Latest / The Podyssey: A Film Podcast / EP 20: Moneyball Review
Transcript
- henry: How can you not be romantic about baseball? Welcome back to the podic, everyone. I'm Henry Wilkinson. I'm Andrew Mosler. And this is episode twenty of the Podicy. I remember when we started this podcast, I don't know if this is an actual stat, but I saw somewhere where it's like ninety nine percent of podcasts don't make it past episode three. Here we are, episode twenty. Let's go. What did we s what do we say? We said We said that's not us or something. Yeah, yeah, we said good thing we're the one percent or something like that for real. Good thing we're the one percent. So episode twenty of the podic. Today we're doing a Moneyball movie review per the fan vote. And shout out to everyone that's been voting on our stories. this last one was the most votes we've had, and Moneyball was the most votes that a single movie has had, so clearly something that you guys wanted to see. how many votes did the poll have? Total. I can't remember. I just know Moneyball had twelve and like the other highest one we had, I think, was Bastards, which was eight. Yeah, okay. 'Cause well Henry was like said like pick two movies or something to put on the poll. Yeah. And I said Moneyball, 'cause like postseason baseball starting. And then he said like two scary movies. I mean I and I said Coraline and Get Out, which like aren't Super shit, but like yeah. And I was like, that's a way better idea. Like fall movies. And then I thought what I thought I was gonna I thought we were gonna replace with I was like, well it kind of looks weird because it's like what was the other movie? Corline, get out, moneyball and Gone Girl. Yeah Right, okay. That so that makes it a little better. They're all kinda like fall movies. Like I I don't know. I mean Moneyball I need to watch Gone Girl. Yeah, Moneyball, yeah. It's f I it's not I I think but I I think the best time to watch it is in the fall. Definitely yeah, that's true. That's so Yeah, and you guys wanted to see it, so we watched it, we'll give you a review, but first, what else have you been watching since our last podcast? Since our last podcast. I didn't watch too much. I've been a little just like I don't know, I been like I was on a good movie streak. just like watching one every night or whatever, for a while. And then I kinda got off it this week. but I watched Maul Holland Drive, which was a big one. that because we're doing a century movie review in in a couple episodes. So I'm trying to knock off kind of some of the biggest, you know movies from the the past century. And Maholland Drive is one that I've been meaning to get to. I haven't seen any David Lynch movies and I really want to watch Eraserhead. And Twin Peaks. Yeah. And The Straight Story. Lost Highway. Lost Highway. Yeah. So there's a bunch that I want to see. So I I I was kinda like, well, I kinda wanted to watch Eraserhead first, but I figured I'd just watch Mahal and Drive and it was really, really good. Like I gave it a five out of five. I was just like totally blown away. and that made me just want to dive deeper into David Lynch. So I think this week I'm gonna Try to get to a a couple more of his. I I kinda wanna focus on getting some century century watches. from the two thousands on. I know he's got Inland Empire, which is like six or something. Yeah. But I mean the majority of h he's like eighties and nineties, right? Yeah. So we'll see, but yeah, and then I idiotically I watched before sunset. So it's stupid. So I texted Henry or no, I was just like He was like, are you watching tonight? And I was like, Before sunset. And he's like, Ooh, and I like thirty minutes into the movie. And then like five minutes later, he texted me, he's like, Wait, have you seen I I told him I said, wait. I I did like the big text on Snapchat. I was like, pause the movie. He's like, All right, movies paused. I'm like, Have you seen Before Sunrise? Before sunrise. And he's like, What is that? I had no idea it was a trilogy. and yeah, I mean, it now that Like I know that it makes so much sense 'cause while I was watching the movie, I was like, What the like what is going on? Yeah, I'm me and Addison are maybe gonna watch it one night. Like we I meant to watch the before sunrise trailer with her because she lot like if we're picking movies, she wants to watch the trailers. Yeah. And I accidentally clicked on the before sunset one and it kinda like reveals some of the stuff that happened in before sunrise, and I'm like, Wait. And then I looked and it said before sunset. So Yeah. So now I think that I've watched before sunset, it's like well I think it's gonna make before sunrise like worse. Yeah. I don't know. We'll see. I'm definitely gonna watch it. But I mean as a standalone movie, what'd you think? Terrible. Really? Ta like as a standalone movie before sunset is terrible. Okay, why? What they legit just walk around the whole movie. Okay. But you gave it a heart. well that's just because I didn't know what else to do. Like I can't I can't really give the rating. Yeah, I guess I should take the heart away and just it was half star. I it was like the it I mean I hadn't seen the first one, so it doesn't make any sense and it should and it sh yeah, I shouldn't have even watched it, so it dude, if you watch I want you to watch that one first now so you can see what I'm talking about. They legit just walk around and just talk. For legit the whole movie. I'm not kidding. So maybe it's like more I mean, obviously it's more meaningful after you've watched the first movie, but That's funny. So many people are like, this is the best romantic movie. Yeah, that's what I've heard. I'm like, what? Well, I guess I I probably should watch Before Sunrise first. But then I watched There Will Be Blood, PTA. I had I had seen like did there's this like whole era of Me like freshman year just watch like half a movie on TikTok and then like finish the rest on the TV or whatever, like between like five days. You know, so it's like I don't really even count that as a watch. Like so I like I knew the plot and I knew what happened, but I just hadn't seen it in full. and I I like PTA. One Battle After Another was like one of my favorite movies in the past that I've seen in a long time. and Daniel Day Lewis was absolutely incredible. I need to watch more of his stuff as well. but yeah, it was just really good. I gave it a four and a half. I don't know why it I don't I dude, I honestly low key I low key agree with Tarantino about Paul Dano. Do you remember when all my gosh, are you serious? I don't think he's like are you serious? I don't think he's terrible. Dude. But I don't think he's like really good. I think he's good. I think he's my goodness. I think he's average. I think Dano's performance in There'll be Blood is like as good as Daniel Da Lewis's. Yes. Stop it. Have you seen Little Miss Sunshine? Paul Dano's really good at all. Yeah, I like Paul Dano. He's a very good actor, but I just don't think he's like incredible in this in this movie. Well doesn't Tarantino says he's like the worst part of the movie. I yeah, I he said I just don't think he's like as good as people think. I'm not saying he's bad. I just want to say that He's the Riddler, bro. I know he's great as the Riddler. He's amazing as the Riddler. I don't think he's bad and there will be blood. I just want to say that. I don't hate Paul Dano like Tarantino. But you kind of agree with him. No, I agree with him in the sense that he's not like the best part of the movie. Quinn Tarantino. Publicly criticized Paul Dano in December twenty twenty five, calling him weak sauce and the weakest effing actor in SAG. That is not I do not agree with that. Run the tape back. No, yeah, go ahead and run the tape back. Run the tape back. Yeah. and then I watched another four and a half star movie. Shrek two. Banger. Shrek two. I was in the cities with a couple of my buddies and we threw on Shrek Two. It's just absolute classic, bro. It just holds up. It should be a five. I don't know why it's not a five. Why did I not give it a five? I don't know when the last time I've seen any of the Shrek movies Started off with Shrek Two, bro. No, I actually don't. Shrek one and two are just like incredible. Is Shrek two the Shrek two is like the f the son with the I need a hearing. Yeah. Is that from Shrek Two? Yeah. Okay. Right? I don't know. You you tell me you just watched it. Dude, there's so many good songs in both Shrek One and Shrek Two. That's the song I'm thinking. I think it's Shrek Two. Dude. Yeah, I no, 'cause Shrek One is And then I saw her face. