Review of Eight Men Out (1988) by Patrick M — 12 Apr 2008
My 75th favorite film of all time.
Eight Men Out is one that non-baseball fans will not enjoy. It touches on what a great baseball team can mean to a city as well as the politics of baseball.
The 1919 Chicago White Sox will forever be a black mark in baseball history. Eight members of the team--out of mostly frustration with the team's owner Charlie Comiskey--accepted bribes from gamblers in order to intentionally lose. It's a story that most baseball films are probably familiar with but it goes into great depth.
The main character is third baseman Buck Weaver, played by John Cusack, who agrees to the bribe but never receives any money and also plays very well during the World Series. It also centers on aging pitcher Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn), and careless first baseman Chick Gandil who is more than happy to accept the bribe. Of course, there's also Shoeless Joe Jackson.
This movie does a very good job of showing how this affected the eight player' lives as well as the other members of the team who didn't accept the bribe (like Hall of Famer Eddie Collins and the manager, Frasier's dad).
As far as period films go, this is fantastic. The costumes and sets all look great and it just feels like 1919. If you're a baseball fan, check this out.
This review of Eight Men Out (1988) was written by Patrick M on 12 Apr 2008.
Eight Men Out has generally received positive reviews.
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