For Love of the Game

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is having a bad day. His girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston, stunning as ever) says she's leaving, and his boss (Brian Cox) says he's selling the business and ace employee Billy may be out of job. Sounds like business as usual for an old-fashioned veteran. However, the business is baseball and for Billy Chapel, the 40-year old former all-star for the Detroit Tigers, it means his career--and his life--is at a crossroads.

Although it is no Bull Durham, For Love of the Game finds a solid and very believable role for Costner. The film is based on Michael Shaara's (The Killer Angels) stream-of-consciousness novel (the rough manuscript was found after his death 1988). The entire film takes place on Billy's day on the mound against the Yankees, a meaningless late-season game for the Tigers, but everything for Billy. In flashbacks, he lingers over his long relationship with Jane and his baseball career (from World Series heroism to a career-threatening injury). His one viable link to the game at hand is his catcher, played winningly by John C. Reilly. Costner, like Chapel, is looking for one more great performance, but the film is too simplistic and loopy at times to resonate. The love story has an extra helping of cuteness, and legendary baseball announcer Vin Scully nearly takes on a leading role, waxing grandiloquent. It's no grand slam, but a solid double. --Doug Thomas

1 I loved this movie
this movie has to be one of the best baseball and love movies I have ever seen. It is perfect for a date because the guy can get into the baseball part and aa little bit of the love story and the girl can get into the love story and a little bit of the baseball story without feeling let down

2 Costner should stick to baseball and Westerns
If Costner stuck to baseball movies and westerns he would be fine. This was a really good movie. It is actually a cross between a chick flick and a sports movie. The baseball scenes are expertly done and the other part of the storyline is expertly woven into the movie. I really enjoyed this movie and think lots of other people will too. Even if you've read the book, you should still see this movie. Just my opnion though, I could be wrong.

3 Not a baseball fan
I am not a baseball fan but i can tell you this movie is really good it is really deep full of emotion. I don't know anything about the game basball i live in England but yet i was able to really enjoy it bcoz it doesn't really focus on the game but on the personal life of a successful baseball player. Brilliant buy it.

4 for love of the game
this was a great movie about a mlb pitcher, in possibly his last game, looking back on the last 5 years of his life with his gf, jane. i thought kevin costner was great.

5 Not Bull Durham or Field of Dreams
If you're expecting to see another heart stirring Field of Dreams or hilarious Bull Durham performance out of Kevin Costner, then don't watch this film. The movie is less a baseball movie than a relationship movie, and not a very interesting one at that. Although the movie has a few interesting moments, such as a compelling scene where Costner "gets in the zone" to pitch and turns off the crowd noise around him, most of the movie was pure oversentimental drivel.

As I recall, I fast forwarded through about the last 30 minutes of the DVD, hoping, praying that the film would somehow redeem itself with something interesting to watch. Save yourself the time on this stinker: it didn't improve...

6 Costner's "perfect" as a baseball player
I agree with everything in Chad Spivak's review - I think this is a great movie to watch MORE than once, but I didn't see anything mentioned about the great music that goes along with the story. I especially liked "Paint It, Black" and Garth Brook's "It Don't Matter to Me".

I have this in video, now I'll be getting it in DVD too!

7 Focus, Focus, Lose out on Life
For Love of the Game is one of my favorite movies of all time. Usually sports themes aren't among my favorite, but this film is about so much more than sports... it's about life. It's about figuring out what life is all about before it's too late. What's important? Why waste your best years on a game, where sports agents will throw you away before your prime? It's about love, and throwing that away for "The Love of the Game." Buy it, enjoy it and learn about focus, love and what's really important in life.

8 "Clear the mechanism."
My son, a former college pitcher, absolutely adored this film--not because of the overall story, but because of the head games pitchers play on the mound. And to its credit, FOR LOVE OF THE GAME vividly depicts a day out on the hill for a major league pitcher at the twilight of his career, Detroit Tiger ace Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner). My son instantly identified with Chapel's talking to himself between pitches, trying to get inside the head of the batter (What's he expecting? Fastball or breaking ball?), hoping that his next pitch will throw the batter off balance. And finally, Chapel's ability to completely shut out all noise and distractions ("Clear the mechanism," he says to himself.) was very effective.

And those are the highlights of the movie. Unfortunately, FOR LOVE OF THE GAME is a compilation of flashbacks centering around a contrived love story that has been rehashed and recycled thousands of times. Director Sam Raimi gives us a story about the on-again/off-again relationship between Chapel and Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston), a magazine exec. Chapel is unwilling to make a commitment, while Jane's pessimistic insecurity about the relationship becomes downright annoying. Costner is so wooden in these scenes he appears to be going through the motions, while Preston whines and pines like a high school sophomore. The final scene between the two of them, in the airport, is uncomfortable to watch.

John C. Reilly turns in an admirable performance as grisly veteran catcher Gus Sinski, and the soothing voice of Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully lends wonderful credibility to the drama as Chapel makes a bid to pitch a perfect game. I only wish FOR LOVE OF THE GAME had confined itself to the action on the mound; there wasn't much action going on anywhere else.
--D. Mikels

9 Just a bad bad movie
This movie lacks everything that a decent movie requires.

10 What the...?
Every great director makes a misstep at some point in their career. "For Love of the Game" respresents the nadir of Sam Raimi's filmography. This is the kind of film I would have NEVER expected him to helm, but alas. I think he made it to show Hollywood that he can make a "normal" movie every once in a while.

No zombies, hardly any blood, no crazy camera movements, no suspense, no cool special effects, no Bruce Campbell and no scares. What's the point? This isn't a Sam Raimi movie. This is sentimental stuff from the Hollywood dream factory. I'm glad he got back on his feet for making "the Gift" after completion of this waste of celluloid. Do us a favor, Sam. Stick to what you're good at. Don't allow Hollywood executives to think that if it's not "normal," it's garbage.

11 Don't Do It
This bleak excuse for a movie should be banned, as should the bulk of Costner's recent "work." Bad writing, bad acting. To watch this film is to die a slow and agonizing (and boring) death. Buy or rent The Rookie instead.

12 Another Top Notch Baseball Film From Kevin Costner
Following the shining examples of earlier characters in "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams", Kevin Costner has once again taken on the role of a baseball player and played it to perfection. In this film, Costner stars as Detroit Tigers ace pitcher Billy Chapel, a 19-year veteran of the major leagues. Chapel's hall of fame career is winding down, and his team is playing out the string of another long season. To make matters worse, Jane, Billy's girlfriend, played superbly by Kelly Preston, has informed him that she has accepted a job offer in London. The final bit of bad news comes from the Tigers' owner, who informs Billy that he's sold the team and Billy will probably be traded next season. All of these things are weighing on Billy's mind as he steps on the mound at Yankee Stadium.

However, right from the beginning of the game, Billy realizes that this day is going to be special. He has his best stuff working, and he's blowing through the Yankees like they were little leaguers. Gus, the catcher played wonderfully by J.C. Reilly, offers continuous encouragement to Billy throughout the game. One of the best moments of the film is the way Billy blocks out the noise of the crowd in his mind, and all that the viewer hears is the wooosh of the ball as it is pitched. I got chills when this occurred. It was extermely realistic.

During the course of the game, Billy has "flashbacks" to his relationship with Jane. We get to see how they met and the evolution of their romance. Although he hides it well, it is clear that Billy truly loves Jane, but he's afraid to admit to her that he really needs her in his life. I thought the flashbacks were excellent. In some films, the flashbacks tend to take away from the movie, but not in this one. I think they were one of the better aspects of the movie.

By the time the game reaches the 7th inning, Billy asks Gus if any Yankee has reached base. Gus says no. Only then does Billy realize that he's in the midst of a pitcher's dream; the perfect game. Summoning incredible courage and strength, Billy manages to complete the ultimate baseball feat.

Watching this movie was a real treat for me. I enjoyed Costner's earlier performance in "Field of Dreams", but he tops it with this amazing performance. I recommend this excellent movie to all baseball fans, and fans of good movies in general. Its one you'll remember for a long time.

13 A modern love story - an excellent movie
A modern love story with a mix of great and realistic baseball action. After seeing this movie I was convinced that Kenvin Costner would have made a fine pitcher in real life, truly convincing. He obviously put his heart into the making of this movie.

I own the Region 4 version which also allows you to watch the film in Spanish or English audio (as does a lot of Region 4 DVD's), I'm not sure though if the Region 1 version offered here has Spanish audio.

In Australia many people by multiple region DVD players so it really does not matter to us where we buy our DVD's but people in the United States might like to check it out first if Spanish audio is important to you.

14 Gotta LOVE baseball!
As you are able to read in the other reviews the basics of the story line.......
My opinion is.... the parts of the movie that had to do with baseball were absolutely WONDERFUL. The romance area of the story line left a lot to be desired.

15 Not Just About Baseball
This movie takes place almost entirely in one day, but the flashbacks in the mind of Billy Chapel (Kevin Costnar) while he is on the mound and in the dugout give it a sense of time by spanning his life. Billy is at a crossroads both personally and professionally. And by the next morning he has both figured out.

While not a pure baseball movie it does offer a glimpse of what could be going on inside the head of a pitcher who is "in the zone" during the best game of his storied career. He is throwing a perfect game but does not even realize it until around the sixth inning when he has to ask his catcher. He does not realize it because his mind is elsewhere, on Jane (Kelly Preston) his on and off girlfriend of the last five years who has just told him she is going to live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. She dropped this bomb only ten minutes after his boss, the owner of the Tigers, told him that the club is being sold and he will be traded to another team the next year. What a morning it started off as. Throughout the game while he is throwing bullets he is trying to figure out what to do about Jane and about his career.

Kelly Preston does a fine job as Jane and Jena Malone plays Jane's daughter, Heather with another good performance (although a much smaller part than some she has had).

