Review of Bull Durham (1988) by Lewis E — 30 Oct 2014

As a lover of baseball movies I cannot abide Bull Durham. Before you go crying "Blasphemy!" let me explain. You see the reason that I can't stand this film is because it pulls the old bait-and-switch. It sells itself as a baseball movie and draws you in with the humorous scenes of Crash teaching Nuke a lesson by tipping off the batter on his pitches, or a moment where most of the team is meeting at the mound in the middle of a game to discuss their everyday life dilemmas. But then you sit down to start watching and you are treated to an intolerable voice-over by Susan Sarandon. Lo and behold, this isn't a baseball movie, it's a rom-com that just happens to center around players on a baseball team. I don't generally have an issue with romantic comedies, but this one just drives me crazy, because I find Susan Sarandon's character utterly detestable. Her entire baseball and sex-based religion makes her one of the most unlikable female leads I have ever seen in a rom-com. I suspect the filmmakers are trying to get the audience to root for her to end up with Kevin Costner, but frankly I just wish he would wise up and find a decent person.

There is a good film hiding in Bull Durham about a cocky young player and the seasoned veteran who teaches him to harness his abilities and prepare for the Majors. In fact I think that movie was made again somewhere else but much better (I just can't think of the film off the top of my head.) Unfortunately, every time I get a few moments to enjoy that story we have to be shown Susan Sarandon's face again to remind us this isn't that film. There isn't even a decent resolution to that story, because Nuke moves up to the Majors mid-season and still appears to be pretty rough around the edges. Then they treat us to the 20-30 minute long series of love-making scenes. Talk about excessive! I get the idea that Crash and Annie are madly in love after the first 5 minutes of this, you don't have to show them in every room of the house going at it. I don't think I have properly expressed just how much I despise this film, but I've at least given you a hint. If someone cut and pasted all the baseball stuff into a short film I would love it, but as it stands Bull Durham provides too much terrible rom-com stuff without enough baseball.