All performances are very low-key, and the movie has surprisingly little energy or tension. Just like Moriarty's character says, "If you knew you were dying, you'd think you'd live it up. But you don't." The movie takes this tone as it pushes Moriarty's pitcher on a journey of self-discovery. The complexity of his character is so subtle and played with such low energy that it's easy to miss (Moriarty comes off like a poor man's John Voigt).
His decision not to let anyone else know that De Niro is dying, for example, is based on his own prejudices and limitations as a human being. The fact is, De Niro's catcher gets treated better when people find out. He becomes a better player and the team begins playing like a team. We find out that even he treated De Niro badly before he knew. His guilt must have been tremendous, because it was his counsel that gave De Niro the ability to become a better player - what would have happened had he done this earlier? Imminent death makes people do strange things.
There are many things wrong with this movie, such as the manipulative musical score and the shockingly poor cinematography. I was also surprised at how little it was able to capture the game of baseball. This is one of the few movies of this era that might have benefitted from being made either twenty years earlier or later. But the heart and head of this picture are both in the right place.
His decision not to let anyone else know that De Niro is dying, for example, is based on his own prejudices and limitations as a human being. The fact is, De Niro's catcher gets treated better when people find out. He becomes a better player and the team begins playing like a team. We find out that even he treated De Niro badly before he knew. His guilt must have been tremendous, because it was his counsel that gave De Niro the ability to become a better player - what would have happened had he done this earlier? Imminent death makes people do strange things.
There are many things wrong with this movie, such as the manipulative musical score and the shockingly poor cinematography. I was also surprised at how little it was able to capture the game of baseball. This is one of the few movies of this era that might have benefitted from being made either twenty years earlier or later. But the heart and head of this picture are both in the right place.