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61* Reviews
I enjoyed 61*, but then again, I'm a longtime fan of baseball.
Full Review | Original Score: 7.5/10 | Jan 10, 2022
Crystal delivers a nice looking sentimental television drama geared for the fan who looks to baseball as if it were a religion.
Full Review | Original Score: B | Mar 31, 2020
What begins as a lively, vibrant evocation of one of baseball's greatest seasons ends as a frustratingly conventional tale of sports heroism, a sort of upscale movie-of-the-week for the Classic Sports Network crowd.
Full Review | Mar 25, 2020
![61 movie reviews 61 movie reviews](https://images.fandango.com/cms/assets/5b6ff500-1663-11ec-ae31-05a670d2d590--rtactordefault.png)
This film is about more than a broken record. It's about a broken heart. Watch it, and yours may break, too.
The beauty of 61, the Billy Crystal film for HBO, is that it early on makes a few dangerous missteps and corrects them quickly, all the while benefiting from a story as riveting and freshly modern as any sports story ever.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 25, 2020
Mr. Jane, as Mantle, nails both the player's movie-star charisma and his painful, self-destructive streak.
The largest grace note is the core of the film: that's the affection and bond between Mantle and Maris, men so different in temperament, so similar in culture.
Featured here are Barry Pepper as Maris and Thomas Jane as Mantle, actors as persuasive on the field as off.
The triumph here is one of tone and texture, where the baseball and the emotions are almost always depicted just right.
The filmmakers depict the teammates' relationship with a gratifying complexity -- they're both competitive and protective of each other.
Barry Pepper is an amazing Maris look-alike, Thomas Jane manages to suggest the damage Mantle did to himself, and Richard Masur plays the sort of sportswriter I wanted to grow up to be...
Full Review | Feb 5, 2018
While the script has its fair share of treacly moments intended to manipulate viewers into caring deeply for this duo, Billy Crystal's dream project about his beloved Yankees and one of their great chapters gets a heroic treatment in 61*.
Full Review | Jul 6, 2010
A great baseball movie solidly directed by Billy Crystal. You can tell he's a Yankee fan, but also does not hesitate from showing the warts on some of his idols.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 12, 2007
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 8, 2005
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 29, 2005
One of the best telemovies I've ever seen...simply sensational
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 31, 2005
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 2, 2004
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 4, 2004
...[features] two superb performances.
Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 1, 2003
Baseball drama from director Billy Crystal has the graceful arc of a well-hit ball.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 7, 2002
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Where to watch
Directed by Billy Crystal
Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?
In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees. One, Mantle, was universally loved, while the other, Maris, was universally hated. Both men started off with a bang, and both were nearing Babe Ruth's 60 home run record. Which man would reach it?
Barry Pepper Thomas Jane Anthony Michael Hall Richard Masur Bruce McGill Chris Bauer Jennifer Crystal Foley Christopher McDonald Haynes Brooke Bob Gunton Donald Moffat Joe Grifasi Peter Jacobson Seymour Cassel Robert Joy Michael Nouri Domenick Lombardozzi Bobby Hosea Paul Borghese Renée Taylor Pat Crowley Dane Northcutt Charles Esten Shannah Laumeister Stern Shiva Rose Mike Carlucci Tony Stef'Ano Mark McGwire Sammy Sosa
Director Director
Billy Crystal
Producer Producer
Robert F. Colesberry
Writer Writer
Hank Steinberg
Casting Casting
Editor editor.
Michael Jablow
Cinematography Cinematography
Haskell Wexler
Executive Producers Exec. Producers
Billy Crystal Ross Greenburg
Production Design Production Design
Rusty Smith
Art Direction Art Direction
Denise Hudson
Set Decoration Set Decoration
Anne D. McCulley
Composer Composer
Marc Shaiman
Costume Design Costume Design
61* Productions Inc.
Releases by Date
28 apr 2001, 11 sep 2001, 17 jun 2002, releases by country.
- Digital Sortie DVD
Netherlands
- Physical 6 DVD
- Theatrical R
129 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page
Popular reviews
![61 movie reviews Brennan](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/upload/9/9/2/5/6/3/3/shard/avtr-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=6cfb2f15c6)
Review by Brennan ★★★★★
Just a fantastic baseball movie about what should have been one of the funnest seasons for 2 teammates ever! Mantle, played fantastically by Thomas Jane, is obviously an all time great player in the sport who was a career long yankee so it makes perfect sense he’d be the favorite. Good lord the hate that Maris, also played fantastically by Barry Pepper, had to endure from his own fans and writers was insane! Goes to show, and the movie touches on this well, what an impact Babe Ruth still had on the game of baseball nearly 30 years after he had stopped playing!
