Moneyball (2011)
23 Sep 2011 ● English ● 2 hrs 13 mins
Bennett Miller's adaptation of Michael Lewis' non-fiction best seller Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, a one-time phenom who flamed out in the big leagues and now works as the GM for the Oakland Athletics, a franchise that's about to lose their three best players to free agency. Because the team isn't in a financial position to spend as much as perennial favorites like the Yankees and the Red Sox, Beane realizes he needs to radically change how he evaluates what players can bring to the squad. After he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League economics major working as an executive assistant for scouting on another team, Beane realizes he's found the man who understands how to subvert the system of assessing players that's been in place for nearly a century. However, as the duo begin to acquire players that seem too old, injured, or inept to play major-league baseball, they face stiff resistance from both the A's longtime scouts and the team's manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who outright refuses to allow Beane's more-nontraditional acquisitions to play.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright
Crew: Bennett Miller (Director), Wally Pfister (Director of Photography), Mychael Danna (Music Director)
Rating: A (India)
Genres: Drama, Sports, Biography
Release Dates: 23 Sep 2011 (India)
Did you know? All but one of the scouts in the movie were played by actual Major League Baseball scouts. Read More
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Director
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Costume Designer
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Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Colour Info:
Color
Sound Mix:
Datasat Digital Sound, Dolby Digital, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound
Camera:
ARRIFLEX 435 ES, Panavision Panaflex
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1 (Flat)
Stereoscopy:
No
Filming Locations:
Goofs:
Factual Mistake
At one point in the film, it is revealed that Billy Beane is 44 years old; however, the real Billy Beane was born in 1962 and the events take place in 2002, meaning he would've been 40.
Factual Mistake
Oakland pitcher Jim Mecir's name is misspelled "Mercir" in the closing credits.
Factual Mistake
On the big board of free agents by team at the beginning of the movie, a player with the last name of Mathews is listed for St Louis as a right fielder (RF). The Mathews that was a free agent for the Saint Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2001 season was T.J. Mathews, a right handed pitcher (RHP).
Factual Mistake
While it is true that David Justice played for the Yankees in 2001, Justice was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets on December 14, 2001 for LHP Mark Guthrie and RHP Tyler Yates. Justice was acquired only a week earlier by the Mets from the Yankees in exchange for Robin Ventura.
Factual Mistake
Scenes from night games show fluorescent lighting in the dugout. There are no lights in the dugouts at the Coliseum (this would interfere with players' ability to see the ball).
Factual Mistake
In one of the film's flashbacks, Billy Beane is shown as a New York Met playing at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a player, Beane never played a game at Dodger Stadium, nor did he ever play a game against the Dodgers.
Factual Mistake
Although the movie gets the trade of Jeremy Giambi correct (it happened early in the season and he was dealt for John Mabry), Carlos Peña was not traded until two months later, and not for a relief pitcher and cash. Pena was traded as part of a three-team deal with the Tigers and Yankees, which brought starting pitcher Ted Lilly to the A's.
Factual Mistake
As the first example of his baseball know-how, Peter Brand shows Billy Beane a picture of Chad Bradford and tells the GM that the A's can get him cheap because every other team in baseball undervalues him. The problem is, this scene takes place following the 2001 season and Bradford had pitched for Oakland the entire 2001 season, after coming to the A's in a trade with the White Sox in December of 2000.
Factual Mistake
Art Howe was not in the final year of his contract in 2002 with the Oakland A's as depicted in the movie. However he was gladly released from his contract at the end of the 2002 season by Billy Beane and hired by the New York Mets for the 2003 season.
Continuity
Billy Beane is shown several times batting right-handed as a pro. But when Billy is shown looking at his little league photo it clearly shows him batting left-handed.
Continuity
During the top of the fourth inning of game #20 of the streak, Raul Ibanez of Kansas City is at third base when the stadium announcer can clearly be heard saying, "Now batting . . . number 18 . . . left fielder . . . Raúl Ibañez."
Continuity
When Billy Beane walks into the clubhouse and finds Jeremy Giambi dancing Giambi's towel jumps repeatedly between his hand and his waistband between shots.
Continuity
At one point, we are shown that the A's record is 20-26. There are at least 2 more losses, and then we are shown the record again at the beginning of a montage, and the record is still 20-26.
Continuity
As Billy is listening to game 20 of the streak on the radio, the announcer says Raul Ibanez is now batting. When Billy turns around and gets back to the stadium, it is the same inning, and the stadium PA announces Raul Ibanez is now batting.
Continuity
One of the segments using real video from previous games shows the A's coming off the field and Carlos Pena coming in from first base. But this is shown in the film well after Pena was traded away.
Continuity
Casey specifically asks for a small spoon (i.e. tea-spoon) to eat her dessert with, but is seen using a large spoon (table-spoon).
Continuity
When Billy Beane is teaching Peter how to fire someone, the paper "spit" cup and the coffee cup in front of Billy keeps moving further behind the telephone on the desk.
Continuity
When Billy Beane starts listening to game #20 of the streak in his truck there is a train crossing a bridge in the background. However, there is no bridge in the next shot of him veering toward an exit.
Character Error
During the trade deadline scene, Billy Beane, while talking to the Cleveland Indians owner, figures out the other team interested in Rincon is San Francisco. Beane pushes the button, effectively hanging up the phone on the Indians GM, then says, 'I'll call you back."
