Moneyball is a sports movie. It is all about baseball. The movie is based on the book, Moneyball, by Michael Lewis. You might remember Michael Lewis from the award winning movie, The Blindside. Moneyball is about a pivotal moment in sports. The film is based on a true story.
Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane who is the general manager of the baseball team the Oakland A's. Evidently the Oakland A's are a team that has much less cash flow than other teams. They lose all their really good players to teams that can pay them more. Oakland keeps getting to the playoffs but they don't ever win the big game. Billy gets really frustrated because the owner won't give him any more money so he can get and keep better players. So Billy decides to try a different approach. He acquires a Harvard educated economist and decides to use statistics to assemble his team. He hopes to outsmart the richer teams since he can't compete with them in the money game. He begins acquire players that scouts say are flawed, and not worth playing. Statistically these players are able to score bases and runs and therefore help win games. This is a totally new approach to baseball and Billy has to fight everyone at seemingly every turn. If he is successful, it will revolutionize baseball. How will it turn out for Billy?
There wasn't any amazing cinematography, scenery, or any of that kind of thing in this movie, because this movie is all about the story. I think it has a real good story and one that is worth telling. This is where I tell you that I am a football girl. I know nothing about baseball, don't watch it, not even the World Series. And I found this story and this movie to be very interesting. It was a well written and acted screenplay which is why it is nominated for best adapted screenplay and has two best actor nominations.
The acting was really good. I am not a huge Brad Pitt fan. I like him in some things, and don't like him in others. He did a good job here. He brings the character of Billy Beane to life with all of his insight about the game of baseball and all his worry about the path that he is embarking on. He also shows the family side of the man with the interactions with his daughter. The writers and Brad give us a real and well-rounded character. You will find yourself thinking even though he may be crazy (like all the other characters say he is) you do like him and you want him to succeed.
I also liked Jonah Hill as Peter Brand. Peter Brand is the Harvard educated economics guy that is crunching all the numbers that Billy is using. Billy is taking a big risk believing in Peter's theory and his statistics that are calculated by a computer. You can tell that Peter doesn't know what to do with his new found position. He is an over achiever that has always worked hard, but you get the feeling that no one has believed in him before. Therefore, Billy's confidence in him is a new experience for Peter. Peter tries to learn the tricks of the trade from Billy as they explore their new found accidental partnership. He is an interesting character that seems to grow throughout the film. I really enjoyed his character. There are several other good characters throughout the film lots of scouts, the owner, Billy's family, and all the baseball player characters that are essential in this film because they are the plot of the film. They all did a fantastic job with their acting, which is part of what makes this film so great.
Even though I don't care for baseball, I really enjoyed this film. You should see this movie whether or not you like baseball. It is a well-written and well-acted film.