly on his world of Middle Earth, establishing a masterpiece of mythology and a true classic that stands the test of time. He blends in themes of the strength of friendship and the notion of fighting for the good in the world. I first read the trilogy in early teenage years, and from time to time I come back to immerse myself in the world of hobbits, dwarves, elves, and other fantastic beings of Middle Earth.

Thunder Point, Jack Higgins. This was the first book by Higgins I ever read, though I had been familiar with the name, as his book The Eagle Has Landed was particularly well known. It’s a spy thriller that brings back his signature character Sean Dillon, who he introduced in his previous book, Eye Of The Storm, as a villain. Dillon, a feared IRA gunman, was supposed to have died in that book, but Higgins’ wife told him the character was just too good to kill off, so Higgins gave him an out. Thunder Point opens at the end of the Second World War, with the Nazi Martin Bormann making his escape from the theatre of war, carrying documents with him, documents that go down in the Caribbean aboard a U-boat during a storm. Decades later, the submarine is discovered, and more than one party is interested in those documents. A British intelligence official, Charles Ferguson, finds himself having to enlist the aid of Sean Dillon to deal with the opposition, under the premise that when dealing with nasty enemies, it helps to bring in someone who fights the same way. Dillon goes from terrorist to operative in the book, turning his back on his past and starting a new career with his old adversaries. While he never apologizes for his past in the books that follow, and while killing still comes easy to him, his shift from terrorist to hero starts here, and it feels like a natural transition.

John Adams, David McCullough. Another one of my favourite authors, McCullough’s known for his historical works and time spent in television documentaries. He’s won the Pulitzer twice for biographies of two American presidents, Adams and Harry Truman. Among his many other works that I enjoy reading are 1776, The Johnstown Flood, and The Great Bridge. McCullough brings a natural storyteller’s gift to his narratives as a historian, making the words flow easily and the past come alive. This biography of the second president is my favourite of his works, examining the complex and compelling life of a man sometimes overshadowed by other presidents, but just as deserving of greatness.

The Civil War, Shelby Foote. If you’ve seen the Ken Burns documentary on the subject, you’ve seen Shelby Foote, the Southern writer who was one of the expert commentators for the series. Foote had been a writer of novels and short stories before he turned his attention to history. He wrote the mammoth three volume narrative history of the War over a period of some twenty years in the 1950s and 1960s, writing a balanced account of the conflict that didn’t cater to the Lost Cause aspect of society plaguing the South; the only argument Foote made was that the War in the western theatre mattered as much as what was happening in the east. It is a massive undertaking to read the series, but it’s a rewarding one. Foote brings the story of the War and the soldiers who fought it alive with vivid detail, using the novelist’s sense of style in energizing the story.

Patriot Games, Tom Clancy. This was my favourite novel by Clancy in the Jack Ryan series, and while it was written after The Hunt For Red October, it serves as a prequel. Ryan is a vacationing tourist in London when he steps into an attack on members of the Royal Family, saving the day and earning the wrath of the people who escape, a band of breakaway Irish terrorists with agendas all their own. Clancy had a reputation early on for being fascinated with technology, often stopping in mid narrative to lecture the reader on how something worked. Still, he had a way of telling a potboiler tale and driving up the tension. I think of all of the novels he wrote- up to the point where his quality as a writer took a steep dive off a cliff- this one still stands as my favourite of his works. Maybe because it feels the most human. Jack is fighting first and foremost to protect his family, the people he loves the most. That’s a very primal instinct, and an honourable one. It elevates the story.

The Last Full Measure, Jeff Shaara. Jeff is the son of the late Michael Shaara, and after the death of the great man, turned his attention to writing as well in the same vein, telling stories of military history through the perspective of those who fought it. He’s turned his attention to the Civil War, the Mexican War, the American Revolution, World War One, and World War Two, each time taking on the points of view of men (or women) on both sides. His first book, Gods And Generals, served as a prequel to his father’s master work The Killer Angels, telling the story of the Civil War in the first two years through the points of view of several commanders, ending at Chancellorsville. The Last Full Measure picks things up after Gettysburg, following the points of view of several key commanders, including Chamberlain, Longstreet, and Jeb Stuart. First and foremost, though, it is the story of the great duel between the armies of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, from the battles of Spotsylvania to Appomattox, bringing to life the horrors of war and the complicated personalities of that war. The two novels serve as ideal companions to The Killer Angels, creating a father and son literary trilogy.

Crusade In Europe, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Between the Second World War and the Presidency, General Eisenhower wrote his account of being supreme commander of Allied forces in the European theatre. He examines the events of the war, the personalities of his commanders, the decisions he made, and the prism of history through the eyes of the man in charge. Eisenhower’s writing style is efficient as you might expect of a career soldier, but it flows well and keeps the reader hooked. His personality also comes through, and you get to understand why this man was so good at managing the full force of the western Allies against Nazi Germany. It’s been awhile since I’ve last read it, but Eisenhower’s words draw the reader right back into the Supreme Command’s headquarters.