Overall a good movie for guys and gals to watch together. The girls will like the love story, the guys will like the baseball and the memories of how it connected them (as it does Billy) to their fathers and the sandlot games of their youth. I liked the way the movie game full cirle to the first scene near the end to give you background on what was going on in that scene. A movie worth watching.

16 Total [Garbage]
Upon seeing previews for this movie I was very excited as I love Costner as a baseball player. Unlike other actors, Costner knows the game and how to play. He throws and swings normally. However this isn't a baseball movie. It is a love story with a few minutes of baseball. It doesn't have much baseball in it at all. In many movies that would be fine, but this movie is so slow and boring that the baseball doesn't pull it through. Oh, and it is very predictable too. If you want to buy a baseball movie ...just don't get this movie.

17 Something for everybody
A little romance, a little comedy, some mother-daughter issues, and just some great sports drama. Basically you've got a bunch of second rate players who are blessed for a single game while recounting their various conflicts and trials.

Of course the focus is on Kevin Costner (40 yr old pitcher:Billy Chapel) who meets and romances Kelly Preston. She is the single mother of a teenage daughter.

The film is told in an interesting manner jumping from the present to the past and points in between and then back to the present. And this happens over and over again.

Part of me would like to give this 5 stars and another part says 4 stars but it's a definite winner any way you rate it.

18 For Love and Baseball.
With the exception of some interesting fast balls and watching Kevin Costner sweat a great deal, this film is the story of an off again on again shaky relationship between Billy Chapel(pitcher for Detroit)(Costner) and his want to be Jane, played by Kelly Preston. Congradulations to Costner who manages to maneuver his way through the entire film without cracking a smile. Whoops maybe when I took a bathroom break once.
Preston does deserve an award herself-a best agonizer of the year trophy. Lots of facial distress and we don't even know her real problem until half way through the film. Lighten up Kelly. Lighten up Kevin. Is this acting?

The baseball scenes appeal to baseball fans. I looked at my husband, the great Seattle Mariner fan. He was captivated by the pitches during the big game(Detroit vs NY) and in the end he shed a tear or two. Really. Obviously it works better if you love baseball. The story line--wait a minute, I think there is a story line there somewhere. Oh yes, it is about trust and about trust and about trust. So trust me when I say 'for love of your money' rent "Field of Dreams" instead." Or a great baseball story which is also a great story with wonderful acting. (You even get Madonna in that one) Not to mention Tom Hanks in a momumental role as the boozing manager of a lady's baseball team during the second World War. " A League of Their Own."

19 My Favorite Baseball Movie
There's a lot to like in this movie, even for non-baseball folks - fine acting (Costner is not a "great" actor, but this role suits him perfectly) all around, two engaging story lines (baseball drama and love relationship drama) excellently written. The unfolding of the love story in flashbacks works very well and this is the only baseball movie I'm aware of that takes place over the course of only one game. You really don't need to be a baseball fan or even know much about the game, to enjoy this film a lot. For fans, it's the most realistic protrayal of the game ever put on film - real professional players and umps were used. The fact that Costner did his own pitching is fun and pretty impressive as well.

20 It's Kevin Costner, It's baseball, resistence is futile.
Face it, Kevin Costner fits the role of a baseball player perfectly. In For Love of the Game, it is no exception. So the love story is not the most moving story ever, but seriously, it is still a great story with enough originality to keep you interested. And the baseball part is just incredible. Ever watch a game on TV and wonder what the pitchers are thinking about when the camera shows a close-up to the pitcher's face? This is the movie for you. The baseball scenes alone in this movie make it worthwhile for a baseball fan to watch. If you are not particularly interested in baseball, this might not be the movie you want to see the most. The DVD is excellent. Other than the usual behind-the-scene stuff, it includes an old black and white Babe Ruth short movie which is definitely interesting to watch.

21 A Perfect Game is a bore to watch...
I used to feel there were two types of Kevin Costner movies: First, the wonderful, fun baseball films (Bull Durham, Field of Dreams) and there is also the film that brings out a self-indulgent performance (The Postman, Robin Hood). With FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, Costner combines the two getting a self-indulgent baseball flick. The director (Sam Raimi) does some interesting stuff but, it cannot save the film as the screenplay is riddled with cliches' and an interest-less romance. Kelly Preston fills a role more apt to Meg Ryan and Kevin does some great athletic performing but is given nothing else to sink his teeth into. The DVD looks nice and the sound is great. It includes some irrelevant deleted scenes and a brief making-of documentary. "If you build it, they will come" does not apply here...

22 Thanks, Kevin, And Not for the Water
After sitting down and watching this movie again, I just needed some outlet to spill out my frustration at all the Costner bashing, especially from the fans of Sam Raimi. I just can't take it anymore! The snobbishness is overwhelming.

As any baseball fan knows, the "perfect game" has got to be one of the most exciting feats in sports. And I think this film captures it perfectly. If I found Costner's acting in other films not as good as I would lilke, there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with his performance here....

The eighth and ninth innings were made very dramatic and I felt like I was right there, watching an actual game! The romance was weaker than the baseball, but it did not detract from a very fun and moving experience. And Vin Scully's "The cathedral that is Yankee Stadium belongs to a Chapel!" -- comeon, baseball fans, admit it -- that was pretty cool!...

23 Better than Waterworld !
Outstanding! Costner shoulda definitely got an Oscar. I guess Hollywood still can't forgive him fer Waterworld. And to all you Costner bashers out there : �Clear the mechanism�.

24 AMERICAN CRAP
Obviously made to redeem KEVIN COSTNER's career at the box office after a few failures,FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME is not half as good as was his previous baseball movies:BULL DURNHAM AND FIELD OF DREAMS.If you want to watch a good movie about baseball, you should view PRIDE OF THE YANKEES OR EIGHT MEN OUT.I hate the way the narrative switch here;this does not convince me at all.Everything turns around BILLY CHAPPEL's perfect game and his relation with a girl he met while playing on the road.There is something phoney about this film that turned me off.The fact that this was not a true baseball story did not help.I have a message for movie producers.How about a film on MARK FRIEDRICH who used to play for the TIGERS.This guy for those who remember,used to talk to his ball.

25 Okay, but I wouldn't watch it a second time
Kevin Costner pulls a poor performance it this feel good baseball story. The stroyline was filmsy, and hardly entertaining. The only thing that saved it was Sam Raimi's awesome directing.

26 Kevin Costner plays a 40 year old pitcher
Kevin Costner again stars in another baseball movie. This time he is a 40 year old pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. As the movie opens, he has dinner in his hotel room and a drink at a minibar. The next morning he awakes with 3 bad news.

(A) The team owner (Brian Cox) has sold the Tigers, (B) He might get traded, (C) His on and off girl firend he leaving him and taking a job in London, Because she tells him "you don't need me, you'r perfect with the ball and the diamond. Not the thing you want to hear when you are facing retirement.

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) has to decide to hang it up after 19 years or have a 20th season? His girlfriend is Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston). She is his on and off girlfriend.

Then it flashes 5 years before a game in New York, when Billy and Jane first met. At first she doesn't know who he is until a tow-truck driver says, "Hey your Billy Chapel."

Anybody Kevin Costner's age might be retired from baseball. Kevin Costner had two or more baseball films before this, and when of them was called "Field of Dreams".

Soon he has to look for his grandfriend's daughter named Heather (Jena Malone). Which after first she says freedoom. The movie was directed by Sam Raimi. If you love baseball, then this is the one for you.

27 Superb
Much maligned, mostly by my friends, but still a great movie. More about redemption than baseball.

28 Good, not great. This is not "Field of Dreams"
Over the past weekend, my wife and I actually got the opportunity to rent a couple of movies, sit down, and watch them! (In a large family, such is usually NOT the case!)

Three stars for "For the Love of the Game". We loved the baseball (indeed, I suspect that Kevin Costner does as well) and felt that the way flashback were handled from within the context of the game itself was quite effective.

However, we were both disappointed at the development of the relationship. My wife was completely underwhelmed by Kelly Preston's acting ability (or lack thereof), and I felt that Jane, the character she portrayed was poorly developed -- and frankly, the bits that WERE developed, I didn't like. I found myself with no sympathy for her whatsoever.

Other pluses to the movie would include the authentic-sounding announcing by Vin Scully, and the remarkable visual and sound editing when Costner is on the mound.

As a lover of baseball, I enjoyed the movie -- but as far as baseball movies go, it ain't great.

29 For rabid baseball movie fans and Costner lovers only
I liked this movie, but I won't watch it again...at least not for a while. Kevin Costner did fool me into believing that he could be a major league pitcher (albeit for the Tigers) but then again he's had plenty of practice playing ball players. Of his "baseball" movies this one is certainly the weakest. I wish I had spent the money on Field of Dreams or Bull Durham, but oh well.

As far as Costner movies in general go, I'm not a big fan and this one didn't do a whole lot to improve my opinion of him. For Love of the Game falls closer to the Waterworld/Postman end of the Costner movie spectrum then it does to the Dances with Wolves side. But if you generally like him then I'm pretty sure that you will enjoy this movie. I'm not going to call it a "Hit" like some others, because it is not a hit on DVD and it was certainly not a hit at the box office.

Jerry Springer-esque parting thought: If you really really really need a baseball movie fix then buy this, otherwise just watch 2 hours of ESPN Classic.

30 For the love of the game
Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is an aging major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. Billy does everything he can to be the best at the only thing he really cares about....baseball. However, Billy lucks up and finds a great woman named Jane (Kelly Preston). Will Billy find someone that he really really cares a lot about with Jane, or will America's favorite pastime, baseball, still be the only thing that Billy Chapel will fight for? I recommend watching the movie to find out.

