By Tommy T

To say that this movie has just about everything a movie could offer would not be an exaggeration. What do I mean by everything? How’s this for starters? Academy-Award winner (and pretty good athlete and one of the all-time great screen heartthrobs) Robert Redford . It’s an adaptation of a classic novel by another Academy-Award winning director, Barry Levinson. You want gorgeous women who can act? How about Tony-Award winning and 5-time Oscar-nominated actress, Glenn Close, Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey and one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood - Oscar winner, Kim Basinger? Okay, so the women are all top-notch, what about the men??? Again, nothing but all-stars — including Academy-Award winner Robert Duvall — and solid character actors such as Wilford Brimley, Robert Prosky, Darren McGavin, and Oscar nominee, Richard Farnsworth. (And it was filmed at War Memorial Stadium in my hometown, Buffalo, New York. Yes, that’s a big plus — and a whole other article!) (more…)

By Tommy T

As the back of the Video box says: “The powerful true story of Boston Red Sox outfielder, Jimmy Piersall who struggled throughout and following his career with a foe much tougher than a 90-m.p.h. fastball - mental illness.” Jim Piersall is the guy who ran around the bases backward to celebrate his 100th career home run.

In the movie docudrama of his life, Piersall is portrayed by Anthony Perkins (of the great Hitchcock’s Psycho), who made a career of playing tortured souls (like himself) on the Silver Screen. Academy Award winner Karl Malden plays his father, who some would say drove him too hard and allegedly to mental illness. (more…)