← Back to Reviews
in
61*
A memorable slice of baseball history is brought to life in 61*, a handsomely mounted drama about the friendship/rivalry between two baseball legends that provides sparking entertainment thanks to HBO and meticulous direction from Billy Crystal.
This 2001 film recounts the friendship between New York Yankees Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris and how the friendship is almost destroyed with their battle to break Babe Ruth's long standing record of 61 home runs in a single season, a battle that not only threatens to destroy this friendship but tear the entire team apart as their journey to the World Series is also impacted by this internal friction in the ball club.
Hank Steinberg's screenplay lovingly details the evolution of this very complicated relationship which effectively documents how different Mantle and Maris are. Mantle is portrayed as being adored by fans, adoring said adoration, and having no problem with the pressures that come with being a sports icon until it is revealed that his release is manifesting itself into heavy drinking and womanizing. Maris is the polar opposite: a happily married man with kids who enjoys his job but not everything that comes with it. He hates dealing with the press and is resentful of the way they are manipulating a rival between him and Mantle. We actually see Maris take Mantle into his home when he thinks Mantle's partying is getting out of hand, but the pressure gets to him as he is observed tying the Babe's record and then wanting out. Not to mention the fact that the press, the fans, the baseball commissioner, and even some of his teammates want to see Mantle break the record. at which time, Mantle's interest in the record seems to wane as well.
Billy Crystal, in his seventh assignment in the director's chair, takes a very public feud and puts very flawed and human faces on it, without ever taking the sides that we observe on screen. It was disturbing watching the baseball commissioner manipulating league rules in order to make it more difficult to Maris to break the record, not to mention Ruth's widow who naturally doesn't want to see her husband's record shattered. Even the fans forget about Yankee unity and in one shocking scene, we see a fan actually throw a chair at Maris.
Crystal displays real talent behind the camera that was rewarded with 12 Emmy nominations with wins in two technical categories. Barry Pepper received a nomination for his sincere and intense Roger Maris and is matched scene for scene by Thomas Jane's sizzling interpretation of Mickey Mantle. Mention should also be made of Richard Masur and Peter Jacobson as sports writers, Donald Moffat as the commissioner, Renee Taylor as Babe Ruth's widow, and Anthony Michael Hall as Whitey Ford. It says a lot that, as a non baseball enthusiast, this reviewer was thoroughly entertained by this film.
A memorable slice of baseball history is brought to life in 61*, a handsomely mounted drama about the friendship/rivalry between two baseball legends that provides sparking entertainment thanks to HBO and meticulous direction from Billy Crystal.
This 2001 film recounts the friendship between New York Yankees Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris and how the friendship is almost destroyed with their battle to break Babe Ruth's long standing record of 61 home runs in a single season, a battle that not only threatens to destroy this friendship but tear the entire team apart as their journey to the World Series is also impacted by this internal friction in the ball club.
Hank Steinberg's screenplay lovingly details the evolution of this very complicated relationship which effectively documents how different Mantle and Maris are. Mantle is portrayed as being adored by fans, adoring said adoration, and having no problem with the pressures that come with being a sports icon until it is revealed that his release is manifesting itself into heavy drinking and womanizing. Maris is the polar opposite: a happily married man with kids who enjoys his job but not everything that comes with it. He hates dealing with the press and is resentful of the way they are manipulating a rival between him and Mantle. We actually see Maris take Mantle into his home when he thinks Mantle's partying is getting out of hand, but the pressure gets to him as he is observed tying the Babe's record and then wanting out. Not to mention the fact that the press, the fans, the baseball commissioner, and even some of his teammates want to see Mantle break the record. at which time, Mantle's interest in the record seems to wane as well.
Billy Crystal, in his seventh assignment in the director's chair, takes a very public feud and puts very flawed and human faces on it, without ever taking the sides that we observe on screen. It was disturbing watching the baseball commissioner manipulating league rules in order to make it more difficult to Maris to break the record, not to mention Ruth's widow who naturally doesn't want to see her husband's record shattered. Even the fans forget about Yankee unity and in one shocking scene, we see a fan actually throw a chair at Maris.
Crystal displays real talent behind the camera that was rewarded with 12 Emmy nominations with wins in two technical categories. Barry Pepper received a nomination for his sincere and intense Roger Maris and is matched scene for scene by Thomas Jane's sizzling interpretation of Mickey Mantle. Mention should also be made of Richard Masur and Peter Jacobson as sports writers, Donald Moffat as the commissioner, Renee Taylor as Babe Ruth's widow, and Anthony Michael Hall as Whitey Ford. It says a lot that, as a non baseball enthusiast, this reviewer was thoroughly entertained by this film.