"Field of Dreams" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I know that just about everybody's question will be "Is For Love of the Game as great as Field of Dreams?" after they see that this is a baseball movie and that Kevin Costner is the movie's main star. In my opinion, they're both great movies and they're two of the best sports movies ever made, but I didn't think that "For Love of the Game" is quite as good as "Field of Dreams" is. This movie has its spectacular times such as when Billy is giving it all he's got to try and get a perfect game. The love interest between Billy and Jane is also interesting and well done. I think the only reason that I didn't think it was as good as "Field of Dreams" is because "Field of Dreams" was VERY original and it was unbelievably captivating. Whereas, "For Love of the Game" is a great movie, but it's not as original and not as captivating as "Field of Dreams."

If you like great sports or baseball movies, and especially if you liked "Field of Dreams," I recommend getting "For Love of the Game."

31 Clear the Mechanism- Kevin Costner & Kelly Preston are great
This movie is great! Im a major lover of baseball, and this movie totally portrays the game as what it really is- a great sport. Ive seen this movie countless times, and know most of it by heart. Its a great combination of baseball, love, and the future, filled with great scenes, lines and an amazing cast. I couldnt imagine "Chappy" being anyone else but Kevin Costner- who threw all of the pitches by himself. His dedication to the film is evident throughout, and helps to make it so loveable that youll want to watch it time and time again. I give it 2 thumbs up- Way up!

32 CONTRIVED AND OVERLY LONG AND SELF-INDULGENT
Another big mistake for Costner. Maybe he thought that because he made two baseball themed pictures that were popular and well received by critics and audiences he could fool us into enjoying another. Well, this overly long (more than two mind numbing hours), sappy, and sentimental flick was just more than one person can bear. It might have been okay, worthy of two stars, had the picture shaved off half an hour of the tale which was much more a DULL love story than it was about America's pastime. (I would prefer a film about the latter, more like The Natural with Robert Redford and Glenn Close). Kelly Preston is almost invariably annoying, and this role is no exception. Somehow the relationship between Preston and Costner's characters are not at all believable and are completely contrived. Dialogue is very... superficial and what makes it worse is its obvious aims for something more sophisticated than it was. These relationship films are a delicate sort of thing, and it takes a special skill to pull them off. Costner and Preston don't have the chemistry to make it happen, and the story is just too... sentimental. Costner's character, an aging baseball pitcher, is making what will be his last appearance in major league baseball, and while he is on the mound (and happens to achieve the grandiose no-hitter as an amazing cap to his, of course-cinematically-amazing career) he reminisces about his relationship with Preston's character. Earlier on the morning of the game, he is notified by the owner of the team that the team is changing ownership and rather than trade Costner, the owner thinks it would be a graceful time for Costner to bow out of baseball, while he is still at the top. Just after this, Billy (Costner's character) is dumped by Preston's character, Jane. Naturally this sends the middle-aged softie (yes, and in all these memories he so generously shares with us for more than two hours of out lives he shows himself to be the kind of guy we all hope to find... the guy who loves us for who we are, who loves our children from previous relationships, and someone who really needs us... which is at the heart of the relationship between Billy and Jane. She thinks he does not need her) into a middle-aged reverie... looking back on the good times, and sadly, the bad. But this is all just sugar and spice and everything nice... even the bad times are not THAT bad, and you won't feel compelled to feel anything about these people. It is just another glossy, overproduced showcase of vanity.

33 Can't say I love all of it
I have seen this movie four or five times, and each time I see it the baseball parts get better, but the rest of the story gets worse. The baseball parts in this movie may have been some of the best baseball scenes I have ever seen. The storyline of his career is perfect, and the score really tops it of very well. Costner, or Billy Chapel in the movie, comes off as a very likeable character on the team; you see him interact with teamates current or past and you see him as a very sentimental leader. The Chapel of the personal life is not so likeable. He is grouchy and not a very understanding guy; he does a lot of things that come off obnoxious. This is one of the reasons that the personal parts of his story are not so great when you watch them. But, they all fit together to make you feel for Billy Chapel at the end, which is one of the best endings of any sports movies ever. The flashback method works very well in this film. Overall, I have to recommend this movie, if not only for the baseball aspects.

34 Costner Brought His "A" Game
Baseball has been very, very good to Kevin Costner. In Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, two movies about those diamonds that are a boy's best friend, he gave two of his sprightliest, sexiest performances. Heading out of the dugout once more in For Love of the Game, a romantic drama about a major leaguer who's trying to decide if it's time to leave the game and move on with his life, Costner returns to peak form.

Which is not to say that Game is a great movie. It's not. But it is a darned enjoyable one in a sappy, sentimental way, and it can make grown men cry, something which probably hasn't happened since, well, Field of Dreams. Prophylactic blinking could begin for some softies even before Game's opening credits-showing Costner's character as a child playing catch with his dad-are through.

In Game, Costner portrays a star Detroit Tigers pitcher, Billy Chapel, who has been throwing heat for nearly two decades. Just before a late-season game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, his off-and-on girlfriend (Preston) dumps him, and the Tigers' owner informs Costner he has sold the team and that maybe Costner should quit now or he'll be traded.

During the course of what could possibly be his final game, Costner strikes out batter after batter, blessedly finding himself in what athletes call the Zone. The Flashback Zone is more like it, as he remembers the big moments of his career and his bumpy relationship with Preston.

As Costner heads toward a possible perfect game, and a tearful Preston (who actually makes her lip tremble) heads for the plane that will take her to a new job in London, there's little doubt about how this will end. Helping erase even that uncertainty is Vin Scully, the real-life voice of the L.A. Dodgers, chiming in with the verbal equivalent of a laser pointer ("He's pitching against time now"). But with Costner suited up and in shape, would you want to be anywhere but at the ballpark with him?

Enjoyable meshing of passion--for the woman, for the game.

35 Not a chick flick!
Men will like this movie....women will find the faults in it.

It does a great job of showing baseball and how relationships are handled during a winning season as well as through injuries but it lacks commitment. Which is exactly what the lead character lacks towards the female lead!

If I wanted to watch a better baseball movie, I would get The Natural or Field of Dreams.

36 for the love of a good story
From the opening bars of 'summer wind' to the closing scene with Billy and Jane on their knees in the airport lounge finally realising their love I was enchanted by this film. Kevin Costner ( always a favourite) and Kelly Prestman were ideally cast, as was the young actress who played Heather and almost stole the film from Ms Prestman for me.

I loved Field of Dream and Bull Durham and this film, which is a love story about baseball and a love story about humans is an excellent addition to this library

Make a few more like it Kevin!!

37 Now THIS movie shows excellent balance!
It used to be that in order to get "inside a character's head" you had to read a book, where the author had many pages to use for character and plot development. Most very good- excellent movies have only 90-120 minutes to do the same, and many fall flat on their faces. They either focus too much on the game action or on insight into the characters. Either one can lead to total boredom, depending on your taste for baseball or your taste for "inner-man/woman" stories. Under Sam Raimi's direction, "For Love of the Game" has a unique blend of personal/relationship development, really, REALLY getting inside Billy Chapel's head, and real-time/flashback moments that give this picture its balance and appeal. Some "professional" entertainment critics whose musings I follow, either for laughs or information, have called Kevin Costner's acting abilities "wooden", "lackluster", "impersonal", or lacking the "human touch". In most cases, they are far off the evaluation mark---as far as I'm concerned. It is so in this case. You might as well use the words "gushy-mushy drivel" to sum up their writings about "For Love...." The relationship between pitcher (Costner) and catcher (John C. Reilly) establishes the soul of this baseball tale. The prologue photos of Billy Chapel gives a peek at how he developed his "love of the game". It's been his WHOLE life. Catcher Gus Sinski(Reilly) knows his teammate virtually inside out and can read Chapel's mind looking through the cage-like mask. Thus his comment late in the movie "You're worn out. You don't have any stuff on the ball. But WE (his team-mates) are here for you NOW". And so they are. Balancing the baseball drama is a relationship one. Enter Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston), a woman who does NOT want any one else in her life right now, especially a man whose focus seems to be on ONE thing (baseball), rather than people and what makes them tick. Jane likes her life just the way it is right now, and wants no complications, thank you very much! Ms. Preston's acting ability is tested over and over again as Chapel swings in and out of her life. Both Billy and Jane wish very much not to ask or answer the question: "Now tell me about YOU". A breach is made in this relationship wall by a very sneaky tactic: a very personable, extremely confused and angry teen-ager, Heather Aubrey (Jena Malone), Jane's daughter. We finally get a peek at what we need to know to make this more than just a "chic flick" or "guys game". Check it out for yourself. The baseball side of the balance scale is fleshed out by rabid, in-your-face Yankee fans, and a baseball announcer whose remarks, especially when things get tight, become prosaic enough you'd think a university English major had written them. The relationship side is given depth by incidences which reveal why neither Jane nor Billy will risk answering the question "WHO are YOU?" Adhering to the spirit and the letter of reviewers' agreement with Amazon.com, I can say no more, though I'm really itching to do so. Maybe they'll let me put it this way: Recall Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger in "Jerry MaGuire". Jerry's last words were: "You...complete me". Compare it to "For Love of the Game".

38 I hard film to review
This is really hard movie to review for me. I am a baseball fanatic, so I may be a little biased. I knocked it down from 5 stars to try to compensate for this. The story is good, and well told. The use of flashbacks is excellent. The acting is more than adequate. It really captured the essence of baseball very well, and its place in an American's life. It represented the book well. If you are looking at this as a baseball movie...go get Bull Durham, or The Natural. This is really a love story. I love for a woman, and a love for baseball. It is also the story of modern Americans. To Billy Chapel, his work is his life, and he realizes that as his baseball career is coming to a close, he in a sense is dying. While he remembers his successes, he cant help feel like a failure.

Overall, it deserves a watch...but realize that baseball is the mechanism through which the love and life story is told, so it is not a pure baseball movie. But it is a pretty good one nonetheless.

