Film Review: For Love of the Game

Director: Sam Raimi

For Love of the Game, and not For the Love of the Game as it is often misconstrued by many including myself originally, is a baseball film from 1999 which is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Shaara. The film follows Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) who is at the end of his 19 year career with the Detroit Tigers when he is about to pitch against the New York Yankees who need a win to clinch the American League East title. The team has been bought by new owners who want to trade Billy to the San Francisco Giants.

As the film progresses we see flashbacks to Billy's relationship with Jane Aubrey (the annoying Kelly Preston) and how they met before getting to where they are now on the verge of break up. Billy doesn't realise till the bottom of the eighth inning that he is pitching perfect game and now must fight the pain in his arm to finish the game to become a baseball legend.

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) at the mound

The baseball scenes in Yankee stadium are beautifully shot and Costner is probably the best around at playing a baseball player like he did in Bull Durham. The atmosphere of the crowd and the realism of trying to pitch in that stadium are beautifully captured. The Razzie nomination for Costner for Worst Actor is a step too far as he isn't that bad in the film. Kelly Preston on the other hand adds little to the movie in her role and the whole love story side of the film is far too soppy and contrived. At no point was I rooting for them to get together as a couple and that kills the entire plot line.

The film is an easy one to watch but certainly drags on to well over two hours without a huge amount actually happening, so much so you wondered how it last that long in the first place. The interludes in the baseball game whilst Billy thinks about the story of his love affair with Jane last so long in parts that you completely forget that baseball game is happening at all. A couple of times I completely forgot that Billy is in Yankee stadium hoping to pitch a perfect game which again makes it a strange movie to watch.

Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston)

1.5/4 accurate and intriguing on the baseball side of things but far too soppy and uninteresting a love story