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 e…

Barry Levinson directs The Natural, which Roger Towne & Phil Dusenberry adapted from Bernard Malamud’s novel. Robert Redford leads the cast alongside Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Robert Prosky and Richard Farnsworth. Randy Newman composed the music, and Caleb Deschanel was in charge of cinematography. The Natural is a sentimental sports film that requires viewers to a…