39 Excellent twist of baseball and romance
One of the best sports and romance films I have ever seen. "For love of the game," takes you on a unique perspective of the athlete, specifically in this case the pitcher's thoughts through a game. Through each flash back in the game the romance story starts to build as Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) begins to think back on his five-year relationship with Jane (Kelly Preston).

Sam Raimi has done an excellent job directing this film. His timing was perfect in flipping back and fourth from the past to the present. His direction in both on and off the baseball field proved to be flawless. This is definitely one of his best films as a director to date.

Kevin Costner puts in one of his best performances ever, but then again Costner and sports seem to go along. Where Costner's wonderful performance mostly showed on the baseball diamond, Kelly Preston acting job as Jane was by far the films best performance. She brought a great deal of emotion to the movie and really gave the romance part of the story everything that it needed.

Overall I would recommend this movie to anyone, it hold a great deal of appeal for both men and women.

40 Excellent twist of baseball and romance
One of the best sports and romance films I have ever seen. "For love of the game," takes you on a unique perspective of the athlete, specifically in this case the pitcher's thoughts through a game. Through each flash back in the game the romance story starts to build as Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) begins to think back on his five-year relationship with Jane (Kelly Preston).

Overall I would recommend this movie to anyone, it hold a great deal of appeal for both men and women.

41 An EXCELLENT Movie!
I just finished watching For Love of the Game for the first time 10 minutes ago, and had no idea what I had been missing all this time! Costner does an AMAZING job portraying Billy Chapel, the famous 40-year-old pitcher of the Tigers baseball team, and you completely believed Prestons character, Jane... I wasn't exactly sure WHAT the whole movie was about when I started watching it earlier today... something to do with baseball? But now I can't believe I ever missed hearing about the interesting and enrapturing plot-- The show centers aroung one un-important game for the Tigers, but maybe Billy's greatest game ever... Billy had had the worst day, with his girlfriend (Jane played by Preston) moving away and his boss practically saying his career was over, but at this particular game, he wanted to show everyone that he was going out with a BANG! He has several flashbacks throughout the entire movie that give this one-of-a-kind film some explanation of what was going on in his head... Overall, I just LOVED For Love of the Game, and definitely plan on buying it soon!PS This is more of a chic-flick, but I think guys could somewhat enjoy it too... It has baseball in it.

42 A GAMELY CRAFTED, NO-FRILLS HIT!
"They don't make 'em like they used to!"

As regards "For Love of the Game", the above comment applies to both movies and baseball players! Old-fashioned, straight-ahead storytelling, complimented by solid performances, extremely convincing on-the-field action, excellent photography and more than competent direction by Sam Raimi, make for a resoundingly entertaining movie...even if you're not much of a baseball fan.

Perhaps the best thing going for the film is its truly innovative integration and balance of rapid-fire on-going game vs. relationship development flashback elements, allowing the viewer to "get inside the athlete's head" in a way no other movie in recent memory does.

"For Love" thusly manages to put a signature spin on the subjective experience of a great athlete's swan song by sharing & highlighting the stark contrast between the external precision & perfection of the real-world game in progress, and the turbulent, highly personal, inner-world of the passions that drive him.

Kevin Costner, certainly NOT the greatest actor in the world, literally shines in the mother of all tailor made roles. Kelly Preston shows us a highly focused intensity, in just what may be her best on screen appearance to date! John C. Reilly, although cast as the solid-as-a-rock-always-there-when-you-need-him-on-the-sidelines Catcher, plays to the hilt a supporting role, in every sense of the word.

There are moments in "For Love", however, that seem a touch too maudlin, trying just a little too hard to jerk that extra tear. A few of these melancoly scenes are drawn out to the point of making the viewer self-conscious and put upon. These occasional excesses are easily overlooked, however, in light of the films many strengths and its overal highly engrossing nature.

TECHNICAL NOTE: Amazon rated picture quality of the Widescreen DVD version a lackluster 3.5...which leads me to imagine that either they reviewed a defective copy, or that there were problems with early prints that were subsequently corrected, because the picture quality I observed was among the best of my entire DVD collection !

43 A Solid Hit
If you're a baseball fan, you should like this film. If you're not a baseball fan, you should lke this film. While it has a lot to say to the fan, it's basically about people, and has a lot to say, generally. It's a good romantic film, quite apart from the baseball theme.

Costner and Preston are quite believable in their roles, and you care as much about what happens to them as you do about how the game ends.

Director Raimi takes you right inside the head of Costner as his character, Billy Chapel, pitches a season-ending and possibly career-ending game, capping off a stellar career. In fact, with more and more managers calling the game from the dugout, the pitching calls from the catcher, well-played by Reilly, and Costner's verbalization as to why he's accepting them or shaking them off, may well become a thing of the past, with pitchers no longer having that option.

This is a very heart-warming film. It scores a "10" on feel-good scale.

44 It's not a perfect game, but it is a two-hit shutout.
This is hardly the movie one would expect from the man who brought us the likes of "Zena: Warrior Princess", but it is a pretty good movie. Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness) directs and Kevin Costner ( Bull Durham, The Bodyguard) stars in this story of an aging baseball star struggling over the future of his career and his love life.

The entire movie takes place in one afternoon, as Costner stands on the pitchers mound in the middle of Yankee Stadium. As he pitches in what could be his last game, he begins to look back on his life in a series of flashbacks. He begins to remember his often stormy romance with his long time "on again, off again" girlfriend, played by Kelly Preston (Jerry McGuire, Jack Frost). As the movie plays on we are given little bits of insight as to the events the have played out between Costner and Preston. While he stands in reflection of his life, he must pitch against the Bronx Bombers in what is essentially a meaningless game. But as the game wears on, everyone with the exception of Costner realizes that he is pitching a perfect game, perhaps the rarest of pitching achievements. The drama builds at the end when you begin to wonder if he will indeed finish the perfect game, and if he and Preston will end up together.

Costner does a very good job of playing the veteran pitcher (he played a veteran catcher in much the same position in "Bull Durham" several years earlier) trying to come to grips with the end of his career and the possible end of a relationship. Costner is a good fit in an athletic role, and makes the character believable. I still think all of his movies spend too much time in a close up of his face, but all things considered it goes over well. Preston is very likable as his long time girlfriend, tiring of playing second fiddle to the game, and there are several strong supporting performances, but the voice of legendary baseball man Vin Scully brings a feeling of true reality to the film.

I am not a big fan of a movie told almost entirely in flashback, but once I got used to it, I did enjoy it. It does seem to be a little disjointed at times, but it makes its point. I liked the plot and the cast, but at times Costner becomes too philosophical, and I could do without all the up close shots of Kevin's face. At this point in his career, if people haven't noticed that he's handsome they never will. That's why I gave it a four. (The DVD picture and sound quality are very good and it does have neat little trivia game with questions about perfect games. It also has the standard info on the cast on director.)

45 A Home Run!
People seem to either LOVE Kevin Costner, or HATE Kevin Costner. To be right up front, I like him. He makes movies he likes, and movies he would like to see. There are 2 themes running parrallel to each other in this movie; 1. The reflections of a career during an incredible game, and 2. A compelling love story, also reflected upon during this same game. BOTH keep you in 'the game'. Kelly Preston is terrific! Her character is very easy to like, and is an example of very good casting. Not overbearing, not show stealing, not someone trying to compete for more attention than her character needs. Costner, like his female counterpart, is also terrific. You can't help BUT cheer for him. Both for the perfect game he stumbles upon, and the girl, who has become part of his characters emotional fabric. Not to be forgotten, is the dialogue delivered by Vin Scully, T.V. announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He paints an incredible picture of the game as it moves through the movie. His dialogue is delivered better than any actor could ever try to do. Another example of great casting. This movie, on DVD, offers some nice fringe benefits as well. Deleted scenes, interviews, and extremely nice audio if your system suports it. The soundtrack adds alot to this movie. The music selected is complimentary, not a character unto itself. It adds some great dynamics to the story that is being told. So, is this a great sports movie, or a great love story. Well, I can answer this very easily. They both fit together so well, fans of both will enjoy this with no regret for watching a great sports/love/Kevin Costner movie. If you like a GOOD movie, add this to your DVD collection. You'll like watching this again.

46 Strike Three - A Perfect Movie
Baseball movies were made to star Kevin Costner. When it comes to casting an actor to play a baseball player, Kevin Costner is just a "natural." Okay, that was Robert Redford, but it just worked with that last sentence.

In this film, Costner plays major-league pitcher Billy Chapel, who was once the best in the game, but is now in the very final stages of his career. He is pitching for the Detroit Tigers against the first place New York Yankees. In the process of thinking about his career and life, he embarks on a wild ride of pitching a perfect game.

Costner constantly has flashbacks to important moments in his life. Through them, we get to see him develop as a major league pitcher, and we watch him mature as a person. The flashbacks are really well done, and they are mixed into the film, well, perfectly.

The acting was really good as well. The lead role was made for Costner, and he did an excellent job, especially the baseball scenes. Kelly Preston was decent as his scorned lover who still has feelings for Chapel. The nicest surprise of the move was John Reilly, the catcher. He played Costner's best friend and offered him the support that catchers always give. He acted exceptionally well.

The movie had a really nice flow to it. The camera work was superb, and the background love story was nicely maintained. The baseball scenes were shot very nicely, and the addition of legendary announcer Vin Scully was a really nice touch. It made the game seem real. This is a good movie, and a real pleasure to watch.

47 Great baseball, useless ending
The baseball is dramatic and realistic and the flashbacks are effective. The idea of the events of his whole life coming together to make for a dream performance against the odds is exciting. But his romance is so shallow and hollow, and to make it all come right at the end without any reason or sense just doesn't cut it.