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. And now I'm a believer. Yeah. but yeah, Shrek Two is an absolute banger, like Dude, there's like s there's like so many cool like movie film references and like pop culture references. Like there's a scene where is it Shrek or is it Prince Char Prince Charmin is like midnight Shrek is like escaping in a white carriage. Yeah. And that's like being pulled by like a white Bronco. Yeah. And they do like an aerial shot and they say like it's like the news almost. It's like There's a white Bronco on the like OJ, like you know. Yeah, I saw that. Dude, I as I've been watching more movies like Dreamworks, I feel like does that a lot too. Like Puss and Boots, The Last Switch. Yeah. Like they have the good, the bad, the ugly in there. They have I love an animated mov or just movie. Yeah, I I can't even remember what else. But like there's a ton of references in there. Yeah. That's all I watched. So only four movies. Week week. A week week. Well, what do you watch today? yeah, that's right. We just we just got back from our fur both of our first ever double feature. Yep. Primetime with Robert Pattinson by Lance Oppenheim and then Digger with Tom Cruise by I Don't Even Wanna Butcher His Name. I think it's Alejandro INURE Two. In your E two, that's right. yeah, so we just watched both of those back to back. Quick quick thoughts on the two, what'd you think? I like Digger more and I really like Digger. Okay. And I I didn't like prime time, I think, as much as people are working at. We're both kind of conflicted. We're anti prime time. We hate prime time. Both kind of conflicted on prime time. I gotta talk to Dre about it 'cause he gave it like a four and a half. Yeah, I saw that. But I'm the shots were very cool. Yeah. There was a lot of really cool movie Like filmmaking shots that were really good, but yeah. Yeah, what about you? Quick thoughts. What do you what do you think? yeah, prime time looked really good. Just yeah, I'm just kind of conflicted on it. I don't know like what I'd rate it yet. and yeah, we're hit we're in the double feature and got out of prime time, and I was excited for Digger, but also just had no idea what to expect. I'm like, boy, Just two stinkers. Yeah, but no, Digger was ton of fun and was just super ambitious and look. Who's the John Goodman Goodman? Yep. Supporting. So really good just really good performances all around. Emmanuel's the cinematographer. Jesse Baumins. yeah, Jesse Le Besky does Tree of Life, The Revenant. He's won some Oscars. So the movie just looks really cool too. but it's a hard movie to talk about without spoiling it. But it just kinda takes you on a ride. And just setting up Yeah, y y you it like slowly unravels the truth behind it, but then at the same time it just keeps on getting crazier and crazier I feel like. But Yeah, a lot of fun at the theater. I don't know what like I'm gonna give it, but it was yeah, it was just it was a lot of fun. And we had a good conversation with some old ladies after who really enjoyed it too, so that was that was cool. Last week went to Resident Evil at the theaters with my brother. It was his first time going to the theater since twenty twelve. So that was a cool experience to just go with him. And it was a really fun movie. my second Zack Crager movie. He did weapons from last year, which was really cool and I really liked. And my brother really, really liked that. So that was kind of my pitch to him to go see this in theaters. And Yeah, it's it's a video game adaptation, so it's it's a lot of fun. but like also I feel like video game adaptations are really hard to do. And I never played it, but he had talked about making the game feel or making the movie feel like you're playing the game as opposed to like making the story about like a specific character which I thought was really cool. And yeah, there's some really cool like first person shooter POVs where they ring the camera. But yeah, that was a ton of fun. I gave that four stars. And I watched Fenture's Gone Girl. Just a really good psychological thriller. Roseman Pike gives a phenomenal performance. I cannot believe she didn't mean best actress for that. I was very s I looked it up after we she had to have won. Nope. who won? Julianne Moore for Some garbage movie. I mean I hadn't s I haven't seen it, so but I was kinda like looking up like did she get snobbed and basically every place is like, yeah, Roseman Plank should have won that year. finally finished Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets. Me and Addison watched or started it like Finished it, gave that a three and half. It was just just a fun movie, not quite as good as the first one in my eyes, but does a good job at expanding on the world a little bit and kinda sets it up for the third movie, which is my favorite, Prisoner of Ask Man, so I'll probably watch that sometime soon. watched Predators, which is a documentary about Chris Hansen and Dateline show to catch a predator, which is what the movie Primetime was about. And I saw a bunch of people that were like, Hey, do you want to just know a little bit more about it? Like watch this documentary before you go see the movie. So I knew me and Andrew. The same thoughts as the movie, I'm just kind of conflicted on the point of the documentary in the movie. So that's all I'll say about it. But then watch Molly Baller for the Pod and watch the Blair Witch Project with my family last night. Which is just like a really cool mockumentary found footage type horror movie, which I'd never really seen. It's kind of like Obsession before obsession just as far as being like a super low budget movie makes a ton of money. and it has like one of the more famous marketing campaigns tied with it too. Like there are people that like didn't know if the movie was real or not and like it the internet wasn't as big a thing. This is from ninety nine, so yeah, just it just kinda seems like it had a chokehold. What were they doing like marketing wise? What you mean? They well I know Or like it just caught a bunch of buzz because people didn't know if it was yeah, and 'cause it's it's shot like a documentary. Yeah. people didn't know and it's just like one of those atmospheric horrors that doesn't rely on jump scares and that's kinda what I'm drawn to so yeah, it it was a ton of fun. Like I like the marketing is that I think it was like the Revolutionizing. convinced the footage was real. They launched a website before the film's release presenting like a true crime evidence archive with fake police reports, journal entries, timelines. Yeah. It was really, really cool. but yeah that's that's what I watched for the week. honestly just a lot of Overall like a good week for movies honestly. The lowest I have logged is a three and a half, so Dang. Yeah. How about movie news? What what do you got this week? Yeah, I don't have too much I just put down that that digger was kinda not doing great and it's opening around ten million domestic. So yeah. I don't know, maybe twenty twenty odd million globally. Yeah. No idea, but yeah, and it's the last movie on Warner Bros. by themselves. 'cause the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. is happening this week. so yeah. that really means or like what will kinda happen with that? I think it'll mainly just be the same, just they have the rights to all the stuff, so Batman and DC and all that, so be interesting. Star Wars, new Star Wars movie is kinda like being not announced, but some rumors going around and people are saying that John Watts who directs all the Tom Holland Spider Men. Spider Man. Spider Man movies. Spider Man movies? Spider Man. Yeah, Spider Man movies. Is the d is going to be the director and he does a Star Wars show that I really like called The Skeleton Crew. which is just like a very Star Wars esque show. And John Watts just like really gets Star Wars and this new movie's supposed to be set after Rise of Skywalker But yeah, so that'll be good. Hopefully John Watts is he's got some good good TV show stuff and some good Spider Man movies too. So The other thing I had was Bradley Cooper has been cast in the new G. I. Joe movie. that Danny McBride's gonna direct. So that should be hopefully like funny comedy move Yeah esque. We'll see. I don't know. what about you? Movie news? Zach Zach Krager's new film, The Flood, which he's been working on for a while. He actually started writing it when Weapons was coming out. and then he kinda felt the need to get Resident Evil done this year. He just felt like the timing was this is gonna be the his only opportunity for it. So he kinda's been pushing off the flood, but now it's it's really getting the ball rolling. He casts Jennifer Lawrence as the star in it, which is pretty cool. And it's described as two thousand one a space Odyssey meets aliens. The film follows a crew on space station who discover an alien object that distorts the mind. so he's kind of leaning into psychological horror thriller, more so than he has in his past I'm riding the struggle bus right now. more more so than he has in his in his previous movies. So that'll be interesting. David Fenture's leaving Netflix after his current deal expires at the beginning of twenty twenty seven. yeah, I'm excited for that. I I haven't seen any of his Netflix movies. I think he has three now. He also did like a show, too. but I I ultimately think it'll be good that he'll just be able to do his own stuff after this. Yeah, I again I haven't seen Mank or The Killer, which I think are his two with Netflix. Just from what I've seen, you can tell it's a little bit different than his other stuff. And after just watching Gone Girl, which is might be his most recent one before like the Netflix, like his contract with Netflix. it just like looks way different than the stuff that he's been doing, so hopefully he can get back to His own stuff again. And then Curry Barker's next film, Anything But Ghosts, releases on May seventh, twenty twenty seven in theaters, following two con artists con artists whose fake ghost hunting b business spirals out of control after encountering a real ghost. Starring Curry Barker, Cooper Tomlinson, who's an obsession, Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse in Breaking Bad, and Bryce Dallas Howard. So yeah, not much for trailers this week. Yeah. let's let's get into money ball. Spoil spoiler free thoughts. What'd you think? My spoiler free thoughts. What'd you think? Do you like money ball? Yeah, I like money ball. I like I I don't know. No, I don't hate it at all. I r that's it. I'd say I r I really like it. Okay. I wouldn't say I love it or really love it. I'd say I really like