The Natural

I was thinking that it has been a while since I saw the film The Natural. I looked it up online and it is hard to believe that the movie came out in 1984! Over 30 years old, wow.
When I first saw the movie I thought it was a little far fetched. I didn't buy into a lot of the stuff in the film like the ball becoming unravelled or the guy dying after running into the outfield wall, which I suppose could happen. Funny, I had more belief in a 35-year old unknown making it to the Major Leagues than I did with much of the storyline.
One of the reasons I eventually came to love the movie was Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford who was 48 at the time. I was pleasantly surprised at his playing ability. His lefthanded swing looked realistic, not something you see from actors playing in sports movies. Best example of that was Tony Perkins and his painfully inept playing of Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out.
In The Natural it was apparent that Redford had played the game before. He did play at the University of Colorado. Too bad they eventually dropped the baseball program at Colorado. Prior to that, Redford went to Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles where he was teammates with Hall of Famer Don Drysdale. There's a tidbit for you. You're welcome.
When I get some time, I think I'll pull out The Natural and watch it again.