61*

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Noted baseball fan Billy Crystal directed this made-for-cable drama set in the summer of 1961, as two of the strongest hitters in the major leagues, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper), find themselves neck and neck in a battle to break Babe Ruth's long-standing record for most home runs in a season. Both men were playing for the New York Yankees at the time, and as the two men came within grasping distance of Ruth's record, their loyalty as friends and teammates was put to the ultimate test. 61 also features Richard Masur, Bruce McGill, Anthony Michael Hall, and Renee Taylor; the scenes set in Yankee Stadium were filmed at Michigan's Tiger Stadium, shortly after the Detroit Tigers shuttered the venerable playing field and relocated to a newer facility. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, French, English
• Features:
  • Animated menus
  • Chapter selections
  • Multiple language and subtitle selections
  • Cast and director bios
  • Making of "61*" featurette
  • Player bios and stats
  • 1961 home run list
  • Original trailer

AWARDS

• Broadcast Film Critics Association

•     Nominated Best Actor in a Picture Made for Television - 2001 (Barry Pepper)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - Television Movie - 2001 (Billy Crystal)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made - 2001 (Barry Pepper)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Billy Crystal

• Producer:

  Robert F. Colesberry

• Cinematographer:

  Haskell Wexler

• Composer (Music Score):

  Marc Shaiman

• Editor:

  Michael Jablow

• Production Designer:

  Rusty Smith

• Executive Producer:

  Billy Crystal

• Casting:

  Mali Finn

• Post Production Supervisor:

  Roger Reid

REVIEW:

• Billy Crystal's 61* stands alongside Bang the Drum Slowly and Bull Durham as one of the few films that understands the day-to-day life of baseball players. The fully realized performances by Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane make this film compelling for people with no interest in baseball. They, along with screenwriter Hank Steinberg, do a marvelous job of presenting two very complex, very male personalities. Maris is an outwardly stoic average guy who approaches the game with unsmiling intensity; baseball is a job to him. This does not make him a popular man with the press or the fans, particularly when compared to the loudmouthed party boy Mickey Mantle. In their private lives, Maris is a happy, down-to-earth husband and father with a quick smile for his family, while Mantle is miserable. Assuming he will die young because his father and uncles did, Mickey lives hard and fast. His destructive behavior fuels a self-fulfilling prophecy. The two opposites bring out the best in each other, both on and off the field. Maris forces Mantle to take better care of himself, and Mantle becomes the only person Maris can turn to when the pressure of chasing Babe Ruth's record begins to damage his health, friendships, and marriage. Pepper invests Maris with a quiet dignity and a Midwestern attitude that makes him neither a foolish innocent, nor a scowling kill-joy (two stereotypes the character could have easily become). Jane makes Mantle charming and likable, but presents his inner pain in subtle, quietly powerful moments. Although the film loses narrative drive in its second half, the characters remain compelling throughout. Although it could have easily turned into a piece of mawkish sentimentality, 61*, thanks to strong writing, respectful direction, and outstanding performances, is an engaging character study with a firm sense of place and time. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi