Moneyball
Movie, 2011, The 2010s, Set in The Oakland A's
Moneyball is #25 of 35 in release order and #25 of 35 in chronological order in the Sports Movies.
The story
The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
Moneyball recap
Moneyball (2011) follows Billy Beane, general manager of the cash-poor Oakland Athletics, as he builds a team in 2002 using statistics scouts ignore. Bennett Miller directs the baseball drama, written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin from Michael Lewis's 2003 book. After losing to the Yankees in the 2001 playoffs, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) watches Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen leave for richer teams. He meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young Yale economics graduate working for Cleveland, and hires him. Together they sign cheap, overlooked players who get on base, such as the injured catcher Scott Hatteberg (Chris Pratt), whom they move to first base. Beane fires his head scout for resisting, and manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) keeps playing his own lineup, so Beane trades away his preferred players. Flashbacks show Beane as a young prospect who gave up a Stanford scholarship for a failed playing career. Moneyball follows The Fighter and precedes Warrior.
Moneyball ending explained
Moneyball ends with Beane turning down the Boston Red Sox's record offer and staying in Oakland. The A's win 20 games in a row, the last on a Hatteberg walk-off home run, and take their division, but lose in the first round to Minnesota. Brand shows him a video of a player who hits a home run without realising it, and Beane drives home listening to a recording of his daughter Casey singing. Closing text says the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series using his methods. Brand is a stand-in for the real Paul DePodesta.
Post-credits scenes
No. Moneyball has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Moneyball
Moneyball is streaming on Hulu and YouTube TV in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 94%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Fighter, before Warrior.
- Chronological order: after The Fighter, before Warrior.
Cast
- Brad Pitt as Billy Beane
- Jonah Hill as Peter Brand
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe
- Robin Wright as Sharon
- Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg
- Stephen Bishop as David Justice
- Reed Diamond as Mark Shapiro
- Brent Jennings as Ron Washington
- Ken Medlock as Grady Fuson
- Tammy Blanchard as Elizabeth Hatteberg
- Jack McGee as John Poloni
- Vyto Ruginis as Pittaro
Directed by Bennett Miller.