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott. A classic of American literature, this two volume book explores the four March sisters, living in Civil War era New England. Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy’s imaginations, their trials and triumphs, the bonds of family, the exploration of love, and the heartbreak of loss are themes that resonate throughout the novel, based on the author and her sisters. This is another of those books that I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read it. I suspect that I relate to Jo in a lot of ways; she’s a writer with a bit of a temper, outspoken when she has to be, and she’s unconventional. Other readers might relate to another character. Regardless, it’s a classic that still feels fresh and inviting any time the reader picks it up again.

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett. I first read this one in a children’s literature course, and wished I’d read it years before. It tells the story of Mary, a troubled orphaned girl who comes to live with her reclusive uncle at a manor in the English countryside, amid the wilds of a moor. She comes to find a garden, hidden and locked away behind a wall for years, and as she starts to tend to the place and bring it back to life, she changes herself, going from the unaffectionate and spoiled child to becoming a better person in time. I could identify with Mary’s early personality- I’ve felt that sense of isolation and aloneness, so the character resonated with me.

In Pursuit Of The Perfect Game

Some links before I get started today. Norma had a photoblog up yesterday at her page. Shelly is keeping an eye on events overseas.  Yesterday was a Square Dog Friday at Parsnip's blog. Eve had writer's block advice at her page. And the Happy Whisk asked who eats pot pies. Today I have another movie review...

"You're perfect. You and the ball and the diamond, you're this perfectly beautiful thing. You can win or lose the game all by yourself. You don't need me." ~ Jane Aubrey

"Sam Tuttle. I can't think of a better reason not to be a Yankee." ~ Billy Chapel

"Let's get outta here before we get our asses kicked twice in one night." ~ Frank Perry

"We're the best team in baseball right now, right this minute, because of you. You're the reason. We're not gonna screw that up, we're gonna be awesome for you right now. Just throw." ~ Gus Sinski

"Think, Billy... don't just throw. Think." ~ Billy Chapel

For Love Of The Game is a 1999 adaptation by director Sam Raimi, from the novel by the late writer Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels). It tells the story of an aging pitcher at the end of a bad season, trying to figure out where his life is going as he pitches one more game. Starring Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston, the film goes back and forth in time and explores the characters and the essence of baseball from the major league point of view, working both as a sports film and an intensely personal character study. It's the third in Costner's baseball trilogy after Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. 

The film opens with the Detroit Tigers coming into New York for the final game of the season against the Yankees. It's been a bad season for the team, and the heart and soul of the Tigers is their legendary pitcher Billy Chapel (Costner). He's not quite the player he was though; he's forty, and his arm is aching, something noted by his friend, catcher Gus Sinski (John C. Reilly), who Billy complains is the ugliest wife in the league.

Billy has distractions on his mind. He's had an on and off again relationship with a woman in New York, Jane Aubrey (Preston), a magazine columnist who tells him that she's accepting a job in London, bidding him goodbye. And the owner of the team Gary Wheeler (Brian Cox) breaks the news that he's sold the team to a corporate group who have decided to trade the star pitcher. Wheeler suggests Billy retire instead, that it would serve the incoming owners right. The team takes to the field in Yankee Stadium, one of the most hostile places in the world for a visiting team, and Billy starts pitching, all the while reflecting on his relationship with Jane, meeting her daughter Heather (Jena Malone), and the events that have driven them apart. As the game progresses (called by real life announcers Vin Scully and Steve Lyons), Billy struggles with decisions, thinks about the past... and realizes at last that he's pitching a perfect game.

The screenplay by Dana Stevenson adapts the book by Shaara, found among the author's works after his death. It blends the personal relationship aspect and the world of the major league game. While the moving back and forth in time aspect might seem confusing, much of the flashbacks are left to when Billy is in the dugout. On the mound, he's all business. The story fleshes out the characters both in how we see them in action, and particularly for Billy and Jane in the flashbacks. It also really gets us in the mind of a pitcher, something that Raimi picks up on in his work as a director. Chapel tends to talk to himself on the pitcher's mound, judging the man at bat, deciding how to handle each in turn. He has a personal mantra to shut out the sound of the crowd, and Raimi plays on that several times in completely numbing that sound. And he relates to players in different ways. To his team he's the leader. To opposing players, there's sometimes respect, and sometimes animosity- no more so clearly than with the Yankee Sam Tuttle, a hot head who turns everything into an argument.