I’ve always loved this movie. I love the history it tells! I love the beautiful score that…
![61 movie reviews Ryan Bingham](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/upload/6/8/3/6/2/7/shard/avtr-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=0418130fa7)
Review by Ryan Bingham ★★★★
For an HBO film, this film is great. It would have been nice to see some bigger names here, but that shouldn't take away from the product that was produced. The screenwriting is great, truly showing what Maris went through emotionally. They do a good job of showing the craziness of people. Whether they are fans, owners, media, or teammates. The creation of the old Yankee Stadium looks fantastic, especially for 2001. 61* is a very well done film with an surprisingly emotional story.
As far as I am concerned, he still holds the record. Everyone ahead of him used steroids, something this film doesn't touch on.
![61 movie reviews Barry Daulton](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/4/1/6/0/2/shard/http___pbs.twimg.com_profile_images_1249917393456988161_GGB_AVYv-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=3d9fa7aaf2)
Review by Barry Daulton ★★★★
A movie that is just as much about how players have to deal with the media as it is about the legendary HR chase of 1961. Pepper and Jane really seem to capture Maris and Mantle perfectly. The special effects are still decent if not dated a bit, but were great for the time. At the time framing it with McGwire's breaking his record was neat, but doesn't age well after Bonds broke that and the PEDs of baseball have tarnished those records. 61 is still the record to me.
![61 movie reviews Pete Talbot](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/3/2/7/4/8/1/shard/http___pbs.twimg.com_profile_images_1053745306565718016_mnN1dGcq-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=e18a0fd100)
Review by Pete Talbot ★★★½
It's funny how HBO was able to make some decent baseball movies 15+ years ago at the height of post-strike baseball. Unfortunately, the nostalgia for McGuire and Sosa's runs have worn off very quickly as McGuire missed out on his chance at the Hall of Fame and Sosa looks like he won't come close at all. In a funny way, the asterisk of Maris's 61 homers has denoted it as the home run number to beat as Stanton came close with 59 this year. This movie has great action on the field and I really enjoy the use of rear projection to convey the game play action.
![61 movie reviews James White](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/6/3/0/7/7/6/shard/http___pbs.twimg.com_profile_images_1329594290587234306_NzBOT_Dh-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=7052cab8e5)
Review by James White ★★★½ 1
Only Yankees fans could boo and send death threats to their own player when he's succeeding
![61 movie reviews Charles Radbourn](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/4/1/2/7/2/5/0/shard/http___pbs.twimg.com_profile_images_1247137066451943428_6DlUXX9e-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=42c31b9103)
Review by Charles Radbourn ★ 3
A two hour pornhub clip for every boomer who wants to remember the Old Days. Watch the sniper from Saving Private Ryan joylessly smack dingers while a genuinely fun Tom Jane looks on, all the while pretending not to watch Billy Crystal masturbate to nostalgia in the corner. For some reason Mark McGwire is featured.
![61 movie reviews Citizen Kris](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/upload/6/3/8/0/4/5/shard/avtr-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=377cf30761)
Review by Citizen Kris ★★★★½
It's only appropriate that on the eve of baseball's Opening Day, I view my favorite baseball movie.
61* is ultimately a straight-to-HBO movie, but it's so much better than that. The baseball savant in me absolutely adores the attention to detail given here. That's a credit to director Billy Crystal, who is likely the most knowledgeable celebrity Yankees fan there is.
I'm a firm believer that out of all the baseball movies I've seen, this has the best game action and I'm very particular about that.
This also has a stellar ensemble cast. My favorite performance was from Bruce McGill who played Yankees manager Ralph Houk and had "baseball manager" down to a T.
