Moneyball

Based on a true story Moneyball is the story of the Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and the challenge he faced in 2001 when three of his top players were traded to baseball teams with much deeper pockets. To field a winning ball team on such a limited budget seemed the impossible– that is until Beane met Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a financial and statistics guru. Together Brand and Beane reshaped the Oakland A’s into a statistically winning team. But, with years of beliefs and tradition influencing coaches, trainers, and the game itself, the big question remains how will the team do? Given the fact that if you follow baseball at all, there’s a good chance you already know how the film ends, the good news is, it’s still a fun and sometimes suspenseful ride getting there. The dynamics between Pitt and Hill come across as genuine, and as a pleasant break for the often type cast “goof ball” Hill. Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Manager Art Howe is pleasant but despiseable addition as well. Will the film stand the test of time as well as other classic sports films, it’s hard to say. In the meantime, Moneyball is certainly an interesting historical watermark and look at what a financial beast the game has become. Admittedly, the film does begin to feel a bit long as things start to wrap up, but it’s not majorly offensive in its length. A solid matinee for the family. Moneyball is rated PG-13.