Raimi filmed the baseball scenes in Yankee Stadium between seasons, using extras to fill sections of the stands where needed, and employing baseball players to fill out some of the roster on both teams. In Costner he had an actor who played the game in school days, and it shows in Costner's body language- he looks at home on the mound, as though he belongs, and he's the one throwing the pitches; we're not looking at a stunt double. Raimi gets us into the game through his camera work, sometimes filming in a way as if the audience is an unseen presence on the field, other times giving us the television perspective complete with announcers. The overall effect is one of authenticity- it feels like a game playing out, and interspersed with the flashbacks, it makes for a most unusual game. And in going into the stands from time to time, Raimi shows us an audience of die-hard Yankee fans slowly shifting from jeers and hostility into realizing they're watching history in the making- and actually rooting for someone from the other team. It's a completely different kind of movie for Raimi, better known for horror like Army Of Darkness and The Evil Dead, or his Spider-Man trilogy. The score by the late Basil Poledouris is one of my favourites of his work, drawing us right in. It's romantic, heroic, and noble at times, and such a contrast from much of his other work, including The Hunt For Red October, Conan The Barbarian, and Les Miserables (the non-musical version). Give a listen to this sample of his score.

The cast is ideal for their roles. Brian Cox is one of those character actors who can be interesting in whatever he does, sometimes as a villain and other times not. Here he's sympathetic as a team owner irritated by the way his favourite player is being screwed over by the incoming owners. He tells Billy that watching him play the game has been one of the great joys in his life. This in short is not the kind of owner we'd see in a George Steinbrenner (who's probably rolling over in his grave right about now). J.K. Simmons turns up as the coach of the Tigers, Frank Perry. Simmons is another one of those character actors you've seen a hundred times, a motormouth who you can't help but like. Raimi would later cast him as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man trilogy, but here he's more sympathetic, a dedicated and driven coach. Though his team has had a bad year, he's determined not to just roll over for the Yankees and have them clinch the pennant without a fight. Bill E. Rogers is also of note here; he plays Davis Birch, a friend of Billy who got traded to the Yankees. The two have stayed friends, meet on the diamond twice in the film, and we see the mutual respect between the two, the understanding that this might well be the last time they see each other as players in the game. Rogers conveys that respect in the final inning, torn between wanting his team to win and wanting to see his friend pull off a rare achievement. 

Jena Malone plays Heather Aubrey mostly in flashback, though late in the film we see her watching the game. She plays the part over a number of years, and still comes across as both a teenager and young college student. When we first meet her she's wise beyond her years, brought up by a single mother, with an absent father who doesn't care what she does. While she comes across initially as a teen with teen responses to arguments, there's depth there and maturity, and both the audience and Billy can see that. In her performance, she relates to Kelly Preston very much in a believable daughter and mother way. 

Reilly has the look of a baseball catcher, somewhat stocky and pugnacious, and also looks like he belongs right at home behind home plate, waiting for the ball to hit his glove. His Gus has a lot of history with Billy- they're pretty much partners on the field, both knowing what the other will do next. With reason he worries about Billy's condition, but the friendship between the two is well established, and they trust each other. That's a hallmark of Reilly's performance, well fleshed out and feeling authentic.

The two leads fit their roles well. Kelly Preston plays Jane as a woman who's succeeded in her field despite struggles and troubles. Through her own hard work she's made something of herself, all while raising her daughter from an early age. She's not perfect- there are times her self esteem and sense of emotional guard get in the way of her happiness, as if she doesn't believe she can be happy, that she can't believe in love. Her daughter sees that, understands that her mother withdraws into herself. Preston plays into that, but also brings a sense of humour and infectious warmth into the role.

Costner was the perfect fit for the role. He wasn't much older than the character when he made the film, and still in the right form to be out on the mound. He plays Billy in different ways. He can be careless at times with his personal life, even withdrawing and pushing Jane away when an injury intervenes into his life. But there's also charm and a playfulness that features heavily into his relationship with Jane. They're believable as a couple, and that comes from both performances. On the field, the character feels true to life too, getting weary as the game goes on, even having doubts as to whether or not he can go on. Yet he's also a leader, surrounded by a team that's playing hard for him, something on display in the final two innings. 

We really get into Billy's head as things go along, and Costner conveys the essence of the baseball player in a way that feels grounded and true to life. That includes playing psychological games with an opponent or giving advice to a fellow player who's had a bad night. It also means that even though his team hasn't done well this season, the final game isn't a throwaway- he points out that it still means something to other teams in the pennant race. And late in the film, when he utters a prayer of sorts... it seems entirely appropriate. Billy isn't asking to win. He just wants the pain in his arm to go away for a few minutes.

The film bounces back and forth in time as a game plays itself out. It explores the nuances of a game and the crossroads of a great career, all while getting into the heads of the characters. In exploring a relationship through flashbacks, Raimi gives us a strong character study that for me worked just right.