48 It's not a "Baseball Movie"!
Ok, the main character is a baseball player and there's a lot of baseball "stuff" goin' on....But...It's about how Billy and Jane & Heather interact as real-live human beings, as a family ....They could have been computer programmers or "floor maintenance specialists", it doesn't matter! What matters is...that real-live human beings care....they listen and they try to fulfill the most very basic needs that they understand....The bottom line? Human beings are capable of love.

49 Mr. Costner Completes His Baseball Trilogy!
This Baseball Trilogy started in 1988, beginning with Bull Durham, with Costner playing Crash Davis, a down on his luck catcher who must play behind the new young pitcher, "Nuke" LaLoosh(Tim Robbins)while falling for the lovely Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon). Field Of Dreams continued the trilogy with Costner, this time, playing Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella, who one day begins hearing voices in his cornfield, telling him that if he builds a baseball field, the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson would come to play there. And finally, Mr. Costner completes his baseball trilogy with For Love Of The Game, a baseball/love story with Costner playing Billy Chapel, a renowned and revered baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who's last game and season of his career is coming to an end. As we watch this game we are introduced thru flashbacks, Chapel's past and what leads him to where he is now. The baseball sequences are flawless, looking just like the kind of game you'd watch on regular TV. As good a baseball player as Billy Chapel is, we find he is a very flawed man, especially when it comes to finding the right person to share his personal life with. Enter Jane (Kelly Preston) who he meets on the side of the road one day while she's kicking her car for breaking down. The two decide to meet each other whenever he's in town for a game, with no other strings attached. Of course things grow into more than this, especially when Jane calls Billy to help her find her daughter who has run away from home. As you watch the game and in-between, view the flashbacks, you get a well rounded character who, in his own right, is trying to do the right thing. No one is to blame like most conventional romances, because both people have legitimate reasons for acting the way that they do. This is about a man, who, at the end of his career, realizes that as important as baseball means to him, life is very lonely if there is no one there to love and care about the person inside. This film has been widely criticized as being a rip-off of Bull Durham. But I like to look at it as Part 3 of a trilogy, like Star Wars for example. The first film wowed us, especially with scenes of the players talking on the field that we wouldn't be able to hear in real life. The second film tugged at our hearts and our emotions for our love of baseball itself. And the third film sort of brings those two pieces together (Return OF The Jedi has been said to just be a revamp of Star Wars: A New Hope but we still love it). If you look at it in this manner, this film is a well made, well thought out piece of film making, ingeniously directed by Mr. Sam Raimi. (Evil Dead 1, 2 and 3, A Simple Plan) Included on the DVD is a Spotlight On Location featurette, giving us some more insight on the making of the film as well as creating the characters. Deleted scenes, including one, used in the film, but here showing the original profanity used by Kelly Preston. The History Of The Perfect Game is a nice read if you've got the time, giving background to that most cherished game for a pitcher, plus a trivia game and the original theatrical trailer. While some people may still scoff, For Love Of The Game delivers to those who still believe in the power of baseball and love.

50 DVD extras raise it from 4-stars to 5
First, why I rate the movie 4 out of 5 stars.

I'll start by saying I believe you need to be over 35 and a baseball fan to appreciate all aspects of this movie. As an over-40 male active in sporting activities, I could identify with the frustrations when your body begins to let you down; when things that used to be easy on the field become more difficult; and when you start asking yourself if it's still worth it. I've had my share of sports injuries that had to be rehabilitated. To me, this movie was real. The short prayer of, "God, just let my shoulder not hurt for the next 10 minutes" is SO true. If your idea of a great baseball game is a 1-0 pitching duel, you'll enjoy this a lot more than if you like to see 10-8 home-run fests.

Kevin Costner threw every pitch shown, fastballs and curveballs, for strikes and was clocked over 80 mph. Find another ACTOR who could've done that. All players were either professional players in the Tigers and Yankees farm systems (for non-acting positions) or they were actors with organized baseball experience and the umpires were actual MLB umpires. I don't know how you can get more real and still have people who can act.

The extra DVD features raise it a star. It has a featurette on many of the aspects I've shared above which help you appreciate the film on another level. If you successfully navigate through the little quiz, there's another featurette of Babe Ruth in "Slide, Babe, Slide". Plus the deleted scenes, etc. of most good DVDs and some DVD-ROM features.

For those indestructible 20-year olds - you probably won't like it. It doesn't move fast enough and you won't understand a lot of the subtext. But when you're 35, get it. Like most baseball movies, this plot will stand in good stead for many years.

51 romantic slop completely without edge
Getting ready to watch a Kevin Costner movie is like preparing for a siege: one needs to stock up on a hefty assortment of supplies because, if there is one thing we can be sure of, it's that we are in for a very long haul. Actually, as Costner movies go, this 138-minute film is relatively short - though its glacial pacing makes it seem eternal anyway. For sheer, unadulterated tedium, this movie is, at the very least, a match for Costner's previous romantic opus, "Message in a Bottle."

Directed, shockingly, by the normally astute and insightful Sam Raimi ( a bizarre capitulation on his part to slick, empty commercial moviemaking), "For Love of the Game" seems like a film caught in a movie genre limbo. Half reverential baseball movie and half sappy romance, it seems catered to satisfy two widely disparate audiences that wouldn't be caught dead standing in the same line at the local cineplex. Perhaps, this is a pitch to come up with the perfect date movie (though "Titanic" beat them to it - romance and Leonardo Di Caprio for the ladies, sinking ship and mass death for the boys).

Costner, in another of his near-catatonic performances, portrays Billy Chapel, a 40-year old, soon to be over-the-hill pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who, in a single day, learns that his team has been sold, he is about to be traded to the Giants and his girlfriend of five years is leaving right that very moment to start a new career in London. This set-up might have resulted in an incisive study of a man caught in an age-limited career learning to cope with the inevitable trauma of saying farewell and moving on. Instead, the writers settle for a stale movie romance, with Chapel standing on the mound, pitching his final game and flashing back like mad to the happier days of ballfield triumphs and blossoming true love. The film is ostensibly concerned with Chapel's success on the diamond but he soon learns that even pitching a historical no-hitter and being carried around in triumph on the shoulders of adoring team members and diehard admirers is mere ashes without that one true love to share it with. The screenplay, in fact, is so heavily weighted in the direction of the affair he is having with Jane (Kelly Preston) that baseball fans are sure to feel slighted - until the very end.

Even in the ballpark, though, the film is a failure. Why do so many movies, including this one, treat baseball as some sort of holy rite, some sacred mission replete with corny imagery, nauseating pep talks and cliched, slow motion views of tear-soaked faces amid the euphoric masses? The detrimental effect of "Field of Dreams" cannot be overestimated. Just once couldn't we see a film that treats the sport for what it is - a fun pastime, completely devoid of sentimentality?

I will say one thing for this movie though: in comparison to itself, it does make baseball look like a fastpaced sport!

52 A Disappointment Overall
For Love of the Game has its moments, but overall disappoints. The love story is cliched as hell, but some will enjoy it. The baseball scenes are good, but the players just didn't seem like major leaguers to me. Also, I found the announcers at the game (Vin Scully and someone else) kind of annoying. Their banter just didn't ring true.

Costner's performance is marginal. One of the central plot elements is his character's balance of the two loves of his life--Preston's character and baseball. Baseball has always been the clear number one, but he finally realizes during his final game as a player that, hey, maybe he does have room for a woman. Convenient timing there, Kevin!

If the movie was around 1:30 long it would have been a whole lot better. The simple plot just didn't support a two hour plus run time.

53 Brings back memories of when I loved this game.
I've always been a Costner fan, even when he has stretched my patience. "For the Love of the Game" did a lot for me in bringing back fond memories of the game which I used to love when I was a kid. Costner's sports movies are among his most entertaining, and bringing in Vin Skully added tremendously to the realism of this film.

Although I do agree (somewhat) in many reviewers' disappointment concerning the relationship aspect in this film, it still held enough interest for me that I enjoyed the film as a whole (heck, I almost bought it hook-line-and-sinker, but then again, I can be a real sucker). I also liked how the love aspect of the story was told in flashbacks as Chapel (Costner) was pitching the game of his life. I believe that many people may actually enjoy this film who are not baseball fans, but it sure couldn't hurt if you were.

Between 1 and 10, I give "For the Love of the Game" a solid 7. It's nice to see an actor who is athletic enough to pull off a sports movie and make it look real. Some of the scenes (where people are watching the "game" on television, ala Kelly Preston at the airport bar) looked 100 percent authentic. I would have no hesitation in viewing this film a second time, especially the dvd version (if it puts back what was left on the cutting room floor, as one reviewer indicated).

54 Are you kidding me? One of the best!
Facing a most important and crucial crossroads in his life, Costner examines his past experiences all during the course of what many believe to be his final game (at least for the Tigers). What I find to be most encompassing about this movie is the use of flashbacks while Costner seems to almost unknowingly reach for one of his most shining accomplishments as both baseball player and man. It is a very touching movie, well written and well made.

55 Back for more Ball
The Durham Bull Man is back for more great baseball! This is a great mixture of a chick flick, and a sports movie. Any guy into baseball will find the film very realistic, from KC clearing the crowd from his head, to the rest of the team not talking to him during the "Perfect Game". The flashbacks are well placed, and well done. Not many movies take place in the span of a baseball game, but cover 5 years of a man's life. I highly reccomend this film to anyone in the mood for a great love story (and I don't say that often), or a great baseball game!

56 OK
To tell you the truth I thought that Field of Dreams was better than this. This movie is well done but it wont live up to Field of Dreams.

57 this movie ROCKS!
This movie is a very good movie it is about a guy who is a major leage picther and is a really good one too. and his girlfriend is moving to france and while she is wating for her plane she saw the game that her boyfriend was pitching in on a tv at the airport she misses her plane on purpose to watch the game because it might be her boyfriends last game after he had been playing for 12 years and he ends up pitching a perfect game. I won't tell you if that was his last game or not if you want to know what happens you will have to watch the movie for yourself. I would think that if you do end up watching the movie it won't be a waste of time.

