For Love of the Game

Starring: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Drama
Year: 1999
Rating: 3 / 5

Kevin Costner began his film legacy in sports films, and when he needed a career boost, he returned to his original love. For Love of the Game, Costner's third baseball movie (and first in a decade), may not be at the level of its predecessors, but it still affords its star an opportunity to shine on his favorite stage. It is no coincidence that Kevin Costner has starred in three such films, as he is a true fan of the game, not to mention being a former pitching star. Baseball ends up being the best part of his latest effort, allowing the viewer to drift through the slower, less enthralling aspects of this effort to the exhilarating live sequences.

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a nineteen-year veteran of professional baseball, having spent the entire duration of his career with the Detroit Tigers. He is the franchise's best pitcher ever and was a star in the club's 1984 World Series win. Unfortunately, the Tigers have been hit by hard times, and the club's owner, a man who has been fiercely loyal to Chapel over the years, might have to sell the team. This decision puts Chapel's entire career in jeopardy, as the prospective owners have hinted at trading the aging hurler. It is with this backdrop that Chapel takes the hill at Yankee Stadium on the second-to-last day of the season.

In addition to the career questions that he is battling on the mound, Chapel is also faced with some harsh realities concerning his personal life. His on-again, off-again girlfriend of the previous five years is leaving for Europe, with or without him. As the game gets underway, while he is pitching the game of his life, Chapel begins to reflect back on the life he has led and the choices he has made. As the innings tick by, Chapel remembers events from his World Series triumph to his career threatening injury to his present-day romantic entanglements. As Chapel makes pitch after pitch to close out his remarkable career, he wonders if he has let his life pass him by.

Kevin Costner is still charming as Billy Chapel, and as humorous as I have seen him since Bull Durham (save Tin Cup, of course). His own baseball skills are put on display, as Costner is one of the few actors who could actually get away with performing his own baseball sequences. Not only are they credible, but the viewer almost begins to believe that Costner does play baseball. Kelly Preston (Jerry Maguire) is undistinguished as Jane Aubrey, Chapel's long-suffering girlfriend. While she does an admirable job of dealing with her limited role, most of her scenes serve merely as a distraction from the baseball festivities. That being said, this is still Kevin Costner's movie. I am not ready to proclaim Costner's career salvaged, but For Love of the Game is certainly a shining example of an actor being truly in his element.

Cast:

Kevin Costner..........	Billy Chapel
Kelly Preston..........	Jane Aubrey
John C. Reilly..........	Gus Sinski

Certification: Rated PG-13 for language.
Running Time: 137 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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