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Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - 61 (2001)
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List Price: $4.98
Our Price: $1.00
Your Save: $ 3.98 ( 80% )
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
Starring: Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Masur, Bruce McGill
Directed By: Billy Crystal
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780783118444
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 0783118449
Label: Hbo Home Video
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Hbo Home Video
Release Date: 2001-09-11
Running Time: 128
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 2001-04-28
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Editorial Reviews:
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When asked to comment during Barry Bonds's 2001 pursuit of the single-season home run record that he himself shattered in 1998, Mark McGwire said, "I was lucky enough to reach 70, and now they're all talking about it like it's a piece of cake." It wasn't for Bonds, it wasn't for McGwire, and it certainly wasn't for Roger Maris, who in 1961 competed with his much more popular teammate Mickey Mantle to break Babe Ruth's benchmark of 60 home runs. Originally broadcast on HBO, 61* is the movie that lifelong New York Yankee fan Billy Crystal was born to make; an affectionate but unflinching look at this historic season, the unlikely friendship between the two ballplayers (who were opposites on and off the field), and the pressures Maris in particular faced from a badgering media and increasingly hostile fans. The lineup, while not all-star caliber, is loaded top to bottom with MVP candidates, including a dead-on Barry Pepper as the stoic Maris and a pitch-perfect Thomas Jane as swaggering good ol' boy Mantle. Buffed-up former Geek Hall of Famer Anthony Michael Hall (Sixteen Candles) is pitcher Whitey Ford, and Bruce McGill goes from Animal House to the House That Ruth Built as manager Ralph Houk. Christopher McDonald, usually cast as a smarmy villain, is all smiles as legendary broadcaster Mel "How about that?" Allen. Though R-rated, this is not as shocking as Jim Bouton's myth-shattering Ball Four. But when it comes to being politically correct, director Crystal plays hardball. Maris smokes, and Mantle drinks and carouses. There are a few errors, none costly. The welling music that accompanies the home-run heroics of "the M&M boys" is as bush league as Glenn Close rising in the stands to rally Robert Redford in The Natural. But baseball movie lovers wouldn't have it any other way. -- Donald Liebenson
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, but if you are buying for kids, BE WARNED!!
Comment: I am always looking for sports-themed movies for my young son, and he is especially interested in non-fiction movies. ("Miracle" and "Rudy" are two great examples.)
I read the reviews, and thought we'd give this a try. I noticed that this was marked "not rated" and just hoped for the best! Whoops! I am not offended by swearing in the context of baseball. But this has excessive use of the "F" word, which I just wasn't expecting. It was a big surprise and quite disappointing.
I only offer this review for other parents who may be contemplating this movie for kids and younger teens.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't really enjoy baseball
Comment: Got this for my husband, a baseball fan, but think I enjoyed it more then he did.Very interesting story.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Roger Marris should be in the Hall of Fame!
Comment: This DVD is another great baseball movie. It highlights a number of reasons why the Home Run King for over 60 years should be in the Hall of Fame regadless of other things he did or didn't do. He is the link to the record and with a steroids era, maybe he still is the Home Run King! Think about it and enjoy the story!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Baseball Movie
Comment: I'm not even a huge baseball fan, but I enjoyed this movie very much. All of my Yankee friends love this true-story-based movie, though not many ever heard about it before they watched it. Definitely a quality hour or so to spend in front of the TV.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting
Comment: This movie is well-done. They paid attention to details. Billy Crystal is a fan who remembers this era fondly and did a great job telling the very interesting story of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. These are names I remember from growing up, but I knew little about. Having the two men on the Yankees at the same time, each aiming to beat the home run record Babe Ruth had set as a Yankee, makes for a fascinating story.
The only problem with the movie is the language is foul (so to speak). The swearing and use of various words is way over the top and distracts from the story. It should have been made as a family movie because the appeal of this story crosses all generational lines. If it weren't for the language, this movie would deserve even more than five stars.
The special features are very worth watching. They show just how much detail they put into every aspect of this movie--from the color of the stadium, to the swings of the two players.
If the language won't bother you, I highly recommend this movie. If it had a rating, it most certainly would be rated "R", so keep that in mind when considering showing it to children.
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