it. Man. That's how it feels. This is gonna be a tough podcast. That's the Princess Bride. it's gonna be tough. The only reason I say that, I'll probably just Yeah, we'll talk about that later. All right, it's probably for you. You like it. Yes. You really like it. Yeah. Great movie. Do you know what you'd give it out of five? Four. Okay. I'll take it. Yeah. I love Moneyball. Five stars easy. Top ten all time, probably. probably one of the most watched movies in my life. And yeah, I'm I'm a big baseball guy. I feel like it's hard to make a good baseball movie. And I think Moneyball does a really good job of like it takes you into like the analytical side of it without boring you too much with it. Like it doesn't go s super in depth into like all the advanced statistics. It just kinda gives you the the it it doesn't. I mean we they could they could have gone way further. And yeah, I think I think they do a really good job of not bogging it down with that sort of stuff. and making it like more of a character driven story with Billy being the general manager, as opposed to kinda like your classic Hollywood triumphant movie, I feel like I don't know, Andrew's kinda giving me side side eye. I wasn't giving you side eye to that. I was you said it's really hard to make a good baseball movie. I think it is. I mean I Moneyball is easily my favorite baseball movie. Like easily. Over Feel the Dreams? Yeah. Over Feel the Dreams by like a million. What? Yeah. By a million? Yeah, but what do you have Feel the Dreams? By like a billion. What do you read Feel the Dreams? By like a trillion bazillion. What what would you so you hate Feel the Dreams? So you know how in Moneyball. goes There are rich teams and then there are poor teams. Don't say Then there's fifty feet of crap. Then there's us. So Moneyball's like the rich teams and Field of Dreams is you're joking underneath the fifty of crap. You're joking. But hey that's the gap between one and two. You don't like Feel the Dreams. No, I love it's probably my second favorite baseball. Okay, yeah. I'm just saying that's how big the gap is for Okay, I see what you're saying. So like Feel the Dreams isn't actually underneath fifty feet of crap. I was just trying to give you Yeah, I see what you're saying though. One it's like A and then A one hundred. Yeah. Got it. And yeah, I don't know. Like I liked the natural. Yeah, that's Like there are yeah, like I like it. Yeah. Like there just aren't like a ton of baseball movies that I really love. I think in general sports movies are honestly kind of hard to Yeah, no, yeah, yeah, no, you're right. Yeah, you're right. It is hard. Yeah. Like there really there aren't like a ton of sports movies that I guess I'd give like a Right. And it and it is hard yeah, I g yeah, it is hard to make a really good one. Because there's so many that are just like meh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, that is true. But yeah, I Yeah, I like Moneyball a lot 'cause yeah, it focuses on Billy Bean and it's not like your typical Right. Yeah, that's true. It's really it's really like interested in like the lows of baseball really and just like the sports media and like the stress of being involved in like the front office of a professional sports team. Yeah, I think it's like kinda I mean you can kind of clearly see like the Aaron Sorkin like Yeah. Like coming out in this movie. Like it's kinda like almost like very similar to the social network. Like Yeah it is. The dialogue's so good. Yeah, and it's like just fo it's focused on like I mean it's it it is kind of like two similar stories almost too like kind of you know an unsuccessful company, a small company Small market team, doing something different, changing the game in a sense. Yeah. and just making it kinda kinda ch yeah, rev revolutionizing each of their own spaces like yeah. Like the Zuck does. Mm hmm. but yeah, I wrote down it it did really good, in the in the worldwide box office. and it was just like Brad Pitt was at a point where he could basically do anything. Yeah. And you were saying We were talking on the phone earlier, he just like wanted to do it really bad and Sony was gonna kind of axe the original project which was based off the book, like kind of documentary, is that what you're saying? Yeah, so so they had yeah, so it's a book and it's for those that don't know, it's the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Bean's successful attempt to put together a baseball team with a low budget. By employing computer generated analysis to draft and scout his players. Directed by Bennett Miller, written by Aaron Sorkin, but more like r rewritten from what I found. Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, and Chris Pratt. but Brad Pitt's also producer. And this so you were saying it did well at the box office, it got six Oscar nominations too. It was bound to look a lot different at one point and it was actually very close to not being made. it was tough to adapt into a movie, the story was, 'cause as I was saying, it's full of statistics and it lacked that like conventional happy Hollywood ending. but Sony took a chance. Brad Pitt got on board to star and produce with Steven Soderbergh directing. and he's the director of the Oceans movies. He does Oceans eleven through thirteen. They were seventy two hours away from shooting and the studio pulled the plug after already spending ten million dollars on production. Sony did not like the direction of Soderbergh because he wanted to use a lot of documentary footage. so yeah, basically Soderberg kinda wanted to like blend interviews of like the real players and stuff and Yeah, just it it'd be like a hybrid kind of film and Sony just wasn't confident, I guess, in that. But Pitt, he was a producer, he was incredibly invested in the story and the script and like really everything about it. He saw a lot of potential for it. but now he needed a director and one of his close actress friends, Katherine Keener, suggested Bennett Miller, who hadn't done a narrative feature since two thousand five. so Pitt got a hold of Miller through his agent, had Miller read the book Moneyball, the script. Pitt and Miller met and they aligned a shared character driven version of the movie rather than a flashy sports narrative, and they end up getting it done. and that's how they got Philip Seymour Hoffman too, was through Bennett Miller, apparently Bennett Miller and Seymour Hoffman are good friends. Miller's first movie, Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in and got an Oscar for it. That's right. so yeah, so they they end up getting it made. It was kind of up in the air for a little bit as far as if it was gonna be made, but shout out to Brad Pitt for sticking with it really. I mean he's kind of the sole reason it got made. And like we were talking on the phone, he does have like some interesting producing credits too. Yeah. Like he he attaches his name to some really good projects and Yeah, just glad that this got made and I I had no idea that there was this nightmare of a production process for getting this movie done. Yeah. Yeah, and and ends up getting nominated for best best picture, right? Or is that Yeah. Best picture actor. Supporting. Supporting for Jonah Hill. I think sound screenplay, adapted screenplay. And I'm missing some other thing. But yeah, and I I I think they knock it out of the park with the casting too. Like at this point, Jonah Hill is super bad. Yeah. And that's like how everyone knows Jonah Hill. And him and Brad Pitt's chemistry on this is just it's so funny and so cool. Yeah, and this kind of like just I mean not that he wouldn't have without this movie, but I guess you never know, but he gets Wolf Wall Street. Yeah. After this and wins best supporting for that. Yeah. And then also like some other interesting roles. Like he does War Dogs after this. Yeah, War Dogs is awesome. Yeah, that's like I love War Dogs. Kind of like a different Yeah. I mean it's not he's not like the awkward fat Yeah. You know It's like a it's it's a comedy but it's it's also a drama too. And he's in a more serious role. Yeah, so he kinda g this kind of takes him in a different direction. Mm-hmm. And yeah, yeah, the cast is like stacked. Like this is like Chris Pratt's like first like actual movie. Like he's in a couple a couple other kind of like crappy movies and before it he was just like just like Parks and Parks and Rec guy. He he was like apparently chunky and I don't know if he like had audition for the role and they were like we need someone that they believe could be like a MLB player. But he just like worked out a ton and kinda got not as chunky for it and they eventually were just like, All right, you can have it kind of thing. But I'm glad because I mean, yeah, people kinda only viewed him like the Parks and Rec guy. Yeah. Which obviously he's hilarious in. Yeah, this is this is a different different kind of role for him. Yeah, and then sh kind of shoots him into more I mean not like not that he's ventured out at Crazy ton like you know, crazy directions or even more serious directions as Jonah Hill, but Land's Jurassic World, like the rebrand of that, and then Guardians, which is like the role that's made for him. Yep. And just he plays that perfectly. and a Lego movie. Yes. That might be his best work. Yeah. That's not Guardians is better. But Lego movies peak. Lego movies peak. So yeah, that's kinda cool too. yeah I think that's a more interesting aspect of the movie too. and like that that's what I was reading is I don't I don't I don't think that's like one of the main reasons I don't l like love like super love the movie a lot, but