58 A terrific romantic drama!
Costner plays a pitcher that is facing a decision-whether or not to retire. His girlfriend (Preston) dumps him and his team, the Detroit Tigers, tells him to quit or be traded. A great movie, and you'll love the ending.

59 "Jerry Maguire" of Baseball
Kevin Costner scores with another fine baseball movie in "For Love of the Game". I thought this was a fun and involving movie that did a good job examining the inevitable changes that occur in one's life. Here, we have the cliched love story plot, but it does the trick in getting that "change" theme across.

Costner's character is dealing with letting go of the things he loves; an experience that most everyone has had at some point in life. His struggle to cope with the incoming "next phase" of his life are very real and very relevant. The pitching against the Yankees for the perfect game is mostly a background, untill the end.

Kelly Preston was also impressive. I only know her as the helplessly awful ex-fiance of Jerry Maguire's, and I thought this role was a wonderful departure from that.

As far as the disk itself, it has enough extras and tidbits to make it worthwhile. If you love baseball and you love a good story, you won't have any problems with this one!

60 More Love Than Game (and neither are done well)
One of the vaunted critics said "If you liked Field of Dreams you'll love For The Love of the Game." He was wrong. This movie was NOT predominately about baseball. You could've swapped out baseball and replaced it with any sport. It is about an over-the-hill player's (choose your sport) internal struggle between love for his game and love for his girl. The acting was mediocre and the story was almost grossly simple. It was neither emotionally, or intellectually interesting. It's also too long. The story could've been told in well under 2 hours (generous). All that being said, I did finish the movie, and it certainly wasn't horrendous just sub-standard.

If you want a great baseball movie get "The Natural" or "Field of Dreams" or "Eight Men Out" If you want a good love story get "At First Sight" or "While You Were Sleeping" or "Casablanca" or "Ghost" or tons of other better films.

61 Great Movie - It will make you cry!
It seems that Kevin Costner has found a formula that works for his more popular movies, the formula being baseball. For once, I'm not complaining. I enjoyed the way the movie used flashbacks as KC looked upon his life. Their was a definite chemistry between Costner and Preston which made the movie more believable. Finally, there are a couple of parts in this movie that well jerk some tears right out of you. Sure, you might say, OH NO another baseball movie, but this is one worth watching. How often does a movie make you feel anything? This one will.

I highly recommend this one, don't miss it. I am adding this one to my collection.

62 Superb Costner & Kelly performances
The theme and acting are superb. A sure to become classic.

63 Good movie - just enjoy it
I mainly wanted to see this movie because I'm a Kelly Preston fan. I half expected to not like it because I'm not really a big baseball fan. But as I watched, I couldn't help but enjoy it. Does it have it's share of Hollywood cliches? Maybe. But if you don't over-analyze it, you'll find something in the movie that you can relate to in some way. Relax for a couple hours and enjoy.

64 Kevin Costner sure likes to be in sport movies!
This was a great movie and I enjoyed every minute of it. It almost made me cry when he was about to lose his arm. I recommened this movie to everyone because it is the best Costner film I have ever seen since Field of Dreams and Tin Cup.

65 Conventional.
We know we're in trouble with this one when, at the beginning of the movie, we see all the Detroit Tigers -- wearing really nice sportcoats -- walking shoulder-to-shoulder toward the camera in slo-mo. Yikes -- Film Cliche #2234 (sub)B!

What's aggravating is that *For Love of the Game* could have been great. In fact, its design is ambitious and it has a good story to tell, but the execution disappoints. As is typical of films in the '90's, slow pacing deadens any suspense, grounds the narrative flow to a lumbering halt, and eventually obliterates any interest in the outcome. I have nothing against long films; I have a LOT against slow pacing, which is really the pestilence of moviemaking just recently. A film can be 80 minutes long and still be slow-paced. Directors are trying to fool us: long pauses in dialogue are meant to convince us of deep thought; aimlessly constructed scenes are meant to convince us of "realistic" depictions of life. Movies are not life. They are an art form. Big difference.

Perhaps Mr. Raimi likes baseball, otherwise the idea of him helming this project doesn't make any sense. This is real hack-work, without any evidence of the unique talent he's shown us in the past. (Perhaps the somber *A Simple Plan* was a warning.) Rather than focusing on the story, the director chooses to give us long close-ups of the burnished and bland Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. Cliches are favored over uniqueness. Even the idea of Costner pitching a PERFECT GAME seems overdetermined (ah, but this is Hollywood). The movie isn't terrible . . . just conventional.

66 Almost a strikeout.........
For the Love of the Game is about Detriot Tiger's pitcher Billy Chapel. He is in the twilight of his career. His team is in last place, the owner sold the team, his girlfriend is leaving, and he has to pitch against the hated Yankees.

Billy has a difficult decision to make whether to play another year or retire. During the game he reminiscence about the good and bad experiences about his relationship with his girlfriend Heather.

This movie was at times unbearable. The story was filled with romance cliches and the ending was predictable. Rent before you buy.....

67 Is it a baseball movie, or a love story?
This is a good movie, but I'm here to warn you of something. There was another baseball movie that Kevin Coster was in about 10 years ago that everybody loved, don't expect that here. This is a good movie by itself, although it is a love story. Usually people who like baseball movies don't like love stories, and visa versa. The problem here, is that it is both. Since it is both, I would guess that this movie is geared twords married couples.

Overall a good love story, and a good baseball flick. Do the two mix? That's up to you, if you can stand both.

68 For the Love of the Game
For the love of the game. I have one question, why? For the Love of the Game is just an average baseball movie. If you really want to see Kevin Costner in a baseball movie, go get "Field of Dreams or Bull Durham."

For the love of the game, is a fine movie for killing two hours if you have nothing else to do, or if you are a fan of Kevin Costner or Kelly Preston. if you like a director Sam Rami,(aka Jockser the Mighty). The dvd is packed with triva that would the frustrate the non-baseball fan.

69 Enjoyable for baseball fans
Billy Chapel, pitching what could be his last game in the majors and also facing the loss of his girlfriend of 5 years, relives his life and current romance in a series of flashbacks skillfully interspersed with the game. We know there's nothing at stake for this losing team -- they've got no shot at the playoffs -- but Billy's career is possibly over and he wants nothing more than to WIN THIS GAME.

Kevin Costner's latest baseball effort falls somewhere between "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams" on the "seriousness" scale. While not as sweepingly romanticizing of the game of baseball as "Field of Dreams", this film does treat its subject with due reverence all the same. The baseball scenes are extremely well done, and baseball fans should enjoy them. Those who do not enjoy baseball won't necessarily dislike this film, but it will appeal more to fans of the game.

Some may criticize the love story (although I found it quite sweet), but in any case this is not meant to be a love story between two people, but rather between a man and his passion for playing baseball. And like many classic romances, the lovers -- man and baseball -- don't always wind up living happily ever after together. Does this mean he "settles" for the romance he CAN have -- with the woman? Of course not. The film is all about Billy coming to grips with the reality of his finished career, what his wants are, and what his NEEDS are. He is not a perfect human being -- in fact he is quite flawed -- but in his quest for the perfect game he realizes perfection in life is elusive.

70 A Dominating Performance...
Billy Chapel (Costner), pitching what will be his last game, is so dominating in fact, that NOTHING gets to first base -- not even the romance. That's the curious split-quality about this film. It offers very realistic and exciting baseball scenes, while at the same time plodingly developing a romantic story-line through the vehicle of flashbacks while Chapel succeeds on the mound. An interesting cinematic twist, for sure. Nevertheless, it fails because the romance, like a bunt foul, just doesn't get the pulse going.

Billy's flashbacks seem all-too intentionally fashioned to cram in every cliche of the romance genre. Jane is the cute career-minded woman, but is ever-so reluctant to acknowledge any interest in commitment. She vacilates like crazy, then takes a chance and visits Billy at spring training, unannounced. You guessed it, she stumbles in on him just as the "other girl" (in obligatory briefs) appears on the staircase and asks about the hair dryer. Likewise, he stumbles in on one of her writing assignments to find... (well you know already). There is the "surprise daughter" from a previous relationship, which by this time the audience fully expects. And then there's Billy's soulfully staring into Jane's apartment window (in the rain, no less) as he sees her dim figure move towards the "other guy."

Okay, enough. Let's just get back to the drama of the baseball game. This is done, mercifully, at varioius junctures in the plot. One wonders how much more powerful a film like this might have been if, say, Billy started the game havig to make a momentous decision on the relationship. The flashbacks might then have explored alternative scenarios, leaving the audience guessing until the "real" decision (and outcome) is revealed at the conclusion of the perfect game. That would have been more like baseball -- running the alternatives over and over in one's mind.

Unfortunately, the movie just drags on with the worn out "I want her, I hope she wants me enough to come back" theme. Maybe this is sufficient drama for a high school kid "in love," but it really strikes out with the more knowledgable fans of love and the game.

71 OK...
Ok, when things are not going well, let's make a good old baseball movie to have good reviews and good cash coming in.. . This is the formula created by Costner, and it is working !

72 Almost Jerry!
For Love of the Game was a way better movie than I expected.I mean with Kevin Costner you never know if your gonna get top-notch acting like in Tin Cup or poor uninspired acting like in Waterworld. With this he falls somwhere in between.When on the mound he is the pure image of a major league ballplayer dealing with everything from heartache to a bum arm. But in the so called romantic or serious scenes he falls a bit short. The story itself is what drew me to the movie. If your a baseball fan you'll love the atmosphere that is created throughout the picture but if not it may drag out a little to long and lose a little thrill towards the end of the game. Overall I would recommand this to anyone who liked Jerry Maguire or likes sports/romance movies in generel.

