VideoDetective.com
For Love Of The Game (1999)
Released By: Universal Pictures   Rating: PG-13   In Theaters: N/A
Your video will start shortly...



More Videos:
Preview Details
User Reviews
Studio: Universal Pictures
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Sam Raimi
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Kelly Preston, Kevin Costner
Published ID: 894676
UPC: 025192068423, 025193293022, 025192033612,
Plot: Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, For Love of the Game brought Kevin Costner back to the world of baseball after his successes with Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium and throwing what is shaping up to be a perfect game with the help of his best friend and catcher, Gus Osinski (John C. Reilly). However, Billy is having a hard time keeping his mind on the game; he's come to a crossroads in both his personal and professional lives, and he isn't sure what to do or where to go. He's learned that the Tigers are about to be sold, and the new owners intend to trade him at the end of the season, and that his girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston) is planning to leave him. For Love of the Game represents a change of pace for director Sam Raimi, best-known for the Evil Dead trilogy and the acclaimed suspense drama A Simple Plan (1998) (although Raimi, a baseball fan born in Michigan, doubtless enjoyed making a film featuring the Detroit Tigers). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
Great movie about life.
Added 11/9/2009

I kept catching this movie part way thru on TV. You can't fully understand the movie unless you watch it from the start. A lot is explained in the opening credits alone. It reminds me of "The Natural" starring Robert Redford which set up the movie in the first 10 minutes. Both films are about the people we encounter in life - good people, mean people, people down on their luck, loyal people who support you to the end, friends, family, etc. My favorite thing in the movie is the interaction between Billy (Costner) and Gus the catcher (Reilly).

Overall, a great movie about life - good times, bad times, things we cherish, things we regret. A good deed done will pay you back later (heartfelt advice to an outfielder who gets hit on the head by a fly ball who later catches a potential home run during the perfect game). A bad deed done can always be forgiven. All that matters is that we do the right thing in the end.

"Tell them I'm through, For Love of the Game"

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
The Mind of a Pitcher
Added 10/9/2009

I love this film and have seen it several times. One of my favorite running themes is how the "For the Love of the Game" takes the viewer into the mind of a pitcher and helps the viewer understand the relationship between the catcher and the pitcher. I still remember that to this day as I watch my favorite team: the Boston Red Sox :)

This is a nice baseball flick with a love theme weaved into it and a lot about the psyche of baseball and team spirit. I loved it and recommend it for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. There is enough substance for both. I enjoy Kevin Costner as an actor and this movie is one of my favorites.

5 stars :)

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Great mix of baseball and drama
Added 8/18/2009

I enjoy how the film switches between game and the story of the romance. It has enough sports action and drama to satisfy many types of movie watchers. After watching the movie several times on television I finally went ahead and purchased it here.

I always wonder what the coaches say when they go to the pitcher's mound, now I can compare Bull Durham (wedding gifts ideas anyone?) and For Love of the Game (where is the pat on the butt).

Luckily, it had arrived a short time before Buehrle's perfect game in July 2009 and it was the right movie to watch that evening. Checking out the extras made it even better. Having a baseball quiz (where you can try again after "Strike Three") allowed some to remember games they had seen in the past. There is a short bonus video if you can make it through the entire quiz.


0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Giving it all
Added 8/18/2009

Michigan State's own Sam Raimi demonstrates once again that his directorial range extends well beyond horror movies (like 30 Days of Night) and superhero flicks (Spider-Man - The Motion Picture DVD Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3)). Raimi is a talented director to be reckoned with, and this film is a testament to that.

Kevin Costner portrays a baseball player who in the twilight of his career. He was once a dominating pitcher, but time has eroded some of his skills and he can sense his last stroll to the pitcher's mound is near.

Kelly Preston plays his on-again / off-again love interest after a chance meeting. Kelly has always been beautiful, and this might be her finest performance to date.

The story is told via flashbacks while the Detroit Tiger's hurler pursues every baseball pitcher's dream: a perfect game. It comes on the last game of the season vs. the most storied franchise in the game (the Yankess) at perhaps the most storied stadium in all of sports (Yankee stadium). It also is the last game of the season, and perhaps the last game of his career.

While some may find the story a bit longwinded, I thought that the film was evenly paced & told well. We have to remember that they're trying to encompass a player's entire career with various anecdotes & memories (some good, some not-so-good). Costner can be bland in some movies, but this was one of his better outings - up there with Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) and The Guardian.

If you're looking for a date movie, this one just might be perfect. Women will love it as it can pass for a chick flick. Men will like it because it's also a sports movie. Both genders will appreciate the satiric humor that's directed towards sports "know-it-alls" that we've all encountered in our lives. All in all, this is a good movie - step up to the plate & check it out!

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Love this Movie
Added 8/16/2009

Love this movie, the story is simple and combined with one great game. It is perfect for a baseball loving romance movie watcher like me.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Great movie about life.
Added 11/9/2009

I kept catching this movie part way thru on TV. You can't fully understand the movie unless you watch it from the start. A lot is explained in the opening credits alone. It reminds me of "The Natural" starring Robert Redford which set up the movie in the first 10 minutes. Both films are about the people we encounter in life - good people, mean people, people down on their luck, loyal people who support you to the end, friends, family, etc. My favorite thing in the movie is the interaction between Billy (Costner) and Gus the catcher (Reilly).

Overall, a great movie about life - good times, bad times, things we cherish, things we regret. A good deed done will pay you back later (heartfelt advice to an outfielder who gets hit on the head by a fly ball who later catches a potential home run during the perfect game). A bad deed done can always be forgiven. All that matters is that we do the right thing in the end.

"Tell them I'm through, For Love of the Game"

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
The Mind of a Pitcher
Added 10/9/2009

I love this film and have seen it several times. One of my favorite running themes is how the "For the Love of the Game" takes the viewer into the mind of a pitcher and helps the viewer understand the relationship between the catcher and the pitcher. I still remember that to this day as I watch my favorite team: the Boston Red Sox :)

This is a nice baseball flick with a love theme weaved into it and a lot about the psyche of baseball and team spirit. I loved it and recommend it for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. There is enough substance for both. I enjoy Kevin Costner as an actor and this movie is one of my favorites.

5 stars :)

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Great mix of baseball and drama
Added 8/18/2009

I enjoy how the film switches between game and the story of the romance. It has enough sports action and drama to satisfy many types of movie watchers. After watching the movie several times on television I finally went ahead and purchased it here.

I always wonder what the coaches say when they go to the pitcher's mound, now I can compare Bull Durham (wedding gifts ideas anyone?) and For Love of the Game (where is the pat on the butt).

Luckily, it had arrived a short time before Buehrle's perfect game in July 2009 and it was the right movie to watch that evening. Checking out the extras made it even better. Having a baseball quiz (where you can try again after "Strike Three") allowed some to remember games they had seen in the past. There is a short bonus video if you can make it through the entire quiz.


0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Photos


There are currently no photos.
Shopping
IDPriceImageUrlPurchaseUrlIdTypeBindingStore
DVD
$6.49 @ Amazon
VHS
$4.95 @ Amazon
VHS
$0.73 @ Amazon
DVD
$64.99 @ Amazon
DVD
$24.95 @ Amazon
DVD
@ Amazon