Two Teamtes, One Hero
As football season comes to a close with the end of Super Bowl XXXVII, many sports fans go their separate ways in an attempt to be entertained before the beloved baseball season begins. College basketball becomes popular, NBA and NHL ratings go up, and some even resort to NBC's coverage of arena football. Along with paying the usual attention to all of the above, I am also using this empty slot in-between my two favorite sport's seasons to watch as many baseball movies as I can. For example, Field of Dreams, Major League, and Little Big League are on my list. However, the first to be viewed was a movie I had never seen before and was filmed in Detroit's own Tiger Stadium titled 61*. Knowing that this movie is based a true story and events, I was not expecting to receive the amount of accuracy needed for me to consider ever watching the film again. I was unbelievably wrong. Director Billy Crystal and screenwriter Hank Steinberg did an incredible job recreating the characters, places, press, and events of the summer of 1961. A noted baseball fan Billy Crystal had a great time directing the made for television sports drama. Set in the summer of 1961 the movie tells the story of two of baseball's s
Throughout his successful season he was clearly shown by the fans that he was not the favorite of the two. Being athletically inclined Barry seemed to have no problem with all of the baseball stuff on the field, but he also did a wonderful job showing the audience what kind of man Roger Maris was off the field. This movie can be seen on cable TV every once in a while or purchased on VHS or DVD for under $20. Mickey Mantle was an exceptional athlete who rarely took care of himself the way he should have. It is shown that Billy Crystal demanded perfection as he tried to reproduce every detail of the two players on and off the field. It is said that he even went as far as to include the exact objects in Mantle's and Maris' lockers because the movie included several shots of interviews with the lockers in the background. The respect of the events from the production team and the well-built cast may turn this film into an all-time classic. He took the job with respect for the character he was playing and his performance was outstanding. Every detail of the slow strut with the bat on his shoulder is there, including avoiding fans by looking down at the ground straight in front of him. Even the non-baseball fan can fall in love with the relationship between two very different teammates striving to reach a plateau with only room for one. He was a family man and a hard worker willing to give up summers at home to provide a good life for his wife and kids by playing baseball. Although it is not the only purpose of the film I believe many sports fans would not be so critical if they knew the story of what happens off the field. Barry Pepper was forced to take on the challenge of showing fans the other side of Maris who had to deal with an extreme amount of stress and pressure that was put on him that season. For example players are seen drinking beer and smoking cigarettes in the locker room, which was acceptable during that time.
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Acceptance Essays