73 A Dominating Performance!
That's right. Billy Chapel shines on the mound in this picture, mowing down Yankees en route to a perfect game. Absolutely nothing gets to first... not even the romance!

Not surprising. This romance is about as bloated, cliche-ridden, and slow moving as they come. The worst part was the predictable scene where a "new guy" shows up, and Billy looks pitifully at her apartment window (as it's raining no less), as he sees their shadowy figures moving about. And then... she moves to the window, as the camera zooms in on her "I know I shouldn't be doing this and I want you to know that I love you Billy" sad-sack expression. One of the best "nonsensical drivel" scenes in Hollywood romance lore!

On the other hand, most of the game scenes were well done. Thank goodness we live in the age of the fast-forward remote!

74 Good Storyline pitty it has Kevin Costner
A lot of people have wondered why Kevin Costners films have all been big flops since the bodyguard. Its because he can't play different characters, Billy Chapel(Kevin Costner) is exactly the same character as Kevin Plays in all his movies, Body Guard, Robin Hood and Message in a bottle. To stay at the top in hollywood you need variation, different characters. The storline of the movie is good, the story of a veteran baseball player who is on his last season thinking about his life as he plays a vital game, buy taking his mind off the game he starts to step up his game and is very close to the pitchers "perfect game" - which is no body makes it to home plate for the whole game a shut out. There is not much chemistry between Kevin and Kelly at all and Kevins portrayal of his typical character, being upset is laughable! On the upside, the DVD has lots of special features so if you like baseball then buy it, if your after a love story then stay away.

75 Near-Perfect Pitch
Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Field of Dreams) and baseball movies go together like hot dogs and... well, baseball. They work a magic to become something greater than their individual parts. While some people feel Costner films should be avoided like whatever they make hot dogs out of (am I stretching this metaphor too thin?), there is no doubt that baseball makes them both more acceptable to the palette.

In For Love of the Game, Costner plays Billy Chapel, a forty year old major league pitcher in the twilight of his career. During the course of the final game of the season, he reflects on his life and his career.

Listening to Billy talk to himself as he stands on the pitcher's mound, the audience hears his desperation and his confidence. From the inner peace he finds to block out the distractions of Yankee Stadium to his decision to brush a batter away from the plate.

But this isn't just about one game, it's about Billy's career and his on-again/off-again relationship with Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston, Holy Man). It's about beginnings and endings, coming together and coming apart. It's about the best game of a career at the worst time of a life.

Billy has his moments, but he also makes mistakes. Through it all, Costner makes us believe it. Costner shows us Billy's desperate need to find someone to share his victories with, but we also see a darker side. He is capable of great passion, but also great spite. We don't always love him, or understand his actions, but he is utterly human.

With stunning camera work and vision, director Sam Raimi turns Costner's duel into a thing of beauty. Every pitch becomes a breathtaking moment. The segues to Billy's past are seamless and never confusing.

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about For the Love of the Game is its devotion to baseball. Even in Billy's personal life, baseball is ever present. This is a baseball movie dealing with the soul of the game.

It's a film that speaks to the heart and makes us cry. Not because it's hopelessly romantic, but because it reminds us of our own endings. No matter what they may be. At the twilight of summer, as the regular season draws to a close, this movie reminds us why we love baseball.

76 When's Kevin going to make a good movie again?
True, I'm not into baseball, but it's like he's the male version of Sandra Bullock, playing the same guy over and over. I didn't care about him and wimpy Jane, and in the end, he was just so glorified that it bugged me.

77 Outstanding Baseball Film
I love baseball and was thrilled with this movie. It deals with the thought process of baseball and its emotional side. It is more than a stereotyped film. It brings out the child that loved to play baseball in all of us. I would highly recommend this film for the fan of baseball who loves a romantic film. Kevin Costner gives a stellar role here. One can tell he has a love for baseball. The acting is well done and the ending is moving.

78 One of the worst films of 1999.....
Adding to his ever-expanding list of stinkers, Kevin Costner portrays a dull, self-indulgent loser who, while throwing a predictable (and ridiculous, given some of the plays in the field) perfect game, romances an equally vapid (and horribly portrayed) woman played by Kelly Preston. While no chemistry exists between the two leads, that in itself is not the main reason this film bombs. Instead, we have what should have been a rousing, inspiring baseball yarn turned into a color-by-numbers, depressing journey into the tragically boring "psyche" of Costner. After "A Simple Plan," I expected much more from Sam Raimi, yet it appears that after a critical success, he decided it was imperative that he once again put food on the table and strike out for a commercial triumph. That Raimi asks the audience to care for such poorly drawn cartoons is one of the most audacious demands in the history of cinema. And before I end this review, let me once again state that Preston gives one of the worst performances since the invention of sound, especially in a hospital scene that sets new standards for stilted line deliveries. Truly awful.

79 Perfect game, perfect movie
WOW..... I saw this in the theater and again on video... and loved it more the 2nd time. I was raised on baseball, played baseball, watched my children play baseball, and live for opening day! In this movie was the mystique, the drama, the fun, the excitement, and the perfection of the game. Kevin Costner is perfect as the aging pitcher who stands on the brink of greatness. As other reviews have said, he comes alive in the game, while reflecting on what has almost eluded his grasp.

Costner's baseball trilogy is now complete. And perfect, just as Billy Chappel's final game.

80 The best Kevin Costner movie since Field of Dreams
Kevin Costner plays a veteran pitcher on the Detroit Tigers who is about to be traded in the great romantic drama For Love of the Game. Costner soon has to choose between a new job with the San Fransisco Giants, or calling it quites for good. All the while his girl friend who he has loved almost as much as baseball itself is moving away and saying goodbye. Soon he reliezes how much she means to him, but will he stop her in time, or will she be gone forever? What do you think? Remember this is a Kevin Costner movie?

81 romantic movie (recomended)
Ok first of all this movie is really kinda boring through the first hour or so. I made popcorn after seeing about 15 minutes of it. I came back and resumed where I left off. Then It started to really catch my intrest about 1 hour into the movie! I never like to say what happens in a movie (ruins the plot), But I will say It has a very powerful ending. Many of us through our lives learn the lesson this movie only reminds us of! Loyalty, love, happiness, and to never quit till you reach your goals whatever they may be!

82 Excellent Baseball Story
This is an excellent baseball movie and a decent romantic entry as well. Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a veteran pitcher with an accomplished career who is headed for the Hall of Fame. On the day we meet him he has a lot on his mind. He is informed that his team is being sold, he is being traded and the love of his life is moving to England. Add to this the pain in his pitching arm, his impending decision on whether to retire and the fact that winning this game is critical in determining if the Yankees go to the playoffs, and you have a man with overloaded neurons.

The story unfolds as an introspective retrospective. As he is pitching this important game, he is thinking about his childhood, his relationship with Jane (Kelly Preston) and how he is going to get the next batter out. He is so preoccupied that it doesn't even dawn on him until the eighth inning that there have been no Yankee hits and he has been pitching a perfect game.

The flashback elements are expertly woven into the game, giving us a genuine feeling for his distraction. This is a fresh perspective for a sports movie. Instead of simply focusing on what the player is doing, the film focuses on what he is thinking while he is doing it. It gives us an authentic look at how athletes get "in the zone", filtering out all the noise and concentrating totally on their performance. Those who have been involved in athletic competition can identify with this state, although only the best can achieve it at will.

Sam Raimi's direction on this film was excellent. His direction of the love story was nothing special, but he did a superb job on the baseball scenes. The combination of on the field action, commentary by Vin Scully and simulated TV telecast footage was so well done that it was impossible to differentiate it from a major league game in progress.

The acting ranged from fair to excellent. Kelly Preston was very good as Jane. She brought a full range of emotional expression to the part, though she sometimes got a little shrill, like the scene in the hospital where she screams out "Is this America? Is baseball still the national pastime." Overall though, she played the part of the torn lover very well.

Kevin Costner is no great lead actor and it is hard to understand why he is so popular. Perhaps it is his whiny lost boy charm that makes women want to mother him. In the love story, he again presented as listless and uninspired. But in the baseball scenes, he came alive. In fact, in these scenes Costner was not acting so much as acting out. He loves baseball and was obsessed with doing all his own baseball scenes. He is a top notch athlete, so he really could throw a curveball and his fastball had plenty of pop. His ability to portray a professional athlete in this instance was superlative, probably due to his having played the game scholastically. So overall, I would have to rate his performance here as very good.

John Reilly gets a very honorable mention as Chapel's catcher. He was quietly supportive and unobtrusive, the way catchers usually are. He portrayed intense desire in a demure and low key way without overacting. It was a nice performance by an actor in a supporting role playing a baseball player in a supporting role.

I love baseball and this was a great baseball movie so I rated it 8/10. Anyone who enjoys sports will probably enjoy this film.

83 A great mix of baseball and life
Many times in life we fail to realize the things we have until they walk out of our life forever. That was what happened to Costner in this movie. He loved baseball more than anything and failed to realize what really made him happy. All of this changes within his nine innings of perfection. Here he not only throws the game of his life, but also gets the love of his life back. All in all a great flick!

84 KEVIN COSTNER AT HIS BEST
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A FAN OF BASEBALL TO APPRECIATE THIS WONDERFUL STORY. I REALLY LIKED THE WAY THAT THE CHARACTER LOOKED BACK OVER HIS LIFE AS HE PLAYS THE GAME THAT HE LOVES SO MUCH. KEVIN IS EXCELLANT IN THE ROLE AS HE USUALLY IS IN ALL HIS MOVIES.IT WAS ALSO VERY FITTING FOR THE CHARACTER WHO IS GETTING ON IN YEARS TO BE PLAYING WHAT MAYBE HIS LAST GAME IN YANKEE STADIUM NY AS THE FANS ARE TRULY THE RUDEST GROUP OF SPECTATORS THAT ANY ATHELTHE CAN PERFORM IN FRONT OF AND COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THIS CHARACTER. SORRY BUT I'M A NEW YORKER AND THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH.

