Moneyball (2011)
23 Sep 2011 ● English ● 2 hrs 13 mins
Bennett Miller's adaptation of Michael Lewis' non-fiction best seller Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, a one-time phenom who flamed out in the big leagues and now works as the GM for the Oakland Athletics, a franchise that's about to lose their three best players to free agency. Because the team isn't in a financial position to spend as much as perennial favorites like the Yankees and the Red Sox, Beane realizes he needs to radically change how he evaluates what players can bring to the squad. After he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League economics major working as an executive assistant for scouting on another team, Beane realizes he's found the man who understands how to subvert the system of assessing players that's been in place for nearly a century. However, as the duo begin to acquire players that seem too old, injured, or inept to play major-league baseball, they face stiff resistance from both the A's longtime scouts and the team's manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who outright refuses to allow Beane's more-nontraditional acquisitions to play.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright
Crew: Bennett Miller (Director), Wally Pfister (Director of Photography), Mychael Danna (Music Director)
Rating: A (India)
Genres: Drama, Sports, Biography
Release Dates: 23 Sep 2011 (India)
Did you know? At one point, we hear that Miguel Tejada has struck out to end a game. In the original book, Tejada's free swinging ways and relatively high strikeout rate was something of a point of contention, with the Dominican shortstop telling Billy Beane and other Athletics' members that "You can't walk your way off the island". Read More
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Director
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Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Color
Sound Mix:
Datasat Digital Sound, Dolby Digital, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound
Camera:
ARRIFLEX 435 ES, Panavision Panaflex
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1 (Flat)
Stereoscopy:
No
Filming Locations:
Goofs:
Factual Mistake
At one point in the film, it is revealed that Billy Beane is 44 years old; however, the real Billy Beane was born in 1962 and the events take place in 2002, meaning he would've been 40.
Factual Mistake
Oakland pitcher Jim Mecir's name is misspelled "Mercir" in the closing credits.
Factual Mistake
On the big board of free agents by team at the beginning of the movie, a player with the last name of Mathews is listed for St Louis as a right fielder (RF). The Mathews that was a free agent for the Saint Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2001 season was T.J. Mathews, a right handed pitcher (RHP).
Factual Mistake
While it is true that David Justice played for the Yankees in 2001, Justice was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets on December 14, 2001 for LHP Mark Guthrie and RHP Tyler Yates. Justice was acquired only a week earlier by the Mets from the Yankees in exchange for Robin Ventura.
Factual Mistake
Scenes from night games show fluorescent lighting in the dugout. There are no lights in the dugouts at the Coliseum (this would interfere with players' ability to see the ball).
Factual Mistake
In one of the film's flashbacks, Billy Beane is shown as a New York Met playing at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a player, Beane never played a game at Dodger Stadium, nor did he ever play a game against the Dodgers.
Factual Mistake
Although the movie gets the trade of Jeremy Giambi correct (it happened early in the season and he was dealt for John Mabry), Carlos Peña was not traded until two months later, and not for a relief pitcher and cash. Pena was traded as part of a three-team deal with the Tigers and Yankees, which brought starting pitcher Ted Lilly to the A's.
Factual Mistake
As the first example of his baseball know-how, Peter Brand shows Billy Beane a picture of Chad Bradford and tells the GM that the A's can get him cheap because every other team in baseball undervalues him. The problem is, this scene takes place following the 2001 season and Bradford had pitched for Oakland the entire 2001 season, after coming to the A's in a trade with the White Sox in December of 2000.
Factual Mistake
Art Howe was not in the final year of his contract in 2002 with the Oakland A's as depicted in the movie. However he was gladly released from his contract at the end of the 2002 season by Billy Beane and hired by the New York Mets for the 2003 season.
Continuity
Billy Beane is shown several times batting right-handed as a pro. But when Billy is shown looking at his little league photo it clearly shows him batting left-handed.
Continuity
During the top of the fourth inning of game #20 of the streak, Raul Ibanez of Kansas City is at third base when the stadium announcer can clearly be heard saying, "Now batting . . . number 18 . . . left fielder . . . Raúl Ibañez."
