Bull Durham, 20 Years Later
I believe in the soul. The c**k. The p***y. The
small of
a woman's back. The hanging curveball. High fiber. Good scotch. That
the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe
Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a
Constitution Amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I
believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents
Christmas morning rather than Christmas eve. And I believe in long,
slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
This week was the 20 year anniversary of Bull Durham. Not only was it one of best sports films ever made, that speech is a classic (writer/director Ron Shelton was nominated for an Oscar for Original Screenplay, which most people don't remember). I was only 15 when I saw it in the theater, so obviously a few of those lines didn't really sink in at the time, but the movie has always been a favorite. And you have to admit that it's one of Costner's better performances. Ever.
ESPN The Magazine has a great series of interviews posted right now with Costner, Tim Robbins and Ron Shelton.
Hard to believe that Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon met on the set of this film twenty years ago...and that both of them and Costner are now all Oscar winning actors (Costner for Dances with Wolves, Sarandon for Dead Man Walking, Robbins for Mystic River).
Bull Durham is the type of movie that remains timeless and very entertaining; it's the film you stop channel surfing for on a Saturday afternoon, and one you enjoy regardless of whether or not you're a baseball fan.
By the way, Shelton is in pre-production for an adaptation of the Barry Bonds book Game of Shadows (for HBO Films). Given his track record with various sports movies (Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump, Tin Cup), he seems a very appropriate choice to write and direct this one.
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