|
"Costner
Plays a Good 'Game'"
by Scott Mantz
"For Love of the Game"
Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
Directed by Sam Raimi
If there's anyone
who could use a home run right about now, it's Kevin Costner. It's
the bottom of the ninth. The bases are loaded, and there's two outs
("Message in a Bottle", "The Postman"). When the stakes are that
high, your best bet would be to play it safe. That's why it's no
surprise to see Costner trying to regain his former glory with another
baseball movie. While "For Love of the Game" is a feel-good and
somewhat-sappy date flick, it doesn't quite reach the heights of
"Bull Durham" or "Field of Dreams". However, it does represent a
fine return to form for Costner.
Director Sam
Raimi broke free from the hyper-kinetic style of his "Evil Dead"
films with last year's "A Simple Plan", and "Game" solidifies him
as a first class director. Raimi is a self-professed baseball fan,
and it shows. He lovingly captures the drama of being on the field
and pitching a ball game. We're privy to Costner's thoughts as he
psyches himself up for every pitch. I'm not a baseball fan, and
even I couldn't take my eyes off this movie.
Billy Chapel
(Kevin Costner) is having a bad day. After 20 years with the Detroit
Tigers, the team has been sold, and Chapel is about to be traded.
He's already way past his prime, and his arm gives out a lot sooner
than it used to. Then he finds out that his girlfriend Jane (Kelly
Preston) has accepted a job in London. With his whole world turned
upside down, Chapel takes the pitchers mound in the last regular
game of the season. This is the most important day of his life.
Whether he accepts the trade or retires, he has to make this look
good. While playing the game, we flash back five years to when he
first meets Jane and gets to this point. Will he win? Guess.
Costner obviously
has a feel for his character. Like Chapel, Costner is in jeopardy
of being written off by the industry that made him. He draws on
his previous experience to give this his all. He knows this is his
big chance to remind people why we love him, and he puts that anxiety
to good use with a solid performance. Supporting players also get
a good score. Kelly Preston shines as the single mother who falls
for him, and John C. Reilly ("Boogie Nights") provides some much-needed
comic relief as the supportive catcher.
I can't help
but get the feeling that there was some major league editing done
here. The relationship between Costner and Preston develops in a
montage of scenes--weekend getaways in the mountains, hanging out
and playing Monopoly, and so on. When Costner accidentally injures
his hand, there's doubt as to whether he will be able to play baseball
again. That's pretty devastating, but when he blows up at the sweet-natured
Preston, it comes out of nowhere. Also, Costner pitches against
a former teammate. Either there were scenes between the players
left on the cutting room floor or that storyline was underdeveloped.
Either way, it would have given the film more depth to see their
friendship dissolve once they became competitors.
Costner has
a bad habit of getting bossy with his directors. It happened with
Kevin Reynolds (twice, actually), and now he's displeased with the
final edit of "Game". Preview audiences got a chuckle during a nude
scene where Costner went "the full monty", so Universal cut it.
It's no big deal, but Costner jeered the decision and went public
with his displeasure.
It may be hard
for a director to stand back and be directed by someone else, but
Mel Gibson doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Some of his more
recent misfires ("The Postman", "Waterworld") can't be forgotten
even with a minor hit ("Tin Cup"). Costner should take a step back
and just be happy that, thanks to "For Love of the Game", his career
will go into extra innings.
|