Continuity
When Billy Beane walks into the clubhouse and finds Jeremy Giambi dancing Giambi's towel jumps repeatedly between his hand and his waistband between shots.
Continuity
At one point, we are shown that the A's record is 20-26. There are at least 2 more losses, and then we are shown the record again at the beginning of a montage, and the record is still 20-26.
Continuity
As Billy is listening to game 20 of the streak on the radio, the announcer says Raul Ibanez is now batting. When Billy turns around and gets back to the stadium, it is the same inning, and the stadium PA announces Raul Ibanez is now batting.
Continuity
One of the segments using real video from previous games shows the A's coming off the field and Carlos Pena coming in from first base. But this is shown in the film well after Pena was traded away.
Continuity
Casey specifically asks for a small spoon (i.e. tea-spoon) to eat her dessert with, but is seen using a large spoon (table-spoon).
Continuity
When Billy Beane is teaching Peter how to fire someone, the paper "spit" cup and the coffee cup in front of Billy keeps moving further behind the telephone on the desk.
Continuity
When Billy Beane starts listening to game #20 of the streak in his truck there is a train crossing a bridge in the background. However, there is no bridge in the next shot of him veering toward an exit.
Character Error
During the trade deadline scene, Billy Beane, while talking to the Cleveland Indians owner, figures out the other team interested in Rincon is San Francisco. Beane pushes the button, effectively hanging up the phone on the Indians GM, then says, 'I'll call you back."
Character Error
In a flashback where Billy Beane is playing for the Mets, he strikes out swinging and the umpire yells "strike three." It is universal professional umpire protocol to only vocalize called strikes. Swinging strikes are always indicated by hand signals only.
At one point in the film, it is revealed that Billy Beane is 44 years old; however, the real Billy Beane was born in 1962 and the events take place in 2002, meaning he would've been 40.
Factual Mistake
Oakland pitcher Jim Mecir's name is misspelled "Mercir" in the closing credits.
Factual Mistake
On the big board of free agents by team at the beginning of the movie, a player with the last name of Mathews is listed for St Louis as a right fielder (RF). The Mathews that was a free agent for the Saint Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2001 season was T.J. Mathews, a right handed pitcher (RHP).
Factual Mistake
While it is true that David Justice played for the Yankees in 2001, Justice was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets on December 14, 2001 for LHP Mark Guthrie and RHP Tyler Yates. Justice was acquired only a week earlier by the Mets from the Yankees in exchange for Robin Ventura.
Factual Mistake
Scenes from night games show fluorescent lighting in the dugout. There are no lights in the dugouts at the Coliseum (this would interfere with players' ability to see the ball).
Factual Mistake
In one of the film's flashbacks, Billy Beane is shown as a New York Met playing at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a player, Beane never played a game at Dodger Stadium, nor did he ever play a game against the Dodgers.
Factual Mistake
Although the movie gets the trade of Jeremy Giambi correct (it happened early in the season and he was dealt for John Mabry), Carlos Peña was not traded until two months later, and not for a relief pitcher and cash. Pena was traded as part of a three-team deal with the Tigers and Yankees, which brought starting pitcher Ted Lilly to the A's.
Factual Mistake
As the first example of his baseball know-how, Peter Brand shows Billy Beane a picture of Chad Bradford and tells the GM that the A's can get him cheap because every other team in baseball undervalues him. The problem is, this scene takes place following the 2001 season and Bradford had pitched for Oakland the entire 2001 season, after coming to the A's in a trade with the White Sox in December of 2000.
Factual Mistake
Art Howe was not in the final year of his contract in 2002 with the Oakland A's as depicted in the movie. However he was gladly released from his contract at the end of the 2002 season by Billy Beane and hired by the New York Mets for the 2003 season.
Continuity
Billy Beane is shown several times batting right-handed as a pro. But when Billy is shown looking at his little league photo it clearly shows him batting left-handed.
Continuity
During the top of the fourth inning of game #20 of the streak, Raul Ibanez of Kansas City is at third base when the stadium announcer can clearly be heard saying, "Now batting . . . number 18 . . . left fielder . . . Raúl Ibañez."