as why? As is is because like some of the stuff is like Like fabricated and like completely fabricated, which I get like it's a movie. Like that doesn't like some people like hate it because of that. Like I don't I don't think that way at all. But I th I just think that's cool that they actually had him play first base. Yeah. which is pretty insane. but also, yeah, another cool well we'll just say spoilers from here on out, just to be safe. yeah, that was a spoiler, sorry. What was? How do you play his first base? I don't know. No, not not really spoiler. But if you haven't seen Moneyball. Go see it. Yeah. Spoilers. Yeah, spoilers from here on out. the fabrication. So Here's part of what Andrew is talking about. The movie doesn't mention that the A's had three pitchers with fifteen plus wins and two hitters with over thirty home runs and a hundred RBIs. In fact, Miguel Tejada was the American League's most valuable player and Barry Zito won the Cion Award. Many scouts and students of the game often ranked the early two thousands A's pitching rotation among one of the best in baseball history. Yeah, it doesn't really it doesn't yeah it doesn't mention like any of those players at all. And I don't know like when they got acquired by the AIDS, but it wasn't like it wasn't like they just got that year. Yeah. Like they had had him. there's still some there's definitely truth to how they like structured their team in that year and how they really had to do it differently after they lost Giombi and Damon and Isringhausen. Like they really had to look at it a different way if they wanted to compete. but yeah, they never They never make it seem like they have a really good pitching staff already. Yeah. But yeah. So so that's part of it. Part of a lot of people have criticism with that. That makes sense though. Like that That's different than like the another fabrication that I have a problem with. In the movie? Yeah. All right. Jonah Hill's character is like completely fictional. Yeah. So like it's based on a guy named Paul Deposta who actually worked with Billy Bean and said he didn't want to like he didn't want his character to like be in the movie. Mm-hmm. and former GM Sandy Alderson had introduced statistical analysis into the organization before Bean even became a GM. and Bean learned from that system. The movie makes that's just another one I was saying. movie makes Jeremy Giombi seem like one of Bean's new Moneyball acquisitions. But back to the Jonah Hill thing, like they make it seem like they just like invent like statistical analysis and like looking at you know, looking at stats instead of like players and that's essentially what Jonah Hill's character represents. Mm but it had been going on years before. Ebean was even there. It's just wrong. That's wrong? Yeah, it's just wrong. That's not true. Peter Peter Brand invented everything. I mean, no, I like. He invented stat stat analysis. No, I I'm not I never view the movie as like an inventing this. I just like Bill James and his whole statistics thing, like I know it was a driver for the way that the athletics like approach their scouting and free agency and all that sort of stuff. they were they were like the first team that like really heavily implemented that. And like Billy Bean actually gets offered this big contract to go to Boston 'cause he's the first person to really do it. But it's offered and And he doesn't take it. Sure. What? Billy Bean? Yeah. What do mean? Sure he doesn't take it, bro. He doesn't? He accepts it. What? And then he backs out later. I I see what you're saying. In real life. I thought you were saying he like goes to the Red Sox. He accepts it in real life and then he backs out later. Does he really? Yeah. I didn't know that. So they they paint him to be some hero in the movie. But I mean Scumbag. And then he gets what he deserves 'cause the Red Sox win the win it two years later. But he probably never gets a World Series scumbag. But he probably does like in the movie, they make it seem like he's on his way to Boston. I don't they make it seem like he's like At the end when he's driving? Yeah, they make it seem like he's like leaving. He would not drive to Boston. I'm not saying he's I don't know driving okay. I thought I thought it was like him going back. No. Driving around Oakland. No, he's like le he's like leaving. And then he hears his daughter singing the song. But the the text at the end says he doesn't join. I know. Yeah, I know. Yeah. I'm saying so the movie's like trying to make you think that he leaves? Yeah, that he's going to Boston and then they're like, psych? Got it. He doesn't because he loves his daughter. They should have had him just like sign it and be like, Yeah, I want the a hundred and twelve million dollars a year or whatever. Yep. And then I wonder how that actually went down, like how he Yeah knocked out. He's probably mad. I don't know. Well, I think I think like the thing is is like yeah, the A's were the f they were like the first team to heavily implement that. But it's it's very easily like rep replicated, you know, like Everyone everyone has access to Got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So does does he s is he still a GM? I actually I think he is. No way. He probably no he probably scouted Dylan O'Connell. Dude. Let's see. You think Dylan knows Billy Bean? no he's not. He's not. How long my gosh. Twenty fifteen season. Dang it. Wait. he stopped being the GM because he was promoted to executive vice president. Of the A's? Yeah, and now he's stepped down from that executive role to become a senior advisor. So what is he, bro? Is he still with the A's? I'm gonna text Dylan right now. Have you met Billy Bean? my gosh, he opened it. Already? Yeah. How do you get Dylan to open a snap now? Dylan, my boy. He said, who the F is that? Come on, dude. Yes, Billy Bean is still with the athletics organization, serving as a senior advisor to owner John Fisher. Ask him if he knows who John Fisher is. I guarantee he doesn't and like he doesn't care. Yeah, I know. Like if he like he probably has met him and just been like, yeah, whatever. I don't like that guy. I I I understand what like the implement of Peter Brand is like that makes sense. Like they're that's like the idea of doing it different. and I guess it's different than like Like obviously the stats were all there and people were analyzing stats forever. Yeah, probably since like the nineties or whatever, or maybe even earlier. But yeah. This is like the first team to like kinda buy into or like really buy into it. Yeah. And kinda like implement it and actually acquire players and stuff. So I mean that makes sense. I got some more dramatic license stuff. So Art How he was He w the manager was actually on board with the money ball concept from the beginning, especially after Scott Hadterberg became the regular first baseman. Carlos Payne was not a rookie of the year candidate and didn't receive that consideration until after he was traded to the Tigers, where his performance vastly improved. So the movie paints him to be like this all star while he's in Oakland. He wasn't very good for Oakland. the film also did not focus on the fact The R the Athletics arguably had the best defensive infield in the league, which help helpful considering they had really good pitching. And while the scouts in the film are made out to be behind the times, Oakland had one of the best minor league farm systems in the league. And while Boston did use the money ball concept to help win the World Series in 04 and 07, they still had the second highest payroll in the league behind the New York Yankees. Proving moneyball is good for filling a roster, but high paid stars are still key. Which is very relevant for the where the MLB's at right now. Yeah. I mean the Dodgers just can sign whoever they want. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, so the th there is some other dramatic stuff that they obviously they play up to Yeah. Which makes sense. I mean it's a movie, so yeah. I'm not like crazy about it. Dylan said he has met John Fisher. Are you serious? Mm-hmm. Dang. Ask him again if he knows who Billy B. He said is that the dude from Moneyball? Yes. Let's go. Dang, he's definitely looked it up. He's cultured. Let's see if I got any other fun facts. apparently a lot of the a lot of the scouts like that are in there are actually like O B scouts or once were MLB scouts. Yeah, but Bennett Miller, he was like interviewing them to like find more stuff about scouting and stuff and then he's gonna hire actors and then Brad Pitt like came and sat down and just talked to him and Pitt's just like What are we doing? Like these these should just be the scouts in the movies basically. What what else? Dylan says a lot of the coaching staff here were in the movie. That's pretty sick. That is sick. So yeah, it's exactly what you were just saying. You know, like Billy Bean stays with the A's, they never win anything. The team that he could have been the GM for wins the World Series. Yeah, which is just different than a lot of like sports movies that Yeah, but all right. They should have waited until he won a World Series. Yeah. And then just made it or they should wait or if he wins one, they should just make Moneyball too. Yeah, money ball two. That'd be sick. all right. It's yellow notebook. Let's get into it. Yellow notebook time. Kinda not not quite scene by scene, but I got a lot of stuff here. Yeah. So movie opens up. October fifteenth, two thousand one, American League Division Series elimination game. I'm there. I can see one hundred and fourteen million four hundred fifty seven