Essay/Term paper: For the love of the game

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Movie Reviews

For the Love of the Game

Movie

Sam Raimi

1999





This movie is based on a story of man who has a passion for baseball and love for a woman. It shows the struggle between the two, baseball and Jane. This movie takes place in the 20th century in New York. Most of the movie is a flash back of Billy Chapel, Detroit Tiger's Pitcher, the events of the past five years. It shows his the ups and downs of his life with Jane and Baseball. It shows the importance of love for a person and love for a career.

The movie begins, and is not a flash back it is the actual present. It show Billy Chapel in a hotel waiting for Jane to call. Hours go by and she doesn't show, he finally gives up and drinks himself to sleep. The next morning he is awaken by Gus his good friend and the catcher for the Tigers. While Gus is hassling Chapel to get ready ?,the owner of the tigers, comes in to make aware Chapel of his plans to sell the team and the buyers plans to trade Chapel. He informs Chapel that he needs to make a decision either to be traded or retire. Soon after this terrible news Jane call Chapel from the lobby of the hotel and Chapel hastily runs to meet her. When he gets down there he is informed that she has walked to Central Park. Finally he catches up with her and she tells him that she has decided to take a job in London. He is speechless and shocked at this point, she says that she knew that he didn't need her, that him and the baseball and the diamond were beautiful together. Jane quickly hugs him and leaves. So up to this point Chapel has had bad news all day and will be expected to do well in the upcoming game that night. It picks up with him talking to Gus about his day and Gus plainly remarks that it isn't his day. Soon the game begins and it starts up well, he is pitching rockets. As the game progresses he begins to flash back to the day when he met Jane. He first met he on the side of the road with car trouble, he kindly pulls over and helps her out and befriending her he invites her to his baseball game. That is how they became involved. She goes to his game and then goes out to eat with him were they learn much about each other. So wrapped up in one another they go to his room where she end up staying until the next day. The next morning they awaken and he leave due to having another baseball game, but gives his number to Jane for a later rhondevoo. Chapel continues the flash back with their second meeting and she didn't show up but did end up catching him outside of the bar. They stand outside talking about their relationship and how it is supposed to work. Jane decides at the end of their walk that night that when Chapel was gone he would do what he does and she would do what she does, no why didn't you call me, and no possessive stuff either, and they both agreed. Mean while in the present, he was pitching a great game. Then in his next flash back it shows him talking to Jane and inviting her to go see him and she says no, he ends up getting angry and hangs up on her. The next scene of the movie is Jane standing a Chapels door and he informs her that her was so excited to see her. The tragedy of this scene is that Chapels masseuses comes down they stair wet headed and in her panties, this obviously was not a pleasing sight to Jane . Jane turns very angered and walks away, Chapel chase her down and tries to convince her of his love for her. Jane just drives off and say that it will only end bloody for her. His next flash back is when Jane calls him in the locker room for some immediate assistance to find her daughter, which she never mentioned to Chapel. She told him that she ran away to her dads house which was near him, so he agreed to go pick her up. He went and got Jane's daughter, Heather, and took her back home, where he and Jane got on good terms again.

From this point it seems that he and Jane spend time really getting to know each other and really wanting to make this work. Once again through out all these flash backs Chapel is on his way to pitching a perfect game, a game which could be his last game.

The next flash back shows him, Jane, and Heather together at a house that seems to be up in the mountains in the winter time. Everything seems picture perfect until Chapel it sawing some wood and severely cuts his hand open, and blood gushes everywhere. He finally stumbles over to Jane and she panics and rushes him to be picked up by starflight. They arrive and Chapel tells her to call a man on the baseball team and that he is the most important person to him right now. Obviously she took great offense to that and in this vision he sees how that came across very clearly. I think that this is the climax point because this was the actual point in the flash backs that he realized how he pushed her away and how terrible she felt. He continues to pitch a perfect game as well as continues to have flash backs. His next flash back was when he was in re-hab for his arm and he yelled at his trainer for his lack of support and then later got into a verbal fight with Jane over her lack of support. They argue until she decides to leave, and she does that. Later he goes to find her and she is dating someone else and he doesn't like this but he knows how bad he has treated her. Remember this is all a flash back and he is thinking of all these things when he is pitching his perfect game. At some point in one of his flash backs he decides to go ahead and retire and go for what is obviously most important to him. His final attempt is when he calls her and tells him when he will be back in town and he would like to see her and she agrees to meet him at his hotel room and that brings us to the beginning of the movie when she doesn't show up because she is avoiding telling him that she is going to move to London. Meanwhile while he is having all these flash backs she is in the airport and there has been a delay in her flight. She first heads to the lounge but the baseball game that Chapel is playing in is n then she heads to another sitting area and it is on there too. Everywhere she turns she see the game so she goes ahead and watches it. At the end of the game on the last pitch , a suspenseful scene this is what will determine whether he pitches a perfect game. Everyone waiting patiently to see what will happen, can he do it they all wonder. Finally the last pitch and he does it and so emotional over it she decides not to get on her plane and stays another day. On the other hand Chapel who pitched the a perfect game, every pitchers dream, wasn't as happy as he should be, because he longed for her. he went back to his room and broke down and balled for a long time when he decided that the next day he would get up an get a flight to London to find her. The next morning when he gets there at the airport he runs into her. She explains how she missed her plane and they then discover that they want to truly be together forever. This tragic love story ends not so tragically.

