The Natural
The Natural

The Natural

1984Movie137 minEnglish

An unknown middle-aged batter named Roy Hobbs with a mysterious past appears out of nowhere to take a losing 1930s baseball team to the top of the league.

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IMDb6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes47%
Metacritic51/100
Google Users85%
Director: Barry LevinsonGenres: Drama, Sport, Fantasy

Plot Summary

Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy, sees his career interrupted by a mysterious injury. Years later, he gets a second chance with the struggling New York Knights, captivating the city with his extraordinary talent and inspiring them to believe in themselves. However, he must confront his past and resist corrupting influences to achieve his dream.

Critical Reception

The Natural was met with a mixed to positive reception from critics, who praised its visual style, Robert Redford's performance, and its mythic quality. While some found the narrative a bit too simplistic or overly sentimental, the film resonated with audiences for its inspiring story and classic baseball atmosphere. It has since become a beloved sports film.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its ambitious visual style and powerful mythological undertones.
  • Robert Redford's performance as the enigmatic Roy Hobbs was widely lauded.
  • Criticized by some for a narrative that sometimes strayed into sentimentality.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the film's classic storytelling and inspirational themes, finding it an enduring and enjoyable baseball movie. However, some viewers noted that the plot could be somewhat predictable.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.

Fun Fact

The iconic shot of Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) stepping up to the plate, bathed in light, was inspired by a famous photograph of Babe Ruth.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
Peter McGinn

Peter McGinn

Many, many years ago when I was a bit of a sports fan, I remember reading stories about scouts who had seen athletes in the olden days like Roy Hobbs. Players who could hit a ball a mile or throw a hundred mile per hour fastball, but who ne...
John Chard

John Chard

The Wonder of Wonderboy. The Natural is directed by Barry Levinson and adapted to screenplay by Roger Towne & Phil Dusenberry from the novel written by Bernard Malamud. It stars Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, W...