thousand seven hundred sixty eight versus thirty nine million seven hundred twenty two thousand six hundred eighty nine. New York Yankees versus Oakland Athletics. Moneyball. Dang. That's how it opens. I love the opening to Moneyball. It just it it shows like the A's just choking that game. And they were up Yeah. They started up two to nothing in the series and it's best of five. So they just need to win one more. Can't do it. They choke. The big bad Yankees take down. I love how like starts with like the real TV broadcast and then it like cuts out to I don't know, like some assistant or whatever, like some guy that works in the stadium watching on the T V. You feel like you're like in the broadcast for a little bit. Then it pulls you out. You see a guy's watching on the T V and then you see Billy Bean, Brad Pitt just turning the radio on and off in like that empty stadium. And right away I just I I I'm like hooked. I'm like it's I feel like there are few actors and I don't I can't explain what Brad Pitt's doing, but like just him chilling there in an empty stadium, I'm like, Yeah. This dude's like a movie star. Like we're we're we're in for a good one. Yeah. but yeah, I just think it it sets this the stage really well comparing the budgets of the Yankees versus the A's and really like how un unfair it is for them to be comp competing like at with each other. we learn later that like Billy hates watching the games, like it's like part of his superstition or whatever, which is I mean most sports, but I think superstition and baseball is like just It's real. It's Like, yeah, it's way different than real stories that has anyone ever come up to you while you're pitching a perfect game? Yes. Actually, not kidding you. Somebody on your team Hey man, you're dude, you're literally you're on track for a perfect second to last college outing. No. I was perfect through four innings, and my buddy comes up to me and goes, Hey, you got a perfect game going and he's laughing and he thinks it's funny. The first that bad of the fifth inning, I gave up a home run. Lose the perfect game. And everyone in the dugout was like, dude, what are you doing? No way. Shout out, Blake Iden. Yeah, and the rest of the game I was perfect. That was the one that was it. Are you kidding me? And we lost one to nothing, and we got no hit. Dude. Yeah, that is insane. Yeah. Are you kidding me? So serious. That is insane. That just prove that's proof enough. So you know my god. Superstition. It's like it's it's more real in baseball than other sports. Have you have you ever pitched a perfect game? Never. Never pitched a perfect game. I know. That is insane, bro. No one out of second to last game. So he says so he says it and you comes up to me. Like he doesn't just say it to people in the dugout. Why? He walks up to me, I'm like locked in. And he goes, Dude, you got a perfect game going. And I'm just like, All right, dude. So does every w everyone in like on your team they know that that you shouldn't say that. He's just like he's like messy. He's messing. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. He's socially aware. I was gonna say I didn't I didn't know if he was messing with you or if he like genuinely just didn't know. Like I didn't know if that was a thing that like everyone knew. As soon as I wasn't pissed, I just started laughing because he's my buddy and yeah. I know he's messing with you. Were you really pissed after that dude hit a home run? I like were you. I was cutting into the dugout and he was like getting knobbed bench. Was it were was everyone in the team just beating him up? Well, I saw them being like Blake, like, dude, come on. He always like does that stuff like did he think it was funny after the game yeah they thought it was hilarious still thinks it's funny. y well you met Blake yeah yeah yeah that's who Blake is so I'll have to send this to Blake after. That's hilarious. but yeah it's it it it's a different different beast than baseball. I don't I like yeah I I tried not to buy into superstitions and stuff. I like I had a routine But I wasn't like I need to put my left sock on before my right you know. Sure. Yeah, he jinxed my perfect. What about is there any other any other things like that or not? I'm trying to think. That's pretty crazy. So he said it and then your next pitch. Like Yeah, literally my next pitch. I was I was in the dugout in between innings. Yeah. You have a perfect game going. I go out there. Yeah. Barely went over the fence, too. Like I heard my center fielder say I got it. Dang. And yeah, what pitch did you throw? Just inside fastball. It's a good pit. He like didn't get a get all of it. Yeah. You know? Of course not. Just snuck over. It did. And we were playing on campus field, which was small. So like if we were man. Dang, I shouldn't have brought this up. No, I'm sour. I shouldn't have brought this up. No, I'm sour. yep. Shout outside fastball. What was it sitting at? Like ninety-nine a hundred and five probably. Somewhere in there. Mizarowski up there. I don't know. But that's that's funny. I mean kinda funny, but kinda not it's hilarious. It's pretty funny. but yeah, so Billy, he's got he's got this thing where he he can't watch the game, so he's just listening to it on the radio in that barely lit stadium. And honestly, like, I mean, people love Brad Pitt, obviously. He's great in seven, he's great in Fight Club, he's great in Bastards, which we just reviewed. Tree of life. Tree of life. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But I think this is my favorite Brad Pitt. Really? I think it is. I don't know. He's so you'd say Moneyball is your is your number one Brad Pitt. Mm-hmm. I think it's my number one Brad Pitt like overall movie and performance. So what what would be like two? Is it like Brad Pitt by a mile in Moneyball? No. So Brad Pitt and Moneyball is number one. Yeah. Then what what would you say is two? I think just as far as performance I'd probably put seven at two. Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. I I think I would probably say him in Fight Club is probably Yeah. That's a good performance too. I think he gives a really good performance in this for sure. Yeah, it's just like I don't know, like he you can tell he's like haunted by his playing days. Yeah. He's like this ex, you know, baseball player. He's still trying to chase that glory of being an athlete, like as a manager. And It like is impairing his decision making. Like he's thinking about it all the time. They have these little flashbacks about it. when he buys Pete from the Indians, he's like, Would you draft me in the first round? He's like, Yeah, yeah, you're a great player. Cut the crap, man. Er at first Pete's like, What do you mean? When I left, you I saw you looked me up on your computer. Do draft me in the first round. Yeah, you're a good prick. Cut the crap, man. Fifteenth round. Would you have drafted me in the first round? Would have taken you in the ninth round. No signing bonus. I would have assumed you'd taken the scholarship with Stanford. Yeah. Like he's I don't know, he's perfect. Yeah, he does he does give a really good performance. And I saw a cool comparison to like this in the F one movie. Mm-hmm. Because F one is similar to where not all teams have the same amount of money. Yeah. Like the top teams have way more money. Yeah. It's just like definitely not fair. I mean it's it's not as drastic. or F one is way more drastic than MLB. It's like the top three teams have like hundreds of million dollars or more. Maybe or is that the same with baseball or no? This this was thirty nine million to one fourteen. Okay, so yeah, I guess it's similar. But you're I mean it's di you're spending way different money on different things in F one, but just like the F one team, the it's a made up team but similar, you know, smaller team, don't have money for blah blah blah. Yep. They need to rely on experience. You know. Yeah. So it's just a cool kind of comparison, kinda same type of thing. Yeah. he buys Pete. That I just I love when I love Pete. Yeah, Pete's the best. But so he's going to Cleveland, he's trying to make a deal. It seems like they got a deal. Pete leans over, another guy leans over and tells them, and all of a sudden the Jam's like, Yeah, we're not gonna do that. And Billy's storming through like the cubicles, like just not a mission. Who are you? Whose nephew are you? I don't give a rat's ass what your name is. What happened in that room? What happened in that room? have you seen like the scene breakdown for that? No. I always see these Instagram I can't remember what page it is, but it's like an Instagram thing, and it'll sh show the scene and then it'll show the original script and then it'll highlight the parts that they're saying. And you get to see what else they cut out. like there's so much that like Brad Pitt doesn't say and so much that Jonah Hill doesn't say too. Yeah. It's kinda cool. Yeah, I okay. I have seen those. Yeah. A lot of it too, like, from what I've seen is just like basically the actors, like, they get a feel for what like the point of the scene is. Like they know what needs to the point that needs to get across and they're just kinda like ad libbing up there, which is cool. Would you say this Jonah Hill supporting do you like this Jonah Hill supporting role or Wolf of Walsh? I like this more. Really? Yeah, he's crazier in Wolfwall Street. Like it's a little bit more of an extreme role, but you think this character is he just plays this character. I don't and it's I I mean the movie I like Moneyball more, so I'm probably biased in that sense. but yeah, I I think too, like even