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Moneyball Starring Brad Pitt

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Moneyball is one hundred and thirty three minutes long. In layman's terms it is well over two hours in duration. Irrespective of its painful length Moneyball is a charming movie to its core. The film's two stars Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill may make for strange bedfellows indeed, but they play off one another's strengths with great poise and pizzazz. Moneyball is the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) and his extraordinary transition from player to management. Director Bennett Miller deftly inserts flashbacks from Beane's youth to illustrate his painful decision to turn pro rather than earn an education at Stanford on a full baseball/football scholarship. Rightfully so, and titularly ironic, Beane recognized that turning pro was "the only decision he ever made in his life about money".

Moneyball begins as the 2001 Oakland Athletics team is being dismembered on account of free agency. The Athletics' two star players, Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi, are paid extravagant amounts of money by "big-market" teams. This leaves the 2002 Athletics and their general manager Beane in an unenviable position. Beane must find a way to replace Giambi and Damon's production with a paltry (sarcasm here folks) $40,000,000 at his disposal. The Yankees' payroll exceeded $125,000,000 simultaneously. Teams in major markets are capable of filling up ballparks throughout the season whereas small market teams are at an economic disadvantage. Even the ratings bore out this point. Yankees, Red Sox and Dodger's games are the most watched and will likely continue to repeat this pattern. Lucrative television contracts and the ensuing national exposure are what keeps the money wheel spinning.

Beane's quest to fill roster spots with lesser known players for less money than most of the other teams are offering is no day at the park, pun intended. Meeting with the usual scout team is bringing him nothing but headaches and false promises. This is why he seeks talent elsewhere. While meeting a decision maker about acquiring new players, Beane finds Yale statistician Peter Brand (Hill). Brand's brand of logic may seem suspect because it was relatively untested but it capture Beane's interest and thus a new professional friendship was born.

Together, Beane and Brand devise a method of winning enough baseball games to make the playoffs and to regain the statistical contributions of their lost star players. Throughout their process the scouting team becomes dismayed and the team's coach Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) refuses to take marching orders from the G.M. During the season not only do Brand and Beane demand lineup changes, they also trade away their star rookie Pena to compel the skipper to see things their way. Many incredulous fans and members of the seething sensationalist press ask for their heads on a silver platter, but the tandem stays the course.

One of the best and most dramatic portions of this film is Beane's fractured family life. His daughter absolutely loves him and worries herself sick over his job security and future. Beane believes that baseball is utterly romantic and despite his frustrations over the start of the season, he never gives up hope that the statistical calculations will ring true and bring the team to the brink of winning it all. He gambles his and his daughter's financial future on the strength of his convictions.

The best part of the film is Beane and Brand's interactions with the team's players. Beane becomes more of a coach than Howe who receives all of the credit when the team succeeds and goes on an absolute tear by approaching the baseball world record for most consecutive victories. It is Beane's faith and encouragement along with Brand's analyses that helps the team move forward and succeed beyond their wildest expectations.

When all is said and done and the Athletics' season is over, Beane is offered an enormous/damn near staggering sum of money to become the G.M. for another team. Regretting his immature and reckless decision to turn pro for the remuneration, Beane carefully weights his future on his own terms.

Brad Pitt unequivocally is Moneyball. He not only makes the movie reel turn, he is the shining star. Jonah Hill is terrific and Philip Seymour Hoffman's crotchety performance may be hilarious, but Pitt is the lifeblood of Moneyball. Without him the movie would be nothing. This is why there is so much Oscar chatter about the film. The movie will not win Best Picture but it may win the coveted Best Actor Oscar. The film is charming, hilarious, dramatic, and thoroughly enjoyable. It is a fraction too long but there is never a dull moment and every scene adds to its richness. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up America!