Continuity
When Billy Beane walks into the clubhouse and finds Jeremy Giambi dancing Giambi's towel jumps repeatedly between his hand and his waistband between shots.
Continuity
At one point, we are shown that the A's record is 20-26. There are at least 2 more losses, and then we are shown the record again at the beginning of a montage, and the record is still 20-26.
Continuity
As Billy is listening to game 20 of the streak on the radio, the announcer says Raul Ibanez is now batting. When Billy turns around and gets back to the stadium, it is the same inning, and the stadium PA announces Raul Ibanez is now batting.
Continuity
One of the segments using real video from previous games shows the A's coming off the field and Carlos Pena coming in from first base. But this is shown in the film well after Pena was traded away.
Continuity
Casey specifically asks for a small spoon (i.e. tea-spoon) to eat her dessert with, but is seen using a large spoon (table-spoon).
Continuity
When Billy Beane is teaching Peter how to fire someone, the paper "spit" cup and the coffee cup in front of Billy keeps moving further behind the telephone on the desk.
Continuity
When Billy Beane starts listening to game #20 of the streak in his truck there is a train crossing a bridge in the background. However, there is no bridge in the next shot of him veering toward an exit.
Character Error
During the trade deadline scene, Billy Beane, while talking to the Cleveland Indians owner, figures out the other team interested in Rincon is San Francisco. Beane pushes the button, effectively hanging up the phone on the Indians GM, then says, 'I'll call you back."
Character Error
In a flashback where Billy Beane is playing for the Mets, he strikes out swinging and the umpire yells "strike three." It is universal professional umpire protocol to only vocalize called strikes. Swinging strikes are always indicated by hand signals only.
Trivia:
Spike Jonze: as Alán, the socially awkward partner to Billy Beane's (Brad Pitt's) ex-wife in the film.
Production of the movie was set to begin on June 22, 2009, but it was surprisingly dropped by Columbia Pictures. Studio co-chairman Amy Pascal axed the movie after objecting to changes which original director Steven Soderbergh made to Steven Zaillian's script.
Billy Beane refers to John Poloni as "Rocco". This is a reference to Jack McGee's father who played minor league baseball and whose nickname was "Rocco".
Several of the Oakland A's radio announcers are heard throughout the movie, but are not credited: The legendary Bill King - whose signature line "HOLY TOLEDO" punctuates the Royals rally to tie the A's from an 11-0 start during what would become the 20th win in a row - is foremost among them. At various points from the 1950s until his death a few years ago, King called Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, A's and early on San Francisco Giants games. Current Oakland Raiders announcer Greg Papa was also the television play-by-play announcer for the Oakland A's from 1989 to 2003 and is the host of the San Francisco Giants pre and post games shows. Also heard are Ken Korach, then King's second fiddle who later took over the #1 play-by-play role, and color man Ray Fosse, a veteran of the 1970s Oakland championship teams who continued to call games for the A's through the 2013 season. Scott Hatteberg sometimes fills in for Ray Fosse as a color commentator.
Of all the Oakland players from the season represented in the movie (2002), only one played for Oakland in the season that the movie premiered (2011): Mark Ellis, and he was traded away in the middle of the season.
At one point, we hear that Miguel Tejada has struck out to end a game. In the original book, Tejada's free swinging ways and relatively high strikeout rate was something of a point of contention, with the Dominican shortstop telling Billy Beane and other Athletics' members that "You can't walk your way off the island".
The film's original director, Steven Soderbergh, intended to have all the baseball players portray themselves. When Columbia Pictures dropped the film, the script was later rewritten and the new director, Bennett Miller, hired real actors.
When Chris Pratt auditioned for the role of Scott Hatteberg, he was told he was too fat. Pratt decided to lose weight before the role was cast. "I'd check, maybe, once a week," he recalls. "I'd say, 'They cast it yet?' And I would just keep working out. Finally I got in good enough shape that I took a picture of myself and sent it to my agent." He won the role.
Bobby Kotick, President, CEO and a director of Activision Blizzard portrays Stephen Schott, the owner of the Oakland Athletics in the film.
Several of the actors playing the ballplayers have baseball experience. Casey Bond spent time in the Giants' organization, Stephen Bishop played for three years during the '90s (including one season where he played with David Justice, who he portrays in the film), Royce Clayton played 17 years in MLB and Derrin Ebert played five games for the Braves in 1999.
When Steven Soderbergh was still supposed to direct, he cast Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin in the lead roles and had already shot interview scenes with baseball players Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, and Darryl Strawberry to be included in the film.
During pre-production, director of photography Adam Kimmel was arrested in Connecticut on sexual assault and weapons and explosives possession charges. He was replaced by Wally Pfister.
During the course of the film's theatrical release, Ron Washington, an Oakland Athletics Coach seen in the movie, was Managing in the World Series for the Texas Rangers.
Brad Pitt appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Pitt starred in both this movie and "The Tree of Life" (2011).
First baseball movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) since Field of Dreams (1989) twenty-two years earlier.
David Justice is played by Stephen Bishop, a former pro baseball player. Bishop was a career Minor Leaguer, and as a Braves prospect was nicknamed Young Justice due to his physical resemblance and similar playing style to David Justice.
Bill James, noted as the statistical influence for the main characters' analysis, is regarded by many to be the father of sabermetrics. This study of advanced baseball statistics is named after the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), an organization to which James and other sabermetrics pioneers belong. The film puts a heavy emphasis upon on-base percentage (OBP), though concepts like wOBA, FIP, and BABIP are not mentioned.
Billy Beane is portrayed as a lonely divorcé in the film, though in real life he had actually remarried. Scenes were actually shot with Kathryn Morris as his second wife, Tara, that didn't make the final cut (but can be seen as Blu-ray extras). However, Brad Pitt's character still wears a wedding ring throughout the film.
The Oakland A's set the new American League record for consecutive wins, with 20. The all-time Major League record is 26, set by the New York Giants in 1916, including one tie. Without ties, the record belongs to the 1935 Chicago Cubs (21 straight wins).
Bennett Miller told a screening audience that A's assistant GM Paul DePodesta did not wish to have his real name used in the movie, but was very generously helpful during its making. While the filmmakers had no obligation to change his character's name (to Peter Brand), they did so willingly.
Despite suggestions in the movie that Scott Hatteberg was a bad-fielding first baseman, he ended the year with a fielding percentage (.994) higher than the league average for his position (.993).
All but one of the scouts in the movie were played by actual Major League Baseball scouts. Tom Gamboa, who played "Scout Martinez", is perhaps best known as the Kansas City Royals first base coach who was attacked on the field by two fans during a game against the Chicago White Sox on September 19, 2002. The father and son, highly intoxicated, ran onto the field unprovoked, tackled Gamboa, and threw several punches before being restrained by players and security. As a result of the attack, Gamboa ultimately suffered permanent hearing loss.
Production of the movie was set to begin on June 22, 2009, but it was surprisingly dropped by Columbia Pictures. Studio co-chairman Amy Pascal axed the movie after objecting to changes which original director Steven Soderbergh made to Steven Zaillian's script.
Billy Beane refers to John Poloni as "Rocco". This is a reference to Jack McGee's father who played minor league baseball and whose nickname was "Rocco".
Several of the Oakland A's radio announcers are heard throughout the movie, but are not credited: The legendary Bill King - whose signature line "HOLY TOLEDO" punctuates the Royals rally to tie the A's from an 11-0 start during what would become the 20th win in a row - is foremost among them. At various points from the 1950s until his death a few years ago, King called Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, A's and early on San Francisco Giants games. Current Oakland Raiders announcer Greg Papa was also the television play-by-play announcer for the Oakland A's from 1989 to 2003 and is the host of the San Francisco Giants pre and post games shows. Also heard are Ken Korach, then King's second fiddle who later took over the #1 play-by-play role, and color man Ray Fosse, a veteran of the 1970s Oakland championship teams who continued to call games for the A's through the 2013 season. Scott Hatteberg sometimes fills in for Ray Fosse as a color commentator.
Of all the Oakland players from the season represented in the movie (2002), only one played for Oakland in the season that the movie premiered (2011): Mark Ellis, and he was traded away in the middle of the season.
At one point, we hear that Miguel Tejada has struck out to end a game. In the original book, Tejada's free swinging ways and relatively high strikeout rate was something of a point of contention, with the Dominican shortstop telling Billy Beane and other Athletics' members that "You can't walk your way off the island".
The film's original director, Steven Soderbergh, intended to have all the baseball players portray themselves. When Columbia Pictures dropped the film, the script was later rewritten and the new director, Bennett Miller, hired real actors.
When Chris Pratt auditioned for the role of Scott Hatteberg, he was told he was too fat. Pratt decided to lose weight before the role was cast. "I'd check, maybe, once a week," he recalls. "I'd say, 'They cast it yet?' And I would just keep working out. Finally I got in good enough shape that I took a picture of myself and sent it to my agent." He won the role.
Bobby Kotick, President, CEO and a director of Activision Blizzard portrays Stephen Schott, the owner of the Oakland Athletics in the film.
Several of the actors playing the ballplayers have baseball experience. Casey Bond spent time in the Giants' organization, Stephen Bishop played for three years during the '90s (including one season where he played with David Justice, who he portrays in the film), Royce Clayton played 17 years in MLB and Derrin Ebert played five games for the Braves in 1999.
When Steven Soderbergh was still supposed to direct, he cast Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin in the lead roles and had already shot interview scenes with baseball players Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, and Darryl Strawberry to be included in the film.
During pre-production, director of photography Adam Kimmel was arrested in Connecticut on sexual assault and weapons and explosives possession charges. He was replaced by Wally Pfister.
During the course of the film's theatrical release, Ron Washington, an Oakland Athletics Coach seen in the movie, was Managing in the World Series for the Texas Rangers.
Brad Pitt appeared in two movies that were both nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012. Pitt starred in both this movie and "The Tree of Life" (2011).
First baseball movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award (Oscar) since Field of Dreams (1989) twenty-two years earlier.
David Justice is played by Stephen Bishop, a former pro baseball player. Bishop was a career Minor Leaguer, and as a Braves prospect was nicknamed Young Justice due to his physical resemblance and similar playing style to David Justice.
Bill James, noted as the statistical influence for the main characters' analysis, is regarded by many to be the father of sabermetrics. This study of advanced baseball statistics is named after the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), an organization to which James and other sabermetrics pioneers belong. The film puts a heavy emphasis upon on-base percentage (OBP), though concepts like wOBA, FIP, and BABIP are not mentioned.
Billy Beane is portrayed as a lonely divorcé in the film, though in real life he had actually remarried. Scenes were actually shot with Kathryn Morris as his second wife, Tara, that didn't make the final cut (but can be seen as Blu-ray extras). However, Brad Pitt's character still wears a wedding ring throughout the film.
The Oakland A's set the new American League record for consecutive wins, with 20. The all-time Major League record is 26, set by the New York Giants in 1916, including one tie. Without ties, the record belongs to the 1935 Chicago Cubs (21 straight wins).
Bennett Miller told a screening audience that A's assistant GM Paul DePodesta did not wish to have his real name used in the movie, but was very generously helpful during its making. While the filmmakers had no obligation to change his character's name (to Peter Brand), they did so willingly.
Despite suggestions in the movie that Scott Hatteberg was a bad-fielding first baseman, he ended the year with a fielding percentage (.994) higher than the league average for his position (.993).
All but one of the scouts in the movie were played by actual Major League Baseball scouts. Tom Gamboa, who played "Scout Martinez", is perhaps best known as the Kansas City Royals first base coach who was attacked on the field by two fans during a game against the Chicago White Sox on September 19, 2002. The father and son, highly intoxicated, ran onto the field unprovoked, tackled Gamboa, and threw several punches before being restrained by players and security. As a result of the attack, Gamboa ultimately suffered permanent hearing loss.
