The Natural

Name: The Natural
Genre: Drama, Sport
Released: May 11, 1984
Duration: 138 min
Rating: 61
Cast: Barbara Hershey, Glenn Close, Joe Don Baker, John Finnegan, Kim Basinger

1984

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	Your Score
7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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The Natural

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Movie Details & Credits

TriStar Pictures | Release Date: May 11, 1984 | PG

Starring: Barbara Hershey, Glenn Close, Joe Don Baker, John Finnegan, Kim Basinger, Richard Farnsworth, Robert Duvall, Robert Prosky, Robert Redford, Wilford Brimley

Summary: An unknown comes out of seemingly nowhere to become a legendary player with almost divine talent.

Director: Barry Levinson

Genre(s): Drama, Sport

Rating: PG

Runtime: 138 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Gene Siskel

The Natural is a fairy tale from start to finish, full of wildly implausible scenes that win over our emotions because, frankly, that's the way we'd like life to be. Being a baseball fan involves repeatedly experiencing exquisite pain and exquisite joy. Well, there's a lot of both in The Natural. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Arguably the best baseball movie ever made. The film works not because it is flawless in its depiction of what transpires on the diamond (more on a significant mistake later), but because it captures the spirit of the game at a time when baseball truly was the National Pastime. Read full review

Richard Schickel

As Hobbs, Robert Redford has never been better. A lefty who moves like the ballplayer he once wanted to be, he has, like all the truly great movie stars, the ability to appear as if he has transcended acting and can now simply behave a part like this. Read full review

Rita Kempley

The Natural is a likable baseball saga, a big, old messy metaphor that says: You may be middle-aged, America, but you can still hit one out of the park. [11 May 1984, p.25]

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Somewhat overly sentimental, lacking the novel's subtlety, and less interesting when the action leaves the ball park, Barry Levinson's beautifully shot film is nonetheless a charming fairy tale. Read full review

Roger Ebert

Why didn't they make a baseball picture? Why did The Natural have to be turned into idolatry on behalf of Robert Redford? Why did a perfectly good story, filled with interesting people, have to be made into one man's ascension to the godlike, especially when no effort is made to give that ascension meaning? Read full review

Pauline Kael

There isn't a whisper of surprise in Redford's performance, and he's photographed looking like a wary, modest god, with enough backlighting and soft focus to make him incandescent even when he isn't doing a thing.

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User Reviews

Intercept211

Dec 7, 2017

The Natural is my favourite baseball movie. The actors give fantastic performances, there are clever twists and Robert Redford gives one of his best renditions ever as Roy Hobbs.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

amheretojudge

Mar 20, 2019

Character - 1. Game - 0.

The Natural Levinson's game is played on familiar ground and cliched rules, but above all, it is fair. And that is his self-created window where he gets in from. This unusual journey of a young athlete- or so it seems when it starts up- is authentic and practical.Character - 1. Game - 0.

The Natural

Levinson's game is played on familiar ground and cliched rules, but above all, it is fair. And that is his self-created window where he gets in from. This unusual journey of a young athlete- or so it seems when it starts up- is authentic and practical. The double edge sword where his method is productive and necessary but not cinematic makes you go back and forth on where you lie in the final scorecard. All the stages and characters that Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) encounters is executed brilliantly by the director Barry Levinson. But mind you, this journey is not gripping all the time.

Roger and Phil; the screenwriters, who adapted it from Bernard's novel could have been edited better and made it more thrilling for the viewers. There are very few such moments in the game where we get what we have been craving for. "I am here to play the game" claims Redford and it is a soothing medicine that makes up for all the sweat and blood we go through, which even his first swing or throw could never replace.

On terms of performance, Redford is supported magnanimously by Glenn Close whose both character and performance is a sight to behold. This never flinching attitude of Redford can only be shattered by Close's generous watery eyes. Other supporting cast like Robert Duvall and Wilford Brimley are definitely on track although Kim Basinger seems awfully distracted in her cloak of being an enchantress. The film fumbles right before its last act that turns out to be the major disappointment of all, it slows down more than it already was. The Natural is the apt description of the film, what's good about it comes from within, for it clearly isn't going to work harder, a typical sport genre feature.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

DawdlingPoet

Nov 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is an easy watch - a little slow going but you don't need to concentrate to follow the main plot. This certainly isn't one to watch if your sceptical, least of all if you don't believe in semi miraculous things happening, as seems to be the case early-ish on in the film. I felt it was a little bland and not so engrossing a watch mid way through but the main character, Roy Hobbs, is likeable enough, I suppose. I definitely felt some of what happened seemed a little too good to be true but its ok as, I suppose, a sports related kind of a feel good film of sorts. Its a family friendly watch - a relatively cheesy one but one regardless. This, of course, is unlikely to appeal to people who don't have any interest in baseball I suppose - I can't say I'm a big fan of it per se, I was more curious about the main character and what may be behind his apparent great talent that seems to be discovered from nowhere but I did ocassionally zone out a bit, when technical aspects of the game were referenced.

This is a decent, ok film but no more than that. The fact that not all questions are answered was a bit frustrating too.

I'd recommend it if your a fan of Robert Redford and this films plot interests you and/or if you enjoyed 'Field of Dreams' or 'A League Of Their Own', otherwise perhaps not.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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