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61* Review

Whether you loved baseball or not, the summer of '61 was dominated by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and Billy Crystal has perfectly captured the 'feel' of that unforgettable, magical season in "61*". When 'M & M' began their assault on Babe Ruth's 'unbreakable' record of 60 home runs in a single season, those who knew and loved the Babe were angered that this 'Holy Grail' was a target, and, as Crystal illustrates, Ruth's friend, Baseball Commissioiner Ford Frick, laid down restrictive rules to help keep Ruth's record intact (the dreaded asterix, if the record wasn't broken in 154 games), making the competition more than simply breaking the record, but a race against the clock, as well.

With two brilliant performances by actors Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper (who look astonishingly close to Mantle and Maris), the film transcends the sport, becoming a tale of friendship, of an insane loss of privacy and personal dignity, and of two very different, remarkable men. Mantle is universally loved (and expected to win the race), a veteran Yankee of epic talent and overwhelming charm, whose wild boozing and womanizing is 'sanitized' by an adoring press. Maris, on the other hand, is a quiet, focused professional, a family man whose only vice is cigarettes, and, in only his second year with the Yankees, is considered an outsider and usurper to Mantle's 'glory' (having won the MVP award, the year before). As he has little to say to the press, they make a spectacle of him, in a season-long vendetta that fans the flames of hatred that the city already feels towards him. For Maris, the impact is staggering, added to the pressure of the home run race. Welts appear on his body and he starts losing handfuls of hair, he receives daily hate mail, and even his family is threatened. But Maris' biggest ally is Mantle, who truly likes him, admires his devotion to his family and the game, and realizes his own failing body may not allow him the triumph his fans expect.

It is a beautiful story, riveting despite the fact that the outcome is known, before the film even begins.

I highly recommend the 'Making of' documentary, as well as the film. Did you know Thomas Jane had never played any baseball, before he made the film? And Crystal's decision to include a cameo by Mantle's tiny grandson, watching the 'grandpa' he'll never know hit a home hun, is sheer magic!

"61*" is simply a fabulous film, at a really fabulous price. Even if you don't like baseball, I think you'll love this film!

61* Feature

61* Overview

Summer, 1961: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle are on pace to break the most hallowed record in U.S. sports, Babe Ruth's single-season 60 home runs. It's a big story, and the intense, plain-spoken Maris is the bad guy: sports writers bait him and minimize hi

61* Specifications

61* is an endearing ode to the baseball days of yore when the press was the enemy, salaries were in check, and breaking records with bat and glove took on Ruthian proportions. In 1961 baseball expanded its season from 154 games to 162, allowing weaker pitching into the major leagues and two New York Yankees teammates--the colorless Roger Maris and golden boy Mickey Mantle--to make an assault on the sport's ultimate record: Babe Ruth's 60 home runs. To add to the stew, baseball commissioner Ford Frick announced any record set in the last eight games of the season wouldn't count toward the official record; records had to be achieved in 154 games.

Director Billy Crystal guarantees success for his movie in the perfect casting of the leads. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan's religious sniper) is deft as Maris, and Thomas Jane is a perfect Mantle, a superman in a Yankee uniform. Despite the differences between family man Maris and hard-living Mantle, they form a rewarding friendship amid the media and fan frenzy. The shy Maris took the brunt of the storm, even facing boo-birds in his home stadium. Crystal and first-time writer Hank Steinberg keep the pace moving quickly between the field, the locker room, the press box, and the home front. The film never tries to dazzle with more than the facts (and it softens Mantle up a bit), yet it belongs on the short list of grand baseball movies. --Doug Thomas

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 15, 2009 07:17:03

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