About Moneyball

Moneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama movie, directed by Bennett Miller. Based on Michael Lewis' 2003 nonfiction book, the movie highlights the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their General Manager Billy Beane's innovative approach to assembling a competitive team.

Plot and Summary

Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), general manager of the Oakland A's, is forced to rebuild his team on a tiny budget after losing star players to wealthier clubs. Beane, with his keen eye for undervalued talent and statistical analysis, manages to put together a surprisingly competitive team. The movie portrays how Beane's novel approach faced stern opposition from traditionalists, yet, paved the way for a new way of evaluating players and strategizing baseball.

Making / Production

Moneyball started its production journey with Columbia Pictures advancing the screen adaptation of Michael Lewis' book. The project went through several directors and writers before landing in the hands of Bennett Miller and screenplay writers Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. The film's unique approach to a sports drama, focusing less on the sport and more on its management and strategy, was heavily lauded.

Actors

• Brad Pitt as Billy Beane: Pitt portrays Beane with great charisma and resilience, aptly embodying the risk-taking character.
• Jonah Hill as Peter Brand: Hill shines in his portrayal of the Yale Economics graduate who brings the underlying concept of Sabermetrics to Billy.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe: Hoffman gives a strong presence as the team manager, often disagreeing with Beane and Brands' fundamentally different approach.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film is based on real events and features actual baseball players.
• It was shot on location in the Oakland Coliseum, providing a more authentic feel to the film.
• Brad Pitt was originally just a producer on the film, but stepped in to play Beane when production stalled.

Awards

Moneyball was critically acclaimed, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Pitt, and Best Supporting Actor for Hill. It also received nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Quotes

• "It's hard not to be romantic about baseball." - Brad Pitt as Billy Beane.
• "Your goal shouldn't be to buy players, your goal should be to buy wins." - Jonah Hill as Peter Brand.

Music, Soundtrack

• "The Mighty Rio Grande" - This Will Destroy You
• "The Show" - Kerris Dorsey - This tune performed by Dorsey, who played Beane's daughter in the film, is part of a very emotional scene.
• Original score composed by Mychael Danna