92% Movie Collection
![61 movie reviews C.A. DeStefanis](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/upload/2/0/7/5/7/3/1/shard/avtr-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=7f3a5aec5c)
Review by C.A. DeStefanis ★★★★ 4
While the Mark McGwire bookends have aged poorly and a lot of the digital effects look pretty spotty on a HD television this is still a fantastic little baseball flick directed by none other than Billy Crystal. The story of the 1961 home run race between New York Yankees Micky Mantle and Roger Maris as they try to surpass the seemingly insurmountable mark set by Babe Ruth and the obstacles that litter their paths. This is a no-frills, workman like retelling of the actual events. Nothing fancy at all. What does set it apart are the performances. Much like the actual Yankees of yore the supporting cast is a murderer's row of talent and familiar faces who all do excellent…
![61 movie reviews Cameron](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2b9c2cf7a12c824ca915b43f41e15e1c?rating=PG&size=80&border=&default=https%3A%2F%2Fs.ltrbxd.com%2Fstatic%2Fimg%2Favatar80.6d09cb1c.png)
Review by Cameron ★★★★ 2
What is it about baseball movies that always makes me cry? (And, yes, I include Major League: Back to the Minors)
![61 movie reviews Diego Rocke](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/upload/2/0/6/6/4/7/shard/avtr-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=427d93ee81)
Review by Diego Rocke ★★★½
Me dieron muchas ganas de volver a ver esta película después de lo de ayer. Para dar un poco de contexto, yo amo el béisbol, es el deporte que más adoro y siempre he sido fan de los Yankees. Ayer, Aaron Judge conecto su homerun #61 del año, mismo que empato la marca impuesta por Roger Maris de 61 en 1961, es decir, hay algo mágico dentro de ese número, además de que Judge usa el número 99 y Maris usaba el 9, y Judge conecto el homerun en el estadio "Roger" Centre de Toronto. En fin, yo considero que nada es coincidencia, todo ya está predestinado de algún modo u otro y eso me hizo sentir algo muy especial…
![61 movie reviews matnol9](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/1/6/5/2/1/0/1/shard/http___pbs.twimg.com_profile_images_1193597449845248002_JQN2gTVa-0-80-0-80-crop.jpg?v=a6a6497e27)
Review by matnol9 ★★★★★ 2
*** Minor Spoilers***
One one my favorite baseball biopics...excellent job by director Billy Crystal who is a die-hard Yankees fan and idolizes No. 7 Mickey Mantle, superbly depicts the NY Yankees 1961 phenomenal season, which focuses on teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris pursuit of Babe Ruth’s prestigious single-season home run record of 60 set in 1927...But one of the main antagonist were certain members of the press, they relentlessly try to put a wedge between Roger and his teammates, the fan’s and even his lovely wife...and did it for various reasons, for one they thought if this sacred Yankees record was to be broken, then it probably should be by the most cherished Yankee Mantle..and besides they thought Roger was…
![61 movie reviews Yarjka](https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/avatar/twitter/2/8/5/9/9/shard/blob-0-80-0-80-crop.png?v=0f3aa66260)
Review by Yarjka ★★★
“Why can’t you just admit you want it too?”
Billy Crystal is just one year older than my dad, who was 12 at the time Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle battled it out for the single-season home run record. It was clearly a monumental moment in the life of a teenage boy. I got to hear a lot about it when Mark McGwire broke the record in 1998 (I was 15). One thing that stood out to me was what was brought up in this film: that Maris is not an important enough player to have this record. Downplaying it for that reason, adding asterisks to it in order to hold onto an older, more traditional record held by a…
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By Alan Ng | January 9, 2022
Sixty years ago, New York Yankee Roger Maris did what was once believed to be impossible: he beat Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60 home runs. In 1998, Mark McGwire would eventually surpass Maris with 70 homers prompting comedian and lover of baseball Billy Crystal to tell Maris’ story in HBO Original, 61* .
Directed by Crystal and written by Hank Steinberg, the sports drama recounts the 1961 Yankees season when Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) broke Ruth’s record. As the season starts, Maris is coming off his MVP designation from the previous year even though veteran Yankee Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) is still on the team and beloved by all of New York. Right out of the gate, the “M&M Boys,” Maris and Mantle, begin a hot streak of home runs, and it doesn’t take long for the press to wonder if either of these men could break Babe Ruth’s 1927 record.
![61 movie reviews](https://cdn-0.filmthreat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/FEATURE-61-2001-3.jpeg)
“… recounts the 1961 Yankees season when Roger Maris broke Ruth’s record .”
As much as this is about Maris’ run at the record, the film is a snapshot of the state of baseball in 1961 when the sport was more about the game, the players’ personalities, and less about the money (though it’s never not about the money). Maris and Mantle are a study of contrasts. Mantle is a Yankee legend, and Maris is a quiet guy who just wants to play baseball. Mantle likes to drink and party, while Maris is a family man locked up in his apartment to stay out of trouble. Yet, both the public and the press want the former to break the record, and at the same time, wish the latter would break his arms.