just when he goes to Cleveland, like you can just tell how like the rest of the MLB views the A's and like views Billy, like he knows that he's desperate. Like the A's are basically like the little brother of everyone else. They're trying to make a deal and he goes, In your price range, respectfully. Yeah. Like just like these subtle jabs that you you have no money. He's like, Can you afford that? Yeah. Yeah. so that's like just another scene that sets the stage too. when he when he's in the mo when Billy's in the waiting room, like waiting to go in, that's the first flashback that we get of Like Billy as a player. which we see that Billy's this first rounder, five tool guy. and that's all they really show, but like that's our first time where we kind of get into the brain of Billy a little bit and how he's always kind of reminiscing on his playing days. Yeah, is is disappointed really in how his career turned out. He's trying to trying to have a better career as a GM. Yeah, that that first scene with with Billy and Pete is this hilarious. and then we get this really good scene of them, like when Billy's about to go on the elevator and Pete is kind of explaining his logic to him. he's like, you know, people who run ball clubs, they they try to buy players, but your goal shouldn't be to buy players. Your goal should be to buy wins. And that's like one of my favorite monologues in a movie. It's great. and then Billy goes, Like, you know, where where'd you go to school? What are ya? And yeah, I w I went I went to Yale. Yale. What'd you study? Economics. Yale economics baseball. You're funny, Pete. And then he buys them. Pack your bags. I just bought you or something. Back your bags, Pete. Just buy you from the Cleveland Indians. And then Pete is just all over it. He's He's there. He shows up in a suit. Yeah. He's there the same day. He's got like a player review or whatever. That part's hilarious too. Here's those player evals I got you. I asked you to do three. How many did you do? I did forty seven. Huh. Actually I did fifty one. I don't know why I lied just th I don't know why I lied. That's like one of my favorite quotes from the movie too. That's funny. kick saves. What a save. Yeah, that and then so first we like the first time we're with the scouts, it's just Billy and he's with the scouts. and they're like, Hey, he's got an ugly girlfriend. Yeah. He's a six at best. What's that mean? Who's got no confidence? And they're like that's how they're evaluating the players. You can tell Billy's getting fed up with them. blah. Yeah. And then we get the fifty feet of crap thing, which is awesome. But we already we already see this tension there with the scouts that they're just not on the same page. And then Billy brings in Pete. he has Pete going to the scouting room. We get introduced to Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe. Art's like, Who's the kid? Billy goes, He's friend of mine. but then we see this relationship between Art and Billy. That causes tension throughout the movie where they're not on the same page. Art's on his last year of his contract. Says it's hard to manage as a contract. Whatever. Billy's worried about getting the team on the field and then we get you know, Billy goes in there with Pete. you like me to speak? Yep. When I point at you, yeah. And then gets on base. Yep. Gets on base. What's our pro good. So what's our problem? Wrong. Yeah. gotta we've we've gotta replace Giombi. We got rid of Giombi. Yeah, yeah. We need thirty five home runs. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of similar w to what you're saying, but like in hindsight, it's just setting up like what Billy and Pete are gonna do. Like they're you're seeing all of like the the arguments from all the scouts essentially like or that's kind of what I wrote down, like art says and he says this later in the movie too, but like I've got the experience, these guys have hundreds of years of baseball experience. blah blah blah and then you kinda see what Billy does. Billy and Pete do, they just kinda throw it all out the window and say, No, this is what we're doing. We're doing this. Yeah. And you see it in the meeting, at first, and then eventually you see it like not working, but ultimately it's just foreshadowing what's gonna happen in the movie. They're gonna P Billy's gonna do what he wants. Yep. And kind of what he thinks is best for the team and rely on the statistics and Yeah, and a lot of like their them not having success is a byproduct of like them not following along with the vision that like Billy had for the team. Like he has this clear vision, he constructs this roster very specifically based on the statistics that they've run that okay, we need Scott Hadterberg at first, we need Chad Bradford coming out of the bullpen first. All this stuff. I don't care about matchups, whatever. And you know, Art's stubborn 'cause he thinks he knows more. But like you can tell that like they all feel like threatened by it. Like the scouts feel threatened by this new way of thinking. Yeah, and then we get introduced to Chris Pratt. They they they go and get their guy, they go and get Hatterberg. He's that's a great scene. I love I love that scene. So you know. Pratt's or not Pratt, Hadterberg, he's chilling on the couch. Hey icing. Hey Scott, Billy Bean, Oakland A's. Hey. Wanna let us in? We're out front. Okay. Let him end. How's the how's the is it how's the elbow or how's the shoulder? How's the elbow? It's good, it's good, it's good. After he was just icing it. Yeah. I I can't yeah, we know. As far as we're concerned, you're you've played your last days as an MLB catcher. Yeah. We want you to play first base. You want me to play first? Yeah. To replace Giombi. And then he goes, What about the what about the fans? The guy sitting next to Billy goes, Yeah, maybe I can teach one of them. Which is hilarious. And then he goes, Scott, it's not hard. Tell him, Wash. It's incredibly hard. We'll teach you. Yeah. So just get some good playful banter there. they end up signing Scott. Then we finally get to like the emotional core of the film, which is Billy's daughter. he goes to his ex-wife's house, which is this mansion, played by Robin Wright, the girl from Princess Bride. I didn't even realize that. And then Spike Jones, who's like a famous director, he plays the I don't know if they're married, but like the new guy in her life. And he's just like this dork. He's like, Yeah, you know, we're it's a real shame to see how the season ended. Well, GM GM Bonnie, GM Bonnie and all this stuff. Got a cell phone? A twelve year old. Big parenting decision. And like you can just tell there's tension there. And one of my one of my favorite moments is with when Billy's at the guitar store with his daughter, and she plays him that song, which obviously comes comes full circle towards the end. so we finally see like Billy's spark a little bit. Like we've s we've seen him just being like stressed by his job and all this stuff and kinda haunted by his past. And now we finally see Him with his daughter, like him him really being happy. which ends up kind of being a motivator for him. and then all this tension in the scouting room boils over. He has like this really violent like interaction with Grady, like where they're just kind of c cussing each other out basically, and Grady like brings up his playing career, like, this is about you and your stuff. And he's like, All right, all right. I I've seen you sit at those tables. And you say when I know, I know, but you don't. And I love that 'cause like Billy went through that. Like they show the Mets are like you're a five two player, your first round, like all this stuff. You're gonna be an L and B center fielder. so he's basically like it it's BS like when you go and tell these kids that like they think they're gonna be the next big thing and and baseball especially, like there's back then there's like fifty rounds or whatever. So if you're doing that with all these kids being like you're gonna be next big thing, like the odds are like really against you in terms of from when you get drafted to actually being like a really successful MLB player. Then he goes and asks that guy, You ever played baseball? Yeah, I played a little T ball. Congratulations. You're the new head scout. Which is obviously echoing kind of throwing out, you know, experience in baseball. Yeah. But that the writing in that scene is really really good. and the actor, I don't know if that's one of the like actual scouts or if he's actu actually an actor, but that whole interaction is really, really good between Billy and Grady. Grady seems to kind of be like the alpha in the group as far as like those sort of scouts. He's not afraid to speak up at all. Yeah, can okay, he's an actor. He's he's in some stuff. So but yeah, really, really good scene there. that's really when the tensions are like really boiling over in the scouting room. And then we go to spring training, and it just seems like the roster they put together is gonna be terrible. Yeah. All like when they're all hitting. Yeah. The David Justice is out of shape. Jeremy Giombi j drops a fly ball and then Billy goes over to Pete is like, This better work. He's like, I'm kidding ya, I'm kidding ya. He's not. Yeah. and then like this like also like kind of exposes just how reactionary like the media is and everything. Right away, even the coaches are like Scott Hadberg can't play first, and then you get Billy driving in his truck, all these people are like, you know, this team's gonna suck, basically. And it's like the first day of spring training, they haven't even played a game. MLB you