Moneyball

This is the tale of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his prodigies Peter Brand. (Jonah Hill) The terrific two-some take a nothing low budget team like the 2002 Oakland A's and help them to make return to the playoffs after losing to those damn Yankees in October 2001. The central charater in this film is Billy Beane; he is the General Manager of this well-established baseball club. Beane trades away such big name high salary players like Jason Giambi to focus on Peter Brand's style of (statistics by numbers computer generated style of hardball.) He ignores the older well-established veterans of the game many on his own coaching staff. At times he goes, as far to trade away players as late as hours before the game starts. He is criticized and lamented but sets MLBB records in doing so and even wins a few fans along the way. The truth at the heart of the story however is how money is not always everything. Beane in his recording setting season is to focus on what is important in a player. His philosophy is to build up an individual player's confidence so he will be a better team player. Let's look at this film from a numerical viewpoint. First off it is a true story. The story itself is ten years old and just now presented to theater going audiences. Second, it is a movie released five months ago in September of 2011 (September 11th to be exact). It is just it's now reaching its full arch and velocity. In short, this film is a homerun. While the screenplay may be about the style of small ball engineered by Beane and Brand and therefore unfamiliar to audiences. It is a hit to audiences everywhere. In fact it may even appeal to certain overly critical editors whom I work with. Grade A+