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61* (2001) (TV)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Hank Steinberg (written by)
Release Date:
28 April 2001 (USA)
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Tagline:
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?
Plot:
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe.
Another 3 wins
&
20 nominations
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User Comments:
A Beautiful Friendship
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Barry Pepper | ... | Roger Maris | |
| Thomas Jane | ... | Mickey Mantle | |
| Anthony Michael Hall | ... | Whitey Ford | |
| Richard Masur | ... | Milt Kahn | |
| Bruce McGill | ... | Ralph Houk | |
| Chris Bauer | ... | Bob Cerv | |
| Jennifer Crystal | ... | Pat Maris ('61) (as Jennifer Crystal Foley) | |
| Christopher McDonald | ... | Mel Allen | |
| Bob Gunton | ... | Dan Topping | |
| Donald Moffat | ... | Ford Frick | |
| Joe Grifasi | ... | Phil Rizzuto | |
| Peter Jacobson | ... | Artie Green | |
| Seymour Cassel | ... | Sam Simon | |
| Robert Joy | ... | Bob Fitschel | |
| Michael Nouri | ... | Joe DiMaggio |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
129 min
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Despite the way Mrs. Ruth is portrayed in the film, she actually visited Roger Maris after his 60th home run. Maris whispered in her ear, "Don't feel badly, no one will replace The Babe."
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Goofs:
Continuity: After the commissioner's decision to make separate records for the 162-game season, Maris is answering questions while playing catch. When he stops to talk to the reporter (clearly breaking from playing catch), he had just thrown the ball to his partner. When he's done talking, he immediately throws the ball again to his partner, though he never received it during his break.
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Quotes:
[Talking about Mickey Mantle]
Artie Green: I've never seen him get a hand like this before.
Milt Kahn: He's never been the underdog before.
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Artie Green: I've never seen him get a hand like this before.
Milt Kahn: He's never been the underdog before.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Punisher (2004)
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Soundtrack:
I Love Mickey
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (119 total)
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First off, I'm a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan and thus not much of a Yankees fan. However, this may be one of the best baseball movies, if not one of the best sports films, ever made; even though baseball fans know how the story ends, your emotions will be stirred and you will find yourself rooting for these two players whether or not you have a preference for pinstripes.
Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane steal the show as Maris and Mantle, two Yankee teammates that form an alliance to help carry them through the turmolterous race to break the single-season home run record of Babe Ruth in 1961. While everyone from the press box to the peanut vendor appears to favor seeing the lovable Mick, even the commissioner of baseball seems to have an agenda against the misunderstood Maris. Trying to eclipse a mark of a legend against such adversity proves to be no easy task for either player, and the film does a great job of demonstrating the pressure that each player experienced from his own angle.
Director and noted Yankees fan Billy Crystal obviously put his heart and soul into directing and producing this masterpiece and deserves credit for putting an honest face on the race to the home run record between these two legends. Most impressive was how much care was taken to make the actors appear to step comfortably into the roles of each player; Jane and Pepper appear and act so much like "the M&M boys" that it's spooky. Being a passionate fan of the game probably puts a bias on this review but, even if you don't know the difference between a squeeze play and a double play, it's a great story about friendship and facing odds.