61* explores the relationship between Mantle and Maris well. The press and dirt sheets tell stories of their bitter rivalry and backstabbing over who will break the record. The reality was that Mantle and Maris shared an apartment in New York, so Maris could help Mantle clean up his partying lifestyle. The two admired one another, and any conflict was born from Mantle’s alcoholism and feared that the end of his storied career would be imminent.
Directed: Billy Crystal
Written: Hank Steinberg
Starring: Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, etc.
Movie score: 7.5/10
![61 movie reviews 61* Image](https://cdn-0.filmthreat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/FEATURE-61-2001-1.jpeg)
"…a nostalgic look back at when the business of baseball was simple."
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’61*’ review
Ndsu spectrum: movie review, pepper’s flawless portrayal of maris makes ‘61*’ a hit, by john hansen, april 27, 2001.
Amazingly, prior to “61*,” there had never been a film made about Roger Maris’s and Mickey Mantle’s home run chase of 1961. Now, after the film makes its national debut at 8 p.m. tomorrow on HBO, no one will ever have to make one again, because director Billy Crystal and screenwriter Hank Steinberg have hit a home run their first time at bat.
Spirit of ’61
The film, which played at the Fargo Theater last weekend, lovingly captures the spirit of ’61 without pulling any punches. Maris aficionados will treasure the film’s accuracy, and casual viewers will be swept away by a true story that was pretty much tailor-made for Hollywood.
Yeah, Fargo natives are as familiar with Maris’ story as they are with snow in January. But it’s one thing to know as cold, hard facts that Maris was “a good family man unprepared for the rabid New York press,” and another thing to actually see him receive death threats in the mail and have chairs hurled at him as he plays right field.
![61 movie reviews Movie Review](https://reviewsfrommycouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/movie-review.jpg)
“61*” (2001)
Starring: Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Jennifer Crystal, Christopher Bauer, Christopher McDonald, Anthony Michael Hall, Bob Gunton, Bruce McGill, Donald Moffat
Written by: Hank Steinberg
Director: Billy Crystal
Barry Pepper’s ( “The Green Mile” ) portrayal of Maris is flawless; there has never been a more accurate portrayal of a famous athlete. He looks exactly like Maris, he bulked up to achieve the slugger’s physique, and he captures Maris’s shy Midwestern disposition perfectly.
Of course, having Maris as the hero distinguishes “61*” from your standard Hollywood fare. Because while Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Mark McGwire are known for their personalities, Maris is known for only one thing: his 61 in ’61.
The real Maris
This movie will change that. Sure, Maris never gave a good quote, never drove drunk and ran his car up the curb and never cheated on his wife. But “61*” shows us the real Maris, someone the tabloids never covered.
This is a guy who let Mantle move in with him to get his life back on track, a guy who desperately missed his wife and kids during the baseball season, a guy who smoked like a chimney and whose hair fell out from the pressure. A guy who said 1961 was “the best season of my life … and I’d never want to do it again.”
Thomas Jane ( “Deep Blue Sea” ) gives a solid performance as Mantle. He doesn’t really look like the Mick and doesn’t get the Southern drawl quite right, but he certainly has the swearing, carousing and tragic heroism down pat.
Of course, it was the injury-plagued superstar who could do more with one arm than most players could with two who bowed out of the race in September while a “good” ballplayer with a crewcut broke the record. Jane should’ve stolen the show, but thanks to Pepper’s portrayal, it’s the stoic Maris that the viewer keeps coming back to.
Attention to detail
The attention to detail in “61*” is so extensive that only Crystal, who idolized Mantle as a youngster and befriended him as an adult, could have pulled it off. Tiger Stadium was painted the romantic green color of Yankee Stadium before it’s remodeling phase of the ‘70s.
The M&M Boys’ batting stances are exact, and even the famous scene of Maris being pushed out of the dugout by his teammates to doff his cap after No. 61 is copied perfectly.
Clips of McGwire’s 61st and 62nd homeruns of 1998 make an excellent framing mechanism for the film, because McGwire’s adulation from Cardinal fans perfectly contrasts with Yankee fans’ indifference toward Maris (the final game of ’61 didn’t come close