Pastime

This is a great movie about minor league baseball. I recommend it to all baseball fans. If you're looking for endless car crashes and things getting blown up, forget it, this is not the movie for you. But if you're looking for a good, entertaining movie about minor league baseball and the people in it, you'll enjoy this one.

The best sports movie of all time -- and perhaps the best movie of any kind of all time, period -- is "Pastime" (1991), both a slice-of-life and larger-than-life view of minor-league baseball in the late 1950s and a portrait of a protagonist worthy of anyone's admiration. The casting and acting (particularly of William Russ in the main role and Noble Willingham as the manager) are superb. It's a character study and morality play set against a baseball backdrop. The only reason I can see why it has not received more notice is a lack of marketing and big-name stars. It puts to shame such garbage as "Major League" and would-be mythic silliness as "The Natural."

I saw this little gem back in 1991. What a terrific picture! It's a crime that William Russ was not oscar-nominated for his priceless performance. This film says more about the game of baseball than any other that I've seen. Just terrific!

The glamorous world of big league baseball is turned upside down in "Pastime". Instead of watching underachieving, overpaid, major leaguers, you are riding in a bus with the lowest minor league team, and getting a genuine appreciation for their dreams and disappointments. The acting and 50s atmosphere is perfect. William Russ is outstanding as the 40 year old pitcher, hanging on simply because of his love for the game. Noble Willingham as the wise and compassionate manager is another standout. Anyone who enjoys baseball should like the insight gained from this film. In short, "Pastime" is a baseball winner, even if the team is not. - MERK

This movie should be required viewing for all those that call themselves lovers of baseball movies. It is - at it's heart - a great movie about baseball. If you care about the sport, you can't help but relate to Roy. If you care about the human condition, about drama... then please see this movie. Roy's passion, his commitment - this movie does more to describe how it is that grown men can care so much about "just a game" than any baseball film I've ever seen. Pastime is it's own movie, but - if you liked Field of Dreams, or The Natural, or *61, or Bull Durham - I would be utterly and entirely amazed if you did not like this wonderful film. Watch it. Love it. And feel gratified when you pass word of this largely unwatched gem to your friends and family.