A fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.A fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.A fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 7 wins & 6 nominations total
Lloyd T. Williams
- Mickey
- (as Lloyd Williams)
Gregory Avellone
- Doc
- (as Greg Avelone)
Garland Bunting
- Teddy - Radio Announcer
- (as Carey 'Garland' Bunting)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I remember the first time I saw this film. I had won tickets from a local radio station and I saw it at a private screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I remember as I was watching it that it was one of the greatest experiences I had in a movie in a long time. This film is not only a great sports film, but it is one of the great all around films I have ever seen. This film has it all from romance to comedy to witty dialogue. Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins all brought Ron Shelton's script to life and the three of them displayed some of the greatest chemistry ever captured on film. This film is a timeless classic.
There may be many great baseball movies but there's only one classic and it's not Redford's The Natural or Costner's own Field of Dreams. It's Bull Durham, an underrated movie from 1988.
Tim Robbins is a natural fit as a cocky young pitcher and so is Kevin Costner as the veteran ball player whose main job is to coach Robbins into becoming a better player. The humour is first class and it's tough to single out a scene in particular. If you like humour that's not in your face ha-ha, you'll love Bull Durham.
But, wait, I haven't told you about the movie's biggest strength - Susan Sarandon. This is the movie where I fell in love with the woman. As Annie Savoy, she's smart, sassy and incredibly sexy. Her lines are impeccably written and her character is just fun to watch.
What Bull Durham had in humour and spirit, Field of Dreams made up with sentimentality and nostalgia. Nevertheless, I will also consider Bull Durham to be the better film, mainly because the filmmakers weren't trying to make a great film. They weren't trying to give it a glow like Field of Dreams had. They just wanted to make a fun baseball film in the league of Major League and they hit the bullseye!
Tim Robbins is a natural fit as a cocky young pitcher and so is Kevin Costner as the veteran ball player whose main job is to coach Robbins into becoming a better player. The humour is first class and it's tough to single out a scene in particular. If you like humour that's not in your face ha-ha, you'll love Bull Durham.
But, wait, I haven't told you about the movie's biggest strength - Susan Sarandon. This is the movie where I fell in love with the woman. As Annie Savoy, she's smart, sassy and incredibly sexy. Her lines are impeccably written and her character is just fun to watch.
What Bull Durham had in humour and spirit, Field of Dreams made up with sentimentality and nostalgia. Nevertheless, I will also consider Bull Durham to be the better film, mainly because the filmmakers weren't trying to make a great film. They weren't trying to give it a glow like Field of Dreams had. They just wanted to make a fun baseball film in the league of Major League and they hit the bullseye!
Crash Davis loves baseball more than it loves him. He believes in the game. He deserves to be in the show, but he isn't and never will be. But still he plays on, dutifully and to a certain extent, joyfully. Better to play crappy A-ball than sell shoes.
That for me is the central theme of this film. It is all summed up when Crash tells Nuke, the wild young star pitcher "You don't respect yourself. That's your problem. You don't respect the game. That's my problem."
Take a player that passionate, and a youngster that annoying, add in a sexy yet maternal fan and you have great comedy. Bull Durham works scene after scene, because the film never forgets that baseball is what binds all the characters together.
Tim Robbins is nothing short of brilliant and Nuke Laloosh, the rising star youngster who walks 18 batters and strikes out 18 batters in his first minor league appearance - both league records. But Nuke is caught up in his fat contract, his Porsche, and his endless parade of women. Baseball is a sideline. Eventually, Crash's mentoring begins to pay off until he finally realizes that winning is "like, you know, better than losing!"
The love triangle between Annie (Susan Sarandon), Crash and Nuke is wonderful and funny, but it mainly provides us with set up for the baseball scenes, like when Sarandon convinces Nuke to wear women's underwear while he pitches. Or my favourite scene, when Annie and Crash take batting practise together, Annie dressed like she is ready for a wedding, but determined to correct Crash's swing. Crash is determined to take Annie home. They flirt and practice batting in one of the best prolonged foreplay scenes ever filmed.
