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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Brad Pitt fans have just days to watch 'best sports movie ever'
With a near-perfect 94 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, this Brad Pitt starrer has often been hailed as one of the best sports movies of all time. Leaving Netflix on June 21, fans have just days to watch the film. With a smashing 94 per cent score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Brad Pitt's Moneyball is often regarded as one of the best sports movies of all time. Leaving Netflix on June 21, Moneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama adapted for screen by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. It's based on Michael Lewis's 2003 book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Directed by Bennett Miller, Moneyball sees Pitt joined by a stellar cast comprising Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Chris Pratt. Based on the life of Oakland Athletics' general manager Billy Beane (portrayed by Brad Pitt) and his use of unconventional data analytics to build a top-tier baseball team on a much more limited budget than others, this American sports drama delves into how Billy Beane challenged the traditional scouting methods and in turn, changed the sport forever. Moneyball received six Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, along with bagging a Best Actor nomination for Brad Pitt and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Jonah Hill. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $110.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Speaking to NPR about portraying Billy Beane on screen, Brad Pitt said: 'I like him for his idiosyncrasies — that he can't watch the games without getting too emotional, that he often has food down his shirt, that he tends to break a few chairs now and then. These things make him human.' Moneyball received high praise from critics, with one reviewer saying: 'Moneyball is a winner, one of the freshest and smartest sports movies in years.' While one critic felt Bennett Miller's offering was 'an accomplished, bracingly intelligent film that scores points on all fronts,' another called it 'an engaging, almost exotic film'. Praise for Brad Pitt in Moneyball ran abound, as one reviewer commented: 'Starring Brad Pitt in top movie star form, it's a film that's impressive and surprising,' while another said: 'It is Pitt who is in every way, the heart of the movie, his natural confidence and grace a lovely balance to the formulas with Greek letters and the endless statistics.' Another critic said of the film: 'It's to the director's credit, and Pitt's, that Moneyball is anything but bloodless — in its own quiet, unspectacular way, this movie courses with life,' while another added: 'This is a subtle, elegant and altogether triumphant film about a subject I thought I was tired of, told with an artistry and freshness that is positively thrilling.' Audiences were left as taken with the Brad Pitt spectacle, with one viewer saying: 'All Time Classic. Acting is excellent. Everyone gives really good performances but Brad Pitt is excellent and just sends it over the top with an interesting character to boot. The music also is excellent as well in a really unique way.' Another viewer called it a 'brilliant, inspirational film. A testament to the romanticism and amazingness of baseball. A great depiction of the Oakland Athletics miracle season. Fantastic acting. The best sports movie I have ever seen.' While one viewer felt they couldn't understand 'how anyone doesn't like this', writing: 'I've watched it 100+ times, it's my top 3 movies of all time. So many amazing scenes and subtle acting mastery. I love this movie.' And one fan of the film said: 'It doesn't matter if you don't care much for baseball, you'll love it. Bennett writes and directs this flawlessly and puts together a great cast. Which of course ends up in a perfect film. One of, if not Brad's best performance yet.'
Toronto Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Home sweet homer: Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke's 1st major league HR comes in his native Toronto
Published May 31, 2025 • 1 minute read Oakland Athletics' Denzel Clarke, a native of Toronto, takes an at-bat against the Blue Jays during the seventh inning at the Rogers Centre on May 29, 2025 in Toronto. Photo by MARK BLINCH / GETTY IMAGES This weekend is turning into quite a homecoming for Denzel Clarke. The Athletics' 25-year-old rookie hit his first major-league home run Saturday, going deep at Rogers Centre in his hometown of Toronto. Clarke told reporters last week he expected 150-200 friends and family to attend the four-game series, and he's given them plenty to cheer so far. After going 1-for-19 with 15 strikeouts over his first six games as a big-leaguer, he singled twice and recorded his first major-league RBI in an 11-7 loss Friday night. He also made a flashy defensive play when he leapt at the centre field wall to rob Alejandro Kirk of a home run in the fourth inning. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Oakland was down 4-3 in the top of the second Saturday when Clarke, batting No. 9 in the order, stepped to the plate against Braydon Fisher with a man on base and one out. Clarke hammered Fisher's first pitch 406 feet into the left-field seats for a 5-4 lead. Clarke, the cousin of Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor and Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, played college baseball at Cal State Northridge and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Athletics in 2021. He was playing at triple-A Las Vegas when he was called up to the majors on May 23. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Toronto & GTA Crime Columnists Ontario Columnists
