While I was entertained the whole time, I have no idea why reviews are even mentioning Brad Pitt and Oscar nomination. He was totally Pitt managing a baseball team, although this was the first time that I liked him as a normal lead. First time I liked Jonah Hill as well, and it’s weird to see him promoting the movie so skinny. I am a female non sports lover and felt it was a decent two hours spent, so I recommend it.
Couldn’t disagree more. I thought he immersed himself in the role completely. No “movie star” vibe, just a believable portrayal of a middle-aged man.
I enjoyed the movie, and thought that Pitt did a really good job. The idea of him being Oscar-nominated for it, though, never crossed my mind. I guess I just don’t feel that it was that type of role.
i enjoyed it tonight, actually. Oscar worthy? Eh, not so much.
I saw a sneak preview a couple of weeks ago, and Jonah Hill was there for a question and answer session. He was very funny and extremely humble. He does not take the success he’s had and the people he’s worked with for granted, at all. I got to talk to him for a microsecond and give him a CD.
I am SO not into sports, but I happen to like sports movies, and this was a great one. It was brainy, talky, funny, unusual, interesting, well-acted, well-written and well-directed. I think the more you know about the story the movie is based on, the less you’ll like the film. At least, I get that from all the bitching I’m hearing about some of the details from the real story that are missing from the movie.
I on the other hand, don’t give a rat’s ass about baseball or the real story. I was enthralled while watching the movie, laughing out loud several times, but walked out of the theater with not an iota’s speck more interest in baseball or the real story. I want to see the movie again though.
No one should underestimate the appeal this movie will have at the Oscars. I predict nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, & Best Adapted Screenplay. Wins? Probably not. Brad will almost certainly be up against Leonardo DiCaprio, and if J. Edgar is even a fraction as good as it’s rumored to be, it’ll be Leo’s to lose. Jonah Hill will probably lose to Christopher Plummer in Beginners. The Artist could very well win Best Picture. I don’t know enough yet to predict Best Director or Adapted Screenplay. But still, it’ll get a bunch of nominations. At the very least, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
An Adapted Screenplay Oscar nom will be totally expected by me, I just feel like Pitt didn’t stretch or do anything here to warrant an Oscar, but I’m sure he will get a nomination so him and Jolie are there to help ratings 
I am a baseball fan and was well aware of who Beane was before the movie. So there was no tension at the end for whether he would leave for Boston for the big check.
But the underlying message that they were going to change the game came true. James was the winner as is proven by the stats that are even offered on ESPN 's site. They include a variety of stats that were unknown by the masses 10 years ago.
It was a good movie and fairly long. I doubt he will get an Oscar for a sports type movie. That is as likely as a comedy movie star getting the award. They give them to dramas.
I thought the scene in which Billy Beane was speaking with his ex and her boyfriend was very well done. There was incredible tension. It seemed as though at any time Billy would explode, yet there was nothing explicitly said or done by him that could be seen as threatening. Later scenes showed that he did indeed have a temper, and that he presumably was on his best behavior to preserve his relationship with his daughter.
I agree with this. I usually don’t care for Brad Pitt (was a bit annoyed when I heard he got the part, in fact) and I think he did an amazing job.
This I disagree with. I read the book and am a huge A’s fan (and I think we might’ve had season tickets that year) so I knew all about it and I loved the heck out of it. I can’t wait to see it again.
I note the smiley, but you’re thinking of the Golden Globes. Your scenario can’t happen with Oscar nominations, it’s impossible. If Brad is nominated for a Golden Globe, it’ll be fun but meaningless. If he’s nominated for an Oscar, it will mean that he’s an excellent actor who deserves the nomination. If he’s not nominated for an Oscar, it will be because the pool of nominees is too crowded.
His Moneyball performance will be too subtle for a lot of people to grasp, which is always a double-edged sword. It’s a (mistaken) cliche that to win an Oscar you have to play a very flamboyant/disabled character, the acting has to be clear and in-your-face ACTING! but when someone gives a subtle, nuanced-filled performance, where it’s all about the slightest expression changes, body language and vocal inflections, some say they don’t warrant acclaim or even an Oscar nomination, let alone win.
As far as Pitt “stretching,” he never gets the credit he deserves even when he does. He’s the most underrated actor out there IMO. I knew his worth early on when I saw him effectively play a frightening spree killer in Kalifornia, and he’s never disappointed since. Snatch, Fight Club, Twelve Monkeys, Inglourious Basterds, Burn After Reading, The Tree of Life, all extremely different roles, and very stretchy. When he plays a “normal” person such as in Moneyball it’s like he’s not doing anything, when he very much is. At this stage of his life, as many times as he’s shown his talent over and over and over again, he doesn’t have to prove a thing to anybody.
No one said he’d win, just that he’d be nominated. I think he will be nominated, but won’t win.
That’s great to hear, thank you.
Moneyball? Darnit, I thought the movie was MONKEYball.
One actress that I thought did a great job was the young girl who played his daughter. She looked very at ease in front of the camera.
Seriously. To perform and sing like that so freely, especially with such an emotional song, was amazing.
Oh yes, I agree. That reminds me of a wonderful scene in the movie. His daughter is shy and he has to coax her into singing a song, as daddies do, probably not expecting very much, but wanting to encourage her. When she plays and sings a catchy tune and she shows obvious and interesting talent, you can see the shock and surprise and overwhelming pride in Pitt’s face as he struggles to not burst out in tears. That’s the kind of “little things like that” scene that people are raving about wrt his acting, and there are a bunch of them in the film.
That really was a great scene. At first he is encouraging her and expects very little, then he slowly realizes that she is actually quite good, followed by him listening to the words and being moved by them, and then finally outright pride in her. None of this was said, it was all in his eyes and facial expressions.
ETA: the cut to applause at the ballpark was obviously intentional as well.
I didn’t even catch the lyrics, just the playing and singing and general catchy cadence of the song. I was marveling about that (and Pitt’s expression) so much that I also didn’t notice the applause at the ballpark. I definitely have to see this movie again!
When I was very much younger, I used to love baseball. My interest waned over time and I was barely paying attention by the time the movie was set (I did catch one factual error in the movie, but I wasn’t certain enough about my memory to know whether I was wrong or the movie was wrong). I’ll still catch a game here or there, but I don’t follow it anymore.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was solid. I didn’t think that any of the people involved should be ashamed of their work and quite a few should be quite proud. But other than Adapted Screenplay (which is always kind of a weird category), I should think that there ought to be several other movies and performances out there that were better.
Still, go see it if you haven’t already.
Hey, just curious…this was the first movie I’ve seen in a long, long time where there was a huge round of applause at the end. I wonder if this is a biased reaction because I live a stone’s throw from Oakland (many people in the audience were sporting A’s shirts or hats for the occasion.)
Anyone elses’ audience clap after? I did and it felt real(ly) good.
Brad Pitt played a historical character very realistically. You can ask Val Kilmer how well that is taken by Oscar voters. Actually, Pitt should have an Oscar already as he was one of the 8 producers for “The Departed” which won Best Picture but Academy rules limit the number of producers receiving the award to six.
Any chance the song could get a nomination? After all, Blame Canada was nominated.
I’m in LA, and the audience clapped here as well. I don’t find that to be particularly unusual, however, when I see a good film on its opening night.
ETA: I did see at least two people in the theater wearing A’s jerseys.