I recall, way back when I followed sports more closely, reading about scouts who’d spotted athletes—like Roy Hobbs—who possessed incredible abilities, like hitting the ball an extraordinary distance or throwing extremely fast. These players never reached the major leagues for some unknown reason. This film draws from a Bernard Malamud novel, although it does incorporate suggestions of real-life occurrences. It's enjoyable to watch, portraying baseball as America’s pastime and therefore, in essence, beyond corruption. It has an antiquated atmosphere, possibly even older than its 1939 setting. The movie isn’t as dark as the book, which I understand bothers some dedicated fans, but personally, I find life gloomy enough already, and I appreciated the tone and resolution. I did read the novel, you see. Given that historical events and individuals from previous eras are often sanitized and romanticized for history books, why should anyone object when fictional narratives are presented in a more positive light?

Source on TMDB