play 162 games, like so much, so much can change. And obviously it does change. Yeah. Yeah, and then or is that the next where they kinda do a montage of like how they start off like you get more kind of Another look at like Billy and his daughter and his daughter like you know lose your job basically saying, Okay, you suck and like he's doing this and the whole league knows that what he's doing and this approach that they're kinda taking. And y yeah, you hear the callers on the radio, like everyone's like Yeah, this isn't gonna work. Like this is stupid, like you should be gone. and that's what By July or something they've gotta be seven games back behind the lead or something and they so they're going to the o must be the owner. Yeah. And kinda like kinda pleading with them almost like that's all we gotta do is like we just gotta be there and then They kinda feed him some more stat like statistics and stuff and Pete kinda backs him up too with Yeah. That it's it's funny 'cause there are times too where, you know, Billy's making these rash decisions and like when he trades Pena and Pete's like, Billy, what are you doing? Like these are the type of moves that get you fired or whatever. But it's like you know, I I'm a forty whatever year old like ex player, like with a high school diploma. And he's like, and you're just graduated with the economic degree from Yale. The question is, do you believe in this thing or not? And he's like, Tell me, do we win more games with Hatterberg or Paney at first? He's like, It's close, but Hatterberg. So what are we talking about? And then like we see that trade, which is kind of like the start, or no. Yeah, 'cause this is before the deadline. Yeah, this is before the deadline scene. This is when Billy starts like interact with the players more, which he never had done before. 'cause they're sucking and then he walks in on them like partying in the clubhouse. Yeah. Chucks the bat, all this stuff. You know, was that's what losing sounds like. And then he walks out and then this is kind of when he's like ready to basically take control and like, okay, if he's not gonna play Hadterberg, I'm gonna make him play Hatterberg. I'm getting rid of Panya. I just saw Giombi dancing on top of a table after losing. I'm getting rid of him. Walks into Art's office. Yeah, you can't play Panya tonight. Well the lineup card's mine. Yeah, I am playing painting tonight. No, you're not. Because he plays for Detroit now. He's like, you're great. You're out of your mind. Yeah. Yeah. Cuckoo. Yeah. Jeremy comes in, yeah. You wanted to see me? Yeah, take a seat, Jeremy. Yeah, we just trade you to the Phillies. Here's this guy's number. He's a nice guy. You're a good ball player and we wish you the best. And they walk out. And art as Pete, like you'd agree with this a hundred percent. You want this door open? Yeah, that's yeah, I forgot about that. This is like thin arts, I think. Even like Jonah Hill, like obviously this isn't as comedic of a role of like super bad, but just his little mannerisms are so funny. Yeah. I forgot about that. Yeah. But yeah, then The like soundtracks slash score of this movie is so good. It's one of my favorites. and we get like these mini montages just kinda throughout the movie with it's a process playing in the background. And it's so good. And I actually like forgot, like when I was rewatching it, I'm like, yeah, this is like the montage 'cause it's a process is playing. But then it like does such a good job at it, like builds it up, builds it up, and then It just kinda goes silent and you get stuck into another scene. And so when Billy starts to take control, they they start they start doing better. And then everyone in the media is like, Art Howe. Like Art Howe is awesome. Yeah. Like after when they're doing bad, they're like, Billy Bean sucks. Yeah. He never gets the cred Yeah, never gets the credit, only gets the hate. And you can tell that Billy doesn't care though, because Pete's trying to tell him and he's just like, I heard seven in a row. Like that's all he cares about really. But yeah, so Billy starts interacting with the guys, then he wants Pete to start interacting with the guys. start cutting them. Yeah. Like you have a cut a player. Let's practice. Pete's just so funny. He's like, Yeah, Billy, you've been traded. Yeah. Blah, blah, blah. Well, I I got kids. You got got school, they made friends. Well, d don't pull out now. You know, wait till the end of the school. What the hell are you talking about? Which is exactly how it would go or whatever. Just hilarious. Just cut to the ch just straight. Yep. They're pros. Would you rather get shot in the head or take five to the chest and bleed out? I love that one. so you know, Billy starts interacting with the guys. He has this conversation with David Justice. basically like, Hey, David, you're an older guy, we need you to kinda be a leader for these younger guys. They're in the clubhouse, they're getting breakfast, tries to talking to Scott. What's your biggest fear? Yeah. A ball being hit in my general direction. He's like, that that's funny. No, seriously, what is it? No, seriously, that is my biggest fear. And they kinda have this awkward silence. He walks away. Well, hey, good luck with that. Like just not a leader at all. Yeah. Not a leader and just n probably not what you want your first baseman to be saying for an O B O B ball club. so then we get the montage of like Billy interacting with the players, like, you know, get on base. If they bunt, take the out. Don't get caught sealing. No bunting at all. Simple stuff like that. Is that like a legit like 'cause I was thinking during the movie, like there's that's not like a legit strategy in baseball, right? No, like there's almost no like bunt like Like there's not a statistical advantage if you never bunt. I mean they might have had something where just because they think it's a free out, but like or like it's a you have a better chance of like actually getting on base? Or like if you No, like I you have a w I don't know. I d I don't know exactly what the stats are on that, but I was just wondering that when I was I mean the Brewers bunt a ton. And the Rays bunt a ton, they have the best records in baseball right now. Really? Yeah. So I wonder I don't know. I wonder what like what the reason was back then. I d it must have been I mean I don't know. Well it's like a thing. Bunting used to be a huge thing and now they've kind of gone away from it, but now teams are kinda using it more to just manufacture runs and stuff. But That's what I mean, 'cause that's what I was thinking during the movie, like Yeah, he says no bunting and no stealing. Right. Which I I think that's just kind of a Okay, do you think I should I should look and see if they actually did that. Cause I would think bunting would give you more of a chance to get on base. I don't I don't I think I don't know. But I guess you're probably giving up an out, right? Yeah, but it's like I don't know if he's talking about just bunting to try and get on base or like bunting to move a guy over. Like same with stealing, like it's They definitely exaggerated that part. But but yeah, we get like that many montage and I I'm thinking like this is going to the big climax. And it's not, 'cause then we get the trade deadline, which is just so funny 'cause this is when he just cooks up on the Yeah, it takes place in four or w yeah, early two thousands, whatever. So they still got like the secretary lady that is hooking up the lines for Suzanne Give me Dombrowski, you know, say whatever. And the writing in that scene is incredible because it just feels so organic and the way that they play it is great. Stuff in his face with Twinkies and like I don't know what it was, or it was like peanuts or something that he has in his mouth. Someone calls him back, spits it out, picks it up. We got Pete answering a call at the same time. They're trying to communicate. Yeah. like Billy doesn't even know who he's trading for. He's just trying to dump cash. He's like, Eck Eckerton? Eckerton, Michelson, whatever. Yeah, he doesn't know. Yeah. and It's so funny too, 'cause then when Pete's on the phone, they get what they want. It's like you genuinely can't can't even tell if they're excited. Like they just don't know how to celebrate. They're like smacking each other. Come on. And then Billy like punches the phone and you're like, Yeah. What even? But like they got exactly what they wanted. And then you get to the harsh reality of baseball. They they gotta send someone down. Yeah, that's right. And apparently like that scene used to be way longer. There was like a whole backstory of Like Billy played with him or something. And basically like Sorkin and Bennett Miller were like, We just don't need all of that. Like let's just keep it moving, basically. And then we finally get to the twenty win, like twenty win streak. Cuts him and then he can't be in the cool house. yeah. That's brutal. Tough. You gotta get going, bro. Yeah. I want you to stop getting dressed. That That's gotta be so brutal. I couldn't imagine getting set down. Yeah. Yeah. That'd that'd be painful. Yeah, that would suck. And then having to leave the clubhouse because the guy's there. Yeah. That would yeah. That'd be tough. we get to the twenty. Twenty twenty game win streak. Solid. that's like one of my favorite montages in any movie because of the score. It mixes like real footage with the players or like the actors from the movie and stuff. It's blending like actual commentary from those games, actual footage from those games with like movie stuff and the and the actors, and I just think it does