I know you get arguments, maybe pleas too, about your choices - because it’s baseball. And I will read the book (now!) to see 6 to 50 😊 But I want to say that two movies that many would want to see listed (I know they are somewhere in your top 50) are Bang The Drum Slowly and The Natural.
Ok, Hollywood reversed the ending, indeed the meaning of the whole story (!) as Malamud wrote it (and I had read it a couple years earlier
) in the ending of the latter. But while somewhat disappointing to me, it still gives us such a lovely story of its own, with a heart-warming denouement. ‘Heart warming’? Too ‘Hollywood’? But that is what makes Hollywood great, at times anyway.
Bang The Drum Slowly was also a very good book. And the movie stays close to Mark Harris’ story. The sadness in the movie goes deep - for me, definitely. But I am captured here by melancholia. Always, in fact. And De Niro is really good in his role. The pair of them, Pearson and Wiggen, De Niro and Moriarty, carry this story so well between them. Friendship. Love.
I love "Little Big League!" You think more highly of "Bull Durham" than I do. When it is about baseball, it is great. But, when it stops being about baseball, and starts getting into the romance and the new age mumbo-jumbo, it is a dud.
And, I am hopefully getting a copy of the book today!
Happy publication day, and perfect choice for No. 1!
I had a strange feeling you would agree with me!
I can’t argue with these choices - nope, I cannot.
This is what I like to hear.
And having now bought the Kindle edition of your book, I just had to read the Bang The Drum Slowly chapter.
And OMG - it is really good. Really. Melancholia! The historical context setting is perfect. (I know the entire book is organised for that - yes!)
I had never read Jim Bouton’s review of the movie - that (and Bouton) being at the center of the chapter.
Yes, the awkwardness of the Wiggen-Pearson relationship- ok, their friendship - is what makes the movie work. (And Moriarty is one of my fave actors.)
Now to start the book at the beginning.
I know you get arguments, maybe pleas too, about your choices - because it’s baseball. And I will read the book (now!) to see 6 to 50 😊 But I want to say that two movies that many would want to see listed (I know they are somewhere in your top 50) are Bang The Drum Slowly and The Natural.
Ok, Hollywood reversed the ending, indeed the meaning of the whole story (!) as Malamud wrote it (and I had read it a couple years earlier
) in the ending of the latter. But while somewhat disappointing to me, it still gives us such a lovely story of its own, with a heart-warming denouement. ‘Heart warming’? Too ‘Hollywood’? But that is what makes Hollywood great, at times anyway.
Bang The Drum Slowly was also a very good book. And the movie stays close to Mark Harris’ story. The sadness in the movie goes deep - for me, definitely. But I am captured here by melancholia. Always, in fact. And De Niro is really good in his role. The pair of them, Pearson and Wiggen, De Niro and Moriarty, carry this story so well between them. Friendship. Love.
A League of Their Own and Bull Durham are my #1 and #2 also! Yay!!! Field of Dreams is #3 for me. Happy publication day ❤️⚾️❤️
I love "Little Big League!" You think more highly of "Bull Durham" than I do. When it is about baseball, it is great. But, when it stops being about baseball, and starts getting into the romance and the new age mumbo-jumbo, it is a dud.
And, I am hopefully getting a copy of the book today!
I love the surprises of your final five. And especially your choices for 2 and 1.
Holy crap just found you. Love your writing so far.
Love to hear this. Thanks for reading!
If there's ever a topic you'd like me to cover, don't hesitate to say so.