The ending is satisfying but the real depth of this film is harmony that the game brings to the characters. **** out of ****.
That for me is the central theme of this film. It is all summed up when Crash tells Nuke, the wild young star pitcher "You don't respect yourself. That's your problem. You don't respect the game. That's my problem."
Take a player that passionate, and a youngster that annoying, add in a sexy yet maternal fan and you have great comedy. Bull Durham works scene after scene, because the film never forgets that baseball is what binds all the characters together.
Tim Robbins is nothing short of brilliant and Nuke Laloosh, the rising star youngster who walks 18 batters and strikes out 18 batters in his first minor league appearance - both league records. But Nuke is caught up in his fat contract, his Porsche, and his endless parade of women. Baseball is a sideline. Eventually, Crash's mentoring begins to pay off until he finally realizes that winning is "like, you know, better than losing!"
The love triangle between Annie (Susan Sarandon), Crash and Nuke is wonderful and funny, but it mainly provides us with set up for the baseball scenes, like when Sarandon convinces Nuke to wear women's underwear while he pitches. Or my favourite scene, when Annie and Crash take batting practise together, Annie dressed like she is ready for a wedding, but determined to correct Crash's swing. Crash is determined to take Annie home. They flirt and practice batting in one of the best prolonged foreplay scenes ever filmed.
The ending is satisfying but the real depth of this film is harmony that the game brings to the characters. **** out of ****.
It is nice to see a movie that attracts more than one kind of audience. This is a comedy, then again a love story. This can be placed in the baseball genre as well as a coming of age drama. Most movies claim to be one or the other and sometimes fail to be. Then again, when a good movie hits a homerun it can not only become a money maker and a box office smash, it can also become timeless. Before they became giants of Hollywood, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins stars in this great movie as some of the most interesting, yet simple characters. Costner plays an aging baseball player who meets with rookie, soon to be great major league pitcher Tim Robbins. Out of the rafters comes Susan Surandon who, in her own may, is a Muse of the religion of baseball. Together, the three introduce three different worlds upon the audience. Each are believable characters even though they are in a way, fantasy like. A great story with a perfect ending, Bull Durham is one of those hard to find movies that is a crowd pleaser with just about every audience out there.
If you're new to Earth and are wondering which Kevin Costner baseball film to start with, drive past "Field of Dreams" and take the exit marked, "Bull Durham."
While both great movies, "Field of Dreams" requires a dream-like nostalgia for the era and aura of childhood in order to best feel that film inside your bones. "Bull Durham" edges it out by summoning outstanding character development across the board, and by supporting Coster's terrific portrayal with elite supporting acting from juggernauts Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
This is a classic film, and possibly the best there's been at conjuring the very nuanced American soul of baseball, as well as the unique characters and life-affirming truths our pastime evokes. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)
While both great movies, "Field of Dreams" requires a dream-like nostalgia for the era and aura of childhood in order to best feel that film inside your bones. "Bull Durham" edges it out by summoning outstanding character development across the board, and by supporting Coster's terrific portrayal with elite supporting acting from juggernauts Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
This is a classic film, and possibly the best there's been at conjuring the very nuanced American soul of baseball, as well as the unique characters and life-affirming truths our pastime evokes. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)
Did you know
- TriviaRon Shelton was a former minor league baseball player and used his experience as the basis for the story.
- GoofsWhen Crash hits the home run he promised off the opening breaking ball, he stares intently at far left field, but the ball ends up in deep right center.
- Quotes
Crash Davis: This son of a bitch is throwing a two-hit shutout. He's shaking me off. You believe that shit? Charlie, here comes the deuce. And when you speak of me, speak well.
- SoundtracksCenterfield
Written and Performed by John Fogerty
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Special Products
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- La bella y el campeón
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $50,888,729
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,009,301
- Jun 19, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $50,888,729
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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