Character Error
In a flashback where Billy Beane is playing for the Mets, he strikes out swinging and the umpire yells "strike three." It is universal professional umpire protocol to only vocalize called strikes. Swinging strikes are always indicated by hand signals only.
At one point in the film, it is revealed that Billy Beane is 44 years old; however, the real Billy Beane was born in 1962 and the events take place in 2002, meaning he would've been 40.
Factual Mistake
Oakland pitcher Jim Mecir's name is misspelled "Mercir" in the closing credits.
Factual Mistake
On the big board of free agents by team at the beginning of the movie, a player with the last name of Mathews is listed for St Louis as a right fielder (RF). The Mathews that was a free agent for the Saint Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2001 season was T.J. Mathews, a right handed pitcher (RHP).
Factual Mistake
While it is true that David Justice played for the Yankees in 2001, Justice was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets on December 14, 2001 for LHP Mark Guthrie and RHP Tyler Yates. Justice was acquired only a week earlier by the Mets from the Yankees in exchange for Robin Ventura.
Factual Mistake
Scenes from night games show fluorescent lighting in the dugout. There are no lights in the dugouts at the Coliseum (this would interfere with players' ability to see the ball).
Factual Mistake
In one of the film's flashbacks, Billy Beane is shown as a New York Met playing at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a player, Beane never played a game at Dodger Stadium, nor did he ever play a game against the Dodgers.
Factual Mistake
Although the movie gets the trade of Jeremy Giambi correct (it happened early in the season and he was dealt for John Mabry), Carlos Peña was not traded until two months later, and not for a relief pitcher and cash. Pena was traded as part of a three-team deal with the Tigers and Yankees, which brought starting pitcher Ted Lilly to the A's.
Factual Mistake
As the first example of his baseball know-how, Peter Brand shows Billy Beane a picture of Chad Bradford and tells the GM that the A's can get him cheap because every other team in baseball undervalues him. The problem is, this scene takes place following the 2001 season and Bradford had pitched for Oakland the entire 2001 season, after coming to the A's in a trade with the White Sox in December of 2000.
Factual Mistake
Art Howe was not in the final year of his contract in 2002 with the Oakland A's as depicted in the movie. However he was gladly released from his contract at the end of the 2002 season by Billy Beane and hired by the New York Mets for the 2003 season.
Continuity
Billy Beane is shown several times batting right-handed as a pro. But when Billy is shown looking at his little league photo it clearly shows him batting left-handed.
Continuity
During the top of the fourth inning of game #20 of the streak, Raul Ibanez of Kansas City is at third base when the stadium announcer can clearly be heard saying, "Now batting . . . number 18 . . . left fielder . . . Raúl Ibañez."
Continuity
When Billy Beane walks into the clubhouse and finds Jeremy Giambi dancing Giambi's towel jumps repeatedly between his hand and his waistband between shots.
Continuity
At one point, we are shown that the A's record is 20-26. There are at least 2 more losses, and then we are shown the record again at the beginning of a montage, and the record is still 20-26.
Continuity
As Billy is listening to game 20 of the streak on the radio, the announcer says Raul Ibanez is now batting. When Billy turns around and gets back to the stadium, it is the same inning, and the stadium PA announces Raul Ibanez is now batting.
Continuity
One of the segments using real video from previous games shows the A's coming off the field and Carlos Pena coming in from first base. But this is shown in the film well after Pena was traded away.
Continuity
Casey specifically asks for a small spoon (i.e. tea-spoon) to eat her dessert with, but is seen using a large spoon (table-spoon).
Continuity
When Billy Beane is teaching Peter how to fire someone, the paper "spit" cup and the coffee cup in front of Billy keeps moving further behind the telephone on the desk.
Continuity
When Billy Beane starts listening to game #20 of the streak in his truck there is a train crossing a bridge in the background. However, there is no bridge in the next shot of him veering toward an exit.
Character Error
During the trade deadline scene, Billy Beane, while talking to the Cleveland Indians owner, figures out the other team interested in Rincon is San Francisco. Beane pushes the button, effectively hanging up the phone on the Indians GM, then says, 'I'll call you back."
Character Error
In a flashback where Billy Beane is playing for the Mets, he strikes out swinging and the umpire yells "strike three." It is universal professional umpire protocol to only vocalize called strikes. Swinging strikes are always indicated by hand signals only.
Trivia:
Spike Jonze appears as Alán, the socially awkward partner to Billy Beane's (Brad Pitt's) ex-wife in the film.
When he initially auditioned for the role of Scott Hatteberg, Chris Pratt was told he was too fat. Pratt decided to lose weight before the role was cast. "I'd check, maybe, once a week," he recalls. "I'd say, 'They cast it yet?' And I would just keep working out. Finally I got in good enough shape that I took a picture of myself and sent it to my agent." He won the role.
There wasn't enough money to shoot in all the stadiums the Oakland Athletics visited, so Dodger Stadium was dressed up as eight different ballparks.
All but one of the scouts in the movie were played by actual Major League Baseball scouts.
When he initially auditioned for the role of Scott Hatteberg, Chris Pratt was told he was too fat. Pratt decided to lose weight before the role was cast. "I'd check, maybe, once a week," he recalls. "I'd say, 'They cast it yet?' And I would just keep working out. Finally I got in good enough shape that I took a picture of myself and sent it to my agent." He won the role.
There wasn't enough money to shoot in all the stadiums the Oakland Athletics visited, so Dodger Stadium was dressed up as eight different ballparks.
All but one of the scouts in the movie were played by actual Major League Baseball scouts.