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) could be both protagonist and antagonist character. Billy would be an antagonist character when he is so testy and easily angered. He comes across as antagonist also when he is insensitive and obsessed with baseball. He is also a protagonist character when he realizes in his flash backs how he treated Jane and want to make peace and live the rest of his life devoted to her only. Billy Chapel is a Pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and is in love with baseball. He has one simple fault and that is that he can't separate his love for his career from his love for an actually being. He has many down hill falls through out the movie but the end of the movie is nothing but finales of good things. He is very caring and sincere once he realized his mistakes.

Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston) is a protagonist character throughout this movie. Jane has had a tough life having a child at sixteen whose father was wrapped up in drugs. She is a single parent with a ongoing to have a love story. She is a journalist for a magazine company. She is very protective of her feelings and very pessimistic about her whole relationship with Billy.

Heather (Jena Malone) is the daughter of Jane. Heather seems to be a antagonist in a since because she ran away from home. This incident cause quite an up roar, but it turned out for the better. She really doesn't play much more of a role than being the daughter. She does seem negative and complains about everything her mom does but she could easily be classified as a minor character. She is quite negative , but in return has lead an awkward life style.

Gus Sinski ( John Reilly) is one of Chapel's best friends. Gus is also the catcher for the Detroit Tigers. He is very caring and understanding of things with Chapel. He supports Chapel a hundred percent, no questions asked. He is a secondary character.

Gary Wheeler ( Brian Cox ) is the owner of the Tigers. He is a secondary character in the since that his small role causes the way the movie results. His decision to sell effects Chapels career. He isn't spoken much of other than to inform Chapel of the selling of the team. he seems to be a nice guy but just burnt out on his life of baseball.

The costumes of this film were very contemporary. The mostly consisted of trendy attire like ribbed sweaters, pea coats, black pants, and other various tops which Jane often wore. Jane also wore glasses which enhanced her role as a journalist. They brought out a very professional look and smart complex. Chapel and many others were mainly dressed in a baseball uniform but if not often in a suit with slacks. Costumes were very much the same as what is seen in various places today.

The music fit well with each mood or mood change of the movie. The movie allowed a slight bit of foreshadow in some areas. The music enhanced each mood in the movie allowing it to suck in the emotions of an average person watching the film.

I think the theme was true love vs. obsession. Billy Chapel was obsessed with his career in baseball so much that he often lost something that he truly love. This goes to show that you should never compare love of a human to love of a career. Love for another is continual but being obsessed with a sport or career is something so chancy. Human love is there through thick and thin but one bad injury can remove you career and then one has nothing left.

I give this movie thumbs up. I though that is was incredible and really got to ones emotions. This is a movie that deals with emotions from different aspects. It deals with love of a human and passion for the game. Each of these can hit people in different ways and people in general will relate to these in different ways. This movie continually keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to just know that everything turns out ok.

"This is so serial, " this is Jane talking to Billy the second time they meet informing him she feels intimidated about the whole relationship and not worthy.

"I can't be a groupie," Jane says this also expressing her insecurity of being worthy.

"So when your gone you do your thing and I do mine. None of this why didn't you call me bull shit, and no possessive crap. What you do is your business and vis-versa, and no obsessing," Jane says this not actually meaning it, but trying to sound strong. She does this trying to be the guy and seem to have no worries, when really she is wanting him to call.

"I'll call you back when I'm not pissed," this is Chapel talking to Jane when she refused to come down to see him for no apparent reason. He also was angered that she used the phrase about her not being a groupie.

"Clear the mechanism," this is what Chapel says to block out all the noise in the game and to focus on what he is doing.

"This can only end bloody for me," this is Jane talking to Chapel after she arrived at his place to visit and sees another woman in there with him half dressed.

"Is this not America...," this is Jane in a panic to get help for Chapel at the hospital.

"My mom has no love story, so she doesn't believe in it...," this is Heather telling Chapel all about her mother and why she is irrational.

I think the performance delivered the message and intent perfect. I was not once confused, but it is that which starts out some what at the end and uses flashbacks to tell the full story.