Movie Review: 'Moneyball'

I’ve never sat in a packed baseball stadium while singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and snacking on peanuts, nor have I ever had the urge to. But it says so much about screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) that my intense lack of enthusiasm for baseball and statistics didn’t hinder my enjoyment of Moneyball. Not one bit. Moneyball tells the true story of the Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), and his successful attempt at putting together a winning team with a decreased budget by using statistical data to draft the best (and cheapest) players. Sorkin has immense talent when it comes to taking a subject that lacks luster and making it seem like no story could ever be more compelling, which he more than succeeds in doing with Moneyball. His token laugh-out-loud one-liners are there, and Jonah Hill (who gives an understated, surprisingly real performance) nails each and every one of them, never letting a possible laugh go by unnoticed.

At its core, Moneyball is an underdog story and in-depth character study. Incorporating flashbacks to Beane’s feeble baseball career after high school, we get a solid feel for why Beane is so determined to change the game of baseball forever and for good. Pitt doesn’t need any bells and whistles to catapult his performance; you can see the nostalgia glistening in his eyes as he watches his team play, his somewhat rough around the edges exterior start to recede as he spends time with his daughter. This is one of the best performances of his career.


At 133 minutes, Moneyball isn’t a short film. Delving deeper and further along the lifespan of the story than was perhaps necessary, Moneyball adds an extra 20 minutes to what could have been the inspirational climactic ending most moviegoers will crave -- but then again, who am I to dictate what the real ending to a true story should be? Nevertheless, one thing is for certain: Moneyball can’t help but inspire love of the game.

Rating: A-