Long Gone : Balle de match

This is one of the most underrated baseball movies of all time. Bull Durham was great but got bogged down near the end. Long Gone not only told a great baseball story but managed to mix in a love story and a story about race relations without becoming didactic. Quite a feat. I love this movie!

This is my favorite movie of the 80's. My brother and I (die-hard baseball fans) used to watch this movie almost every day. It's probably one of the best accounts of minor league baseball played down in the south during the days of the Klan. If you can find this movie, I highly suggest you sit down and watch. You won't regret it.

Baseball fans can't help but enjoy this film. It's an old story, about a team of losers who make it into a pennant race, but unlike other variations on this theme, it's thoroughly believable. The team takes off when they acquire two new players - a youngster straight off the farm who's a terrific second baseman, and a gifted black catcher whose arrival stirs controversy in the Klan-influenced small town. There are the usual behind-the-scenes machinations one expects, but the film is great in presenting a lot of ballpark scenes, and the final game of the season is played with growing suspense and excitement. The actors are all great, especially Virginia Madsen as Dixie Lee, a woman who looks trashy but quickly shows she's got more guts and integrity than 50 "nice" girls put together. Another performance to note is that of Teller in an unusual speaking role as the sneaky Hale Buchman Jr.; he and Henry Gibson as his father do a great job as the proprietors of a seedy department store and owners of the local team - "sports moguls" as they see themselves. There is a lot to like in this little film.

A great American film about minor league baseball. The film deals with all the possible paths that a baseball player in the minors has to deal with, from success to failure. There are many stories because more than one player is covered in the film. This film will stay with you.

I saw this movie back when it originally came out on HBO. I Love it! It has it all as far as I am concerned. The actors did such a great job with their characters, Peterson as "Stud" and Madsen as "Dixie" are hilarious. If you can find this movie please check it out, it really is a gem.