The Natural

[Atticus Finch]

The Natural is one of my five favorite films. Its one of what someone here calls my “Drop and Watch” films. It is a little bit about baseball. And it has a great Golden Era setting. But it is almost purely an English Morality Play. Innocent Man resists mightily, but finally succumbs to temptation. Complex characters of good and evil battle for his soul. Just when all hope is lost and it appears that evil will prevail and possess Man, Man sacrifices all his worldly things, repents and is saved. Man basks forever in the arms of the angels.

AF

 

[Worf]

The Natural is one of my five favorite films. Its one of what someone here calls my “Drop and Watch” films. It is a little bit about baseball. And it has a great Golden Era setting. But it is almost purely an English Morality Play. Innocent Man resists mightily, but finally succumbs to temptation. Complex characters of good and evil battle for his soul. Just when all hope is lost and it appears that evil will prevail and possess Man, Man sacrifices all his worldly things, repents and is saved. Man basks forever in the arms of the angels.

AF

Tip of the hat. I'm not all that in love with "The Natural" but I do appreciate a person who can work with words. You're a well read person who's prose truly sings. Thanks for sharing.

Worf

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've always thought it was kind of sad that real life didn't turn out like the movie for the man who it was based on -- Eddie Waitkus, a fine infielder for the Cubs and Phillies in the forties and fifties. A mentally-disturbed young woman named Ruth Ann Stienhagen became obsessed with him when he played for the Cubs, and when he was traded to Philadelphia she became unhinged. When the Phils visited Chicago on a road trip in 1949, she took a room in the team hotel and lured Waitkus there -- and shot him point blank in the chest. Waitkus recovered, and played until 1955, but he was never the same player again. The incident haunted him for the rest of his life.

A good account of the real-life Natural's story is here.