85 Could've been made in the 40s starring Ronald Reagan
Boring, maudlin, mawkish, charmless, depressing, contrived, unrealistic, shallow, awkward, embarrassing, plodding, confusing, slow...am I leaving anything out? My favorite scene: Costner's on the mound, a former teammate somes up to bat. Costner wonders aloud "Are we really that old?" This is the work of a talented director in over his head and eager to please, and an over-the-hill overpaid actor who needs to get back to his roots.

86 Great Baseball, Fair Love Story
Never have I seen such an accurate depiction of how the love of baseball can get inside a person. Costner shows the world what that love demands, and he does it with class and dignity. It's more than a "feel good" movie, it's a study in sports psychology. My only complaint was that the love story angle was too drawn out. It was about 30 minutes longer than it needed to be, and I was tired of it by the end. Still, it was worth sitting through for the game scenes.

87 Emotional
An outstanding combination of sports and romance that will stimulate the emotions in all but the most case-hardened. Will satisfy the sports fans as well as the romantics. Just the right balance of both. And the conclusion...you will discover a smile under those tears.

88 A true romance seen through the beauty of Baseball
How this movie was not nominated for an academy award I will never know. This movie is not only for people who truely love the game, but Costner brings his romance for Kelly Preston and the love for the game together as one. Beautiful movie.

89 Costner Can Throw Heat, But The Romance Is Lukewarm At Best
Kevin Costner again delivers a fine performance as an aging ballplayer at a crossroads in his life. Unlike in Bull Durham, this time Costner plays a "sure-fire Hall of Famer" who may be pitching his last game in the bigs. Most of the story centers on this game, with Costner's character Billy Chappel looking back through flashbacks to key moments in his life and career. Most of the flashbacks deal with the end of the pitcher's romance with his girlfriend, played by Kelly Preston. The romance itself is lukewarm, and at times it seems the only reason these two are together is because the script says so. John C. Reilly does a great job as the veteran catcher also looking at his last shot of glory. Jena Malone and Anthony Fultz are winners in supporting roles. While the romance plays out well, there should have been more attention played to the flashbacks of other portions of the pitcher's life and career. His parents and fellow players are given too little time in the flashbacks, and some storylines are left ripe on the vine. Real baseball fans will groan at some of this movie (if you know that Frank Robinson is fourth all-time on the career homerun list, don't expect greatness here), but overall, the actors do a decent job as major leaguers. Vin Scully adds the most realism for the real baseball fan. Overall, this movie rates high. It loses points for undeveloped stories, but still scores big. For all the buildup, the ending falls a little flat. A few may shed tears at the end of the baseball game, but this is no "Brian Song", so men may not cry. If you like baseball movies, this is worth a watch.

90 This baseball movie is a gem!
The framework is a major league baseball game. The memories are those of an aging pitcher, Billy Chapel, whose day is not going well at all. His team, the Detroit Tigers are out of the pennant race and expected to lie down like a dog at the behest of the New York Yankees. Moreover, the team has been sold and Chapel is expected to be traded to San Francisco when the sale is announced. His lover, Jane Aubrey, has told him that she "can't do this anymore" and she's headed to London and out of his life. As his catcher, Gus Osinski, told him, it's just not his day.

We're often told that baseball is like life; it meanders and goes along paths we may not expect. And so it is with Billy Chapel, who is pitching his heart out while he relives his life, especially after a chance meeting with Aubrey on a bridge over the Harlem River. Her car has broken down and Chapel stops, ostensibly to help her fix it. Jane, being the cynical New Yorker she is, waves Billy off, but he's intrigued and he prevails on Jane to let him take a look under her hood. Aubrey gets behind the wheel, turns the key; nothing happens. Chapel reaches in, jiggles a wire or two and, to his fortune, the car starts. Jane is pleased and thanks Billy who admits he didn't really do anything. Of course, in a typical New York moment, the tow truck shows up and the operator more or less demands that Aubrey let her car be towed. Chapel uses the opportunity to invite her to a game he's pitching and dinner afterwards.

Now, it might be thought that Billy Chapel is setting himself up for a groupie situation. After a night of passionate sex, that's exactly what Aubrey thinks as well and she wants no part of it. What follows is a recounting of how Billy and Jane come together and fall apart more than once.

This is an excellent baseball movie, with wonderful dramatic stretches and also lots of humor. Kevin Costner, who's done a baseball movie or two in his career, is totally believable as Billy Chapel, a character who seem somewhat modeled after Steve Carlton in that he only wants to pitch to his longtime battery-mate, Osinski (John C. Reilly). Osinski knows Chapel's abilities well and he needles and cajoles Chapel to get the most out of him, not only on the diamond, but in life as well. Vin Scully and Steve Lyons of Fox Sports appear as themselves doing the play-by-play of the game we see unfolding before our eyes. Scully's dialogue sounds as if it sprang right from his mouth, the way he normally speaks. I'd be interested in whether his dialogue was written (most likely) or ad lib.

If there's a disappointment among the entire production, it is the performance of Kelly Preston as Jane Aubrey. Aubrey, we discover along the way, has a past which would seem to explain her on-again / off-again relationship with Chapel. Not all of this is Preston's fault; some of it has to belong to screenwriter Dana Stevens who adapted a novel by Michael Shaara. The baseball scenario is near-perfection, but the treatment of the romance leaves something to be desired. Regardless, Sam Raimi's near-flawless direction of material we don't normally see him do, makes the entire film one to enjoy. It has excellent comic timing, yet marvelous dramatic sequence both surrounding the game and external to it. Basil Poledouris' original score heightened the drama and never detracted from the film.

If you like baseball, you'll love this movie. Costner, who co-produced, must bring something extra to movies about baseball because of his love of the game. This film is one of those that truly has something for everyone and almost completely pulls it off. I heartily recommend it.

[Originally reviewed on 18 September 1999]

91 Costner and Sports...
Really, you can't go wrong with Costner and sports, and specifically baseball. Look back at Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Tin Cup, and now For Love of the Game. Kevin does a decent job as an aging star pitcher and how baseball consumes his life, to the detriment of his relationships sometimes.

Entertaining, with an ending that will make your sweetheart cry.

92 Sam Raimi delivers as usual
This was a directoral powerhouse for the Evil Dead vet director. The story is well put together, flashbacks run very smooth and the acting is great. The characters are built up very well, making it easy to really care about them. Kevin Costner has found the type of role that fits like a glove, again. This is truly an ensnaring love story, well worthy of your attention.

93 QUICK BALLS
I admit it, I've seen dozen of movies about base-ball and I still don't quite understand the rules of the game. But, one thing is certain, it's possible to play the game of his life in one and only game : it's called the perfect game. And Kevin Costner, in director Samuel Raimi's FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, is on his way for it.

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME is a typical genre movie, the hero can't be happy until he has fulfilled the dream of his life, until he is part of america's history. With this theme, you're sure to attract the local audience's votes. It's human.

So, the quality of the movie depends only on the director's skill or desire to play some variations on this common theme. For instance, until now, in my opinion, Barry Levinson's THE NATURAL with Robert Redford is clearly the best baseball related movie ever filmed.

After a western and a film noir, Samuel Raimi is going to shock one more time his long-time supporters with FOR LOVE OF THE GAME. No more hysterical travellings and zooms, not a single gunshot, the young "crazy horse" director, like Kevin CHAPEL Costner, has an eighteen years career behind him. One could say that FOR LOVE OF THE GAME is the first adult movie of Samuel Raimi. And it is a compliment.

Excellent compositions of Costner, Kelly Preston and Th. Reilly. Above-average bonus features but I would have appreciated a director's commentary.

A DVD zone U.S.

94 Kevin Costner Was Right
Kevin Costner was right. He fought bitterly with Universal to release the original cut of the movie, but lost to bean counters that were afraid of an overlong movie. I just saw the DVD and the deleted scenes, that can finally be seen, make for a much more complicated and moving story. Particularly the subplot with his coach's wife's struggle with cancer and when his friend on the Yankees came in to congratulate him and say goodbye. Those were the scenes that made these characters real and took down the wall of "just baseball" and made it a satisfying drama. "For Love of the Game" is a fine film that will hopefully be seen from now on with these important scenes included.

95 Its a HOMERUN
This is definitely a movie for your home collection. It addresses both sexes, great sports for us guys and teary eyed moments for the lady in the house. A must see movie for all. Ranks up there with TIN CUP, FIELD OF DREAMS and DAYS OF THUNDER......

96 For Love of the Game DVD
This movie is the best baseball movie I've seen. Kevin Costner is at his best. "MR ROMANCE" The setting is perfect. Great directing and acting. A HOME RUN ALL THE WAY.

97 For the Love of the Game
Outstanding movie, not only a baseball movie but also a chick flick. I usually don't care for Kevin Costner's movies but this was exceptional.

98 A classic baseball movie
Major League players who make millions of dollars should watch this film, and see that baseball should be played for the love of the game, not for money.

99 FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!
This movie was exceptional in every aspect except one. I'm not going to tell you which aspect that is because I am undeniably sassy. However, the special effects were great! They made Kevin Costner look and move like a real human being instead of the mixture of oatmeal and organic seed growth components that he is. The best part of this movie by far was when Costner's character was chased by a rabid rhino. Unfortunately, most viewers will not get to see this scene as it is something I conjured up in my head while watching this film. But believe me, the acting and directing were superb! The day will come when I get my revenge on Otis.

100 awesome movie
Well since Baseball does not start for another few weeks and you really wanna get in the mood of the game then this is the one! and if you likeed this here are some others you may like as well: Fields of dreams,Angels in the outfield,Bull durham, and little bige leauge