Farm boy Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is the best baseball player anyone has ever seen. His bat, handmade from the wood of a tree felled by lightning following the death of his father, is magic in his hands. But before his career can start, the mysterious Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey) inexplicably shoots him, sidelining him for more than a decade. Fifteen years later, Hobbs returns to play for the New York Knights, whose coach, Pop Fisher (Wilfred Brimley), begrudgingly accepts the aging rookie as a member of the team. Pop is as surprised as the rest of the team when Hobbs knocks the ball out of the park time and again and can still play a mean outfield as well. However, when the politics of the business side of the game get in the way, Hobbs has to make some life-changing decisions. Meanwhile, he becomes involved with Memo Paris (Kim Basinger), a sultry siren with her own agenda. Glenn Close plays Iris, the hometown girl whom Hobbs left behind but never forgot. Director Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN) manages to re-create the excitement of old-time baseball while telling an all-American tale of success and failure, based on the novel by Bernard Malamud.

This allegorical tale of success and failure in America tells the story of a natural born baseball player who should have been a star but gets a last chance to shine. Randy Newman's memorable score complements an excellent directorial effort by Barry Levinson.

Theatrical release: May 11, 1984.

Filmed in Buffalo and New York City.

The film version has a vastly different ending than Bernard Malamud's novel.

Excerpt: "'There goes Roy Hobbs...the best there ever was....'"--Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford)

"Some mistakes you never stop paying for."--Hobbs

DVD Features:

Director's Cut
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dubbed - French, Japanese, Portuguese - Optional
Subtitles - English - Closed Captioned
Subtitles - English, French, Japanese, Portuguese - Optional

Robert Redford: Actor/director/producer
Robert Duvall: American Actor/Director
Glenn Close: American actress/producer
Kim Basinger: American Actress
Barbara Hershey: American actress, PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Barry Levinson: Director/Screenwriter/Producer, DINER (1982)

"...Impeccably made....Redford is perfectly cast....[The] supporting roles have been wonderfully filled by topflight character actors..."
"Shining up the golden age of baseball, Barry Levinson conjures another sporting fairytale..."
"Redford's charisma is at full wattage and the finale is truly magical."
4 stars out of 5 -- "One of the best movies with a sports backdrop....An '80s who's who of acting talent..."