that really well. builds up, builds up, builds up, and then like I love when movies do that when it's it like seems like it's getting louder and louder and louder, and then it just like cuts the silence right away. I feel like it just kind of grabs your attention. You're hitting for Well it so first we get Billy in the car and yes, he doesn't even know what's going on in the game. His ex wife is like, you know, you did really good, Billy, like congratulations and His daughter hops on. Hey, are you on your way to the stadium? No, I'm on my way to check out our minor league team. You're like, turn around, Dad. He's like, nah. And he turns on the radio. Hey, if you're just joining us, the A's are up eleven to nothing. And he finally he swerves into the exit, goes to the stadium. It's eleven nothing. And you're like, all right, eleven nothing. As soon as the Royals score like one run, like the whole tone just changes. Yeah. And you're like, okay, it's eleven to one. Yeah. Like we're so chilling. That is eleven to three. And you're like, well, whatever. Yeah, we still think. And you can tell Billy's like, crap, this is my like crap. Why did I come here? Why did I do this? I love like how they just do everything there, like with the actual like It's not actual gameplay from the A's, but like it's the first time we like see like the actors playing baseball basically. And like the sound design is so good. The way they light it is so good. Cause like it it gets like hit in the outfield and it it's like the left fielder is basically in like a spotlight or something. Like that's like actually how it feels playing baseball sometimes. Like you just feel like you're in a spotlight, especially like as a pitcher. Like I know it doesn't do that for a pitcher, but There's so much riding on like each individual guy in baseball. Like and it's a very humbling sport. Like at times that is kinda how it feels. And yeah, they they come back and then we get frickin' Scott Hatterberg coming to the plate. Which he actually hit. Yeah. A walk off home run. Yeah, which is awesome. In that game. And this is like this is like that's crazy. This is like the climax of the movie, really. Like this is the moment. That's crazy. They were actually up eleven. I don't know if were they up eleven? I don't know. I actually I should look that up. It was whatever. It was it was tied or it was eleven ten. Like we're what do you mean? Like they were actually up. I don't know if they were actually up by it, like eleven zero, but the winning score was twelve to Okay. Whatever. I bet it I And it was a walk off. Yeah. Which is just crazy. Especially since he goes into hit for the other guy. Yeah. They send him in to hit the guy they got. So that's pretty I mean, that's true. Obviously, like That's a that's that that moment's just made for a movie. Yeah, exactly. Yes, the Oakland Athletics were actually up eleven to nothing against the Kansas City Royals on September fourth, two thousand and two. Scott Hadberg hit a dramatic pinch hit, walk off home run, marked his twentieth consecutive victory, setting an American league record. Yeah, that's that's freaking awesome. I love the I love that scene and I like how the best part is like they're all like watching Hatterberg hit. Yeah. And then even when he hits it, like he hits it and then for a second you see Art's reaction. Yeah. And then you see like I don't know if you see Billy. Yeah, it's he's not even watching. He just hears the crack of the bat. Yeah. And you see him and then pee his head up. And everyone they like stop for a second. Yeah. Cause they're like, you can tell they're just thinking like like kind of like, I hope he gets on bass. Yeah. Like, and then it's like another half second, they're like, he's gone. Yeah. And it's like you get the crack of the bat, and then it's silent. And then when it lands, it's a home run. Like you finally get like the part of the song that You feel like you've been waiting for the whole time. Yeah. Like I think there's like two montages before that and it feels like the song's building up and then it kinda stops hard and it does that again here and then it like you finally get the Yeah, you finally get like the climax of the song too. and then you get the then then it gets a little more bleak. You get the sad, slow, yeah, no sound. so he goes to Boston and goes to Fenway and gets you know, he's like What should I what should I get Nancy for her anniversary or whatever? And he's like her a bowling ball for all or something like that. Yeah. and then the dude kinda like tries to drop some wisdom on him, like. And he he f he signed Bill James. That's like one of his like selling points to Billy, like the Red Sox guy. He's like, Yeah, we've Bill James, were the Red Sox. So apparently so they had to get Fenway Park for that scene. And that was the only day they could get it. And like it was raining that day and That was obviously kept in the production for that scene. But I think it works out like perfectly just for it to be rainy and cloudy and gray. but yeah, Billy and Pete's interaction after that where Pete shows him that that clip of that guy. That's that's awesome. He he hit a home run and he didn't even realize it. He's too scared to go to second. Yeah. Yeah. Which is yeah, I mean, obviously like the whole kind of point of the movie, like Yeah. Being afraid to do something, like going all in a hundred percent. Yeah. Dude just smacks one falls over and get back to first. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of looked like Mosler up there. Yeah, that's probably how I would be. Back in my T ball days. Yep. but yeah, then we get the ending, which I absolutely love the ending. Just he he doesn't want to leave his daughter really and he clearly wants to stay in Oakland too. Yeah, clearly in quotations. Alright guys, thanks for 'cause he accepts 'cause he accepts the I wanna I I need to read more into that because he accepts the job and Boston then backs out. So I don't know if it's like accepts it and then backs out like the same day or like Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know how you could back out of a hundred and twelve million dollars a year if you're a baller like Billy, probably. I th it was like twelve I think it was twelve million a year. it was? I think so. It was not a hundred and twelve million. Yeah, what am I talking about? Hundred and twelve million a year? Yeah, no. I mean definitely not, no. It sounds crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get there at some point. Yeah, when Shohei gets Yeah. I mean not that, but Yeah, I love love the ending. Obviously the song comes back around. It hits ya with yeah, basically Billy did nothing with his career ever. And he could have went to the Red Sox. But he didn't and they won and they won a series two years later. Yep. Who do they win that with? Is that David Ortiz year? Yeah. Years or that range? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. five out of five for me. Best my favorite sports movie for sure. Dang. Like easily favorite sports movie. I mean, that makes sense, yeah. If you if you love baseball. Love baseball. Yeah. And yeah, this is I d I just think it like perfectly captures like kind of like the playful banter in sports, yeah better than a lot of other movies do. does have a good spin on like the the the regular sports movie like you were saying. Yeah. So this is your favorite sports movie. like by far? I think so. What would you say is like in the range of number two or like what would be another one that you would throw up there? Like is Miracle really up there for you or not really? I'd probably say like Remember the Titans is maybe the next closest. Okay. Probably. Well, I haven't seen Rocky in forever. Like honestly Rocky and like the first Creed. Are but like they're still like they don't really they aren't very close to money ball. Is Field of Dreams ahead of Remember the Titans? I don't know. I haven't seen Field of Dreams in so long. No, remember the Titans is ahead. What about like any basketball movies? Is there any basketball movies you really love? I used to love Coach Carter. Coach Carter, yeah. What about Hoosiers? I do really like Hoosiers. Well, I haven't watched probably Right. Soul. Yeah. Okay, but it's Moneyball by far. Moneyball, yeah, for sure. How about you? Field of Dreams? The natural? Rocky? N I would put Rocky above. I don't know if I'd put her above Field of Dreams. I would say. I would say Miracle's probably my number one. Okay. and then I would probably say Field of Dreams. Okay. And then maybe Rocky. Nice. Well I mean I I would say four out of five for Moneyball. That's my rating. Four out of five. I gotta log it still, but five out of five for me, obviously. This is probably my forty ninth time watching it. I I I I can like when the movie's gone, I like know what they're gonna say. Like right now I couldn't just rattle it off, but I know exactly what's coming when it's coming. yeah, it's it's perfect to me. It is a really good movie and if you even if I feel like even if you don't like baseball or don't like sports, it's still a really good movie. Yeah. I feel like it's kind of I think that's like the main consensus too. Yeah. Yeah. And it I don't know, it's just kinda like lived on yeah. For like I feel like it's aged really well for a lot of people. Yeah, definitely. Especially with where the L B is right now Yeah, we got a super fun special game for episode twenty one. Silly it's kinda silly and goofy. Yeah. Kinda like us. Yeah. So yeah, thanks for checking out episode twenty of the poticy, our money ball review. we'll see you next time. See ya.