To quote Bruins goalie Pat Benatar, hit me with your best shot. This humble scribe will gladly accept examples from readers. in "Summer Catch," Sean Astin in "Rudy," Michael Keaton in "Touch and Go," Scott Bakula and Sinbad in "Necessary Roughness," Corbin Bernsen in "Major League," James Van Der Beek in "Varsity Blues," Adam Sandler in "The Longest Yard" and Bow Wow in "Like Mike." Opinions vary on Glenn Ford's portrayal of Ben Hogan in "Follow the Sun" (1951).Īs other examples of actors portraying athletes poorly, MetroWest Daily News staffers submitted Freddie Prinze Jr. On the links, Matt Damon shoots a bogey in "The Legend of Bagger Vance." He was unfamiliar with the fairway before taking the role, according to IMDb. According to IMDb, Dunst trained hard for the film, but her lack of court adroitness should be apparent to anyone who knows the difference between topspin and "Top Gun." Bettany won't be confused with Bjorn Borg anytime soon, either. According to IMDb, she was the only cast member who didn't perform her own baseball stunts.įor a more recent example of actors getting their spaz on, we submit "Wimbledon" (2004) starring Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst as tennis aces caught in a love match. In "A League of Their Own" (1992), Geena Davis looks marvelous in a baseball uniform. In this case, Perkins, a natural lefty, tries to throw right-handed as Piersall did. Perkins, who would later play the ultimate momma's boy in the horror classic "Psycho," looks mighty horrific throwing a baseball. They cast the Babe to play himself.Īnother error committed by Hollywood involved casting Anthony Perkins as troubled Red Sox outfielder Jimmy Piersall in "Fear Strikes Out" (1957). One more point about "The Pride of the Yankees" - at least the filmmakers found someone who could play Ruth. Jackson, one of the game's greatest hitters who was tainted by the Black Sox Scandal, can't catch a break.īut, hey, "Field of Dreams" is still my favorite baseball movie. Since Jackson played in the early part of the 20th century and thus had no TV exposure, the inaccuracy was sure to escape detection from the general public. Perhaps the filmmakers figured only baseball aficionados would pick up on this blatant disregard of the facts. The right-handed Liotta simply swings from the right side even though Jackson batted from the left. No such chicanery is employed for Ray Liotta's portrayal of Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams" (1989). To pull off the ruse, the Yankee logo on Cooper's shirt was reversed, and when he hit the ball he ran to third base. Instead, the actor batted right-handed and the negative was flipped to make it appear he was a lefty. Since Cooper was right-handed, the filmmakers decided not have him bat from the left side. According to the Internet Movie Database, he knew very little about baseball. While a great actor - he was nominated for an Oscar as Gehrig - Cooper was not a great ballplayer or even a passable one. Gary Cooper's portrayal of Lou Gehrig in "The Pride of the Yankees" (1942) won't make the Hall of Fame either, at least not based on his exploits on the ball field. Worse, Goodman, a natural right-hander, appears so awkward swinging from the left side that he'd have trouble making contact in a T-ball game. While Babe never resembled a stick figure, his size didn't come close to Goodman's girth. John Goodman does the Bambino no favors either in his attempt at Ruth in "The Babe" (1992). His rendition of the Sultan of Swat looks more like the King of Klutz. In "The Babe Ruth Story" (1948), William Bendix commits a crime against humanity with his sad-sack portrayal of Ruth. Yankee greats have been particularly mistreated on celluloid. Granted, his bizarre delivery - shades of Fernando Valenzuela if Fern had consumed a gallon of tequila - beefs up the film's comedy, but authenticity takes a seat on the bench as a result. Pitching machines have displayed more grace. For Red Sox fans with a masochistic streak, all they need to watch is a replay of that groundball going through Bill Buckner's legs.įor film fans with a masochistic streak, all they need to watch is a thespian born with the athletic prowess of a rosin bag going through the motions as an athlete in a movie.Įven if the film has caliber in its corner, it loses credibility when an actor or actress demonstrates a woeful lack of coordination.Ĭase in point, "Bull Durham." In this 1988 baseball movie, arguably one of the best ever made, Tim Robbins plays a pitcher whose windup looks like a warped windmill.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |