For Love of the Game (1999)

A washed up pitcher flashes through his career.

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers:

Michael Shaara (novel), Dana Stevens (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Billy Chapel
Kelly Preston	...	Jane Aubrey
John C. Reilly	...	Gus Sinski
Jena Malone	...	Heather Aubrey
Brian Cox	...	Gary Wheeler
Addie Daddio	...	Waitress
J.K. Simmons	...	Frank Perry (as JK Simmons)
Vin Scully	...	Himself
Steve Lyons	...	Himself
Carmine Giovinazzo	...	Ken Strout (as Carmine D. Giovinazzo)
Bill E. Rogers	...	Davis Birch (as Bill Rogers)
Hugh Ross	...	Mike Udall
Domenick Lombardozzi	...	Tow Truck Driver
Arnetia Walker	...	Airport Bartender
Larry Joshua	...	Yankee Fan in Bar

Storyline

A baseball legend almost finished with his distinguished career at the age of forty has one last chance to prove who he is, what he is capable of, and win the heart of the woman he has loved for the past four years.

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Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Pitcher | Detroit Tigers | Girlfriend | Baseball Movie | 

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Taglines:

Billy Chapel must choose between the woman he loves and the game he lives for.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

For the Love of the Game

Filming Locations:

Aspen, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$13,041,685 (USA) (17 September 1999)

Gross:

$35,168,395 (USA) (26 November 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Beacon Pictures, Tig Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the baseball players is Scott Pose, the first player to bat for the Florida Marlins franchise (in 1993).

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Goofs

When Gus Sinsky is at bat and gets his double, one shot shows the sun in front of him. With the orientation of Yankee Stadium, the only time the sun could be in that position is in the morning, but the game time is late afternoon/evening.

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Quotes

Billy Chapel: I used to believe, I still do, that if you give something your all it doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you've risked everything put everything out there. And I've done that. I did it my entire life. I did it with the game. But I never did it with you, I never gave you that. And I'm sorry. I know I'm on really thin ice but, when you said I didn't need you... well last night should've been the biggest night of my life, and it wasn't. It wasn't because you weren't there. So I just ...

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Connections

Referenced in The Comebacks (2007)
In a moment of frustration, Coach Fields says, "Oh, for the love of the game!"

User Reviews

Baseball....movies....cool.

Although I didn't like For Love Of The Game the way I liked Bull Durham or Field Of Dreams, it's still a very entertaining film. Directed by Sam Raimi in a very subtle style, this is Costner's best film since Tin Cup. Raimi only shows flashes of his visual theatrics, Costner is very solid and I liked Kelly Preston very much. The way the story is told in the film is very fresh for a baseball movie and this is the high point for me. Baseball is just the background to a very touching love story. I hope this film more than anything else shows Hollywood that Sam Raimi is one of or greatest talents behind the camera.