It’s been six years since Moneyball landed in theaters. It has been 15 years since the Oakland Athletics won 20 straight games. Sadly for them it’s been 28 years since they won the World Series, and only two months since their epic winning streak record was broken. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) changed the game of baseball, whether you believe in his system or not. Moneyball takes a glimpse into the inner workings of a struggling franchise trying to do what they can with limited resources and still come out on top. I actually watched this movie on opening weekend and absolutely hated it. I haven’t bothered to watch it again until this past weekend and even though my opinion of the story and characters changed a little, I refuse to love it like everyone else. The performances from Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are solid and deserve some recognition, I just couldn’t bring myself to fall in love with them or their situation. My favorite team spends money like they own a personal printing press, so I never see this side of the game. The method at which Beane tries to employ then and today works and it doesn’t work. Whether or not he ever had unlimited resources, this method may not even work then. Moneyball is a reminder that there is indeed a great divide in the game of baseball, that there are winners and losers on both sides of the line. 6/10
Ten Stars or Less 