The Natural (1984)

 Inferior version of classic baseball movie / Good documentaries
Some movies are better left untinkered with. The original film version of "The Natural" is a beloved sports masterpiece, no matter how muddled the opening scenes may appear. For some reason, Director Barry Levinson re-worked the entire opening sequence and created a completely different feel for the movie closer to his "original vision". For those who have never seen the original version, this version might be adequate. But being familiar with the original, this version comes across to me as a lame attempt to cash in on a 25th Anniversary Edition. Several classic, important shots and lines are scrubbed from the original and replaced with new footage, giving the movie a chopped-up feeling that never goes away. And the opening sequence is still not easy to follow.
I would have been OK with this new version if it included the original as well, but instead you're forced to hang onto both versions for the time being. Watch them both and compare, but in the end you'll reach for the original version every time you're in the mood to watch this great baseball film about life's redemptions.
One positive, the bonus disc provides excellent insight and footage into the making of this film, and is worth the price alone. April 2, 2008

 Great Movie!
This is definitely a movie you can enjoy as a couple, great story not only for baseball fans but also for the love story fans. I love this movie! March 6, 2008

 One of the best baseball movies ever
Ever since the first time I watched this movie, I have always enjoyed the story line. February 8, 2008

 one of my favorite movies
This is one of my favorite sports movies. It is about life and dreams and how one does not have to stop the other at any age.
I am glad I bought it.
Just a side note, I am always amazed at how many movies Robert Duvall has been in. I forgot his role in this one.
January 28, 2008

 Disappointing, inferior "Director's Cut"
When I was first made aware of this new "Director's Cut" of The Natural, I wanted to rent it before deciding whether to buy it or not. Unable to find it for rent, I bought it. Having watched it twice (alternately with the original theatrical version DVD), I will probably toss it.

Director's Cut? Even the director, Barry Levinson, concedes in the introduction to this new version that it is not meant to replace or be better than the original theatrical version. It's merely an intriguing chance to see the movie edited to match his original vision more closely (made impossible in 1984 by post production time constraints). He makes no judgment that his original vision was better. For me, this cut is quite inferior.

Not only were 15 minutes of footage added, but 9 minutes were deleted. In the original version, the opening act (before Roy returns to the game after 16 years) ran 20 minutes. In the new version, despite a lot of added material, it runs 17 minutes. The relaxed, natural pace of the original sequence is now full of somewhat abrupt, quick edits. Gone also are some beautiful shots, such as the young Roy and Iris running towards each other at night across the horizon of a field. Gone are moments of character development, such as The Whammer's wisecrack on the train, "Oh, first Pete and now Repeat?"

And much later in the film, one added scene derails a major theme. Iris is a positive influence, and Roy excels in the game under that influence. Memo is a negative influence, and under her spell Roy fails. Yet in this new verson of the film, Roy returns to New York after several highly successful games (under Iris' influence) on the road, and then a scene has been added where Memo welcomes him home in a hotel lobby and gets cozy with him in a phone booth. In the following scenes, Roy continues his successful run! It makes no sense. In the original version, his success ended as soon as he reunited with Memo at the welcome home party. In fact, the addition of the phone booth scene results in her welcoming him home twice, which is somewhat odd.

On the positive side, the new 5.1 sound is very nice most of the time, but sound effects that were subtle in the original film have been amped up at times to the point of being distracting. Originally, the two gunshots sounded appropriate to the rooms in which they happened. They now sound like recordings of shots in an echo chamber, edited into the film. Still, I have to say I loved the enhanced sounds of thunder throughout the movie.

The second disc of Special Features has some interesting stuff on it. So I'll keep the Special Features disc, put it with my DVD of the original theatrical version, and toss the so-called Director's Cut disc. But I will miss those great thunder sounds. January 12, 2008

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