Review of Bull Durham (1988) by Nick H — 29 Sep 2007

Ron Shelton's curveball romantic comedy finds something fresh in almost every scene. It's immensely surprising, cocky and has a loopy wisdom that feels like bad advice you just have to take. Part of the pleasure of it surely comes from not only writer-director Shelton's pro baseball experience but also, maybe primarily, from his life experience.

Shelton was in his forties when he made the film, (his debut feature), and there's a seasoned fun on display, a wink of maturity that says what we all evetually come to realize: We are all, in one way or another, fools for love.

Costner and Sarandon are dynamite together, playing off and with each other like two pros who recognize there is an "I" in "team". And Tim Robbins makes a great comic foil. He's flamboyant and showy, cleavage to draw attention to the prime assets.

"Bull Durham" is more than a great sports film, it's a great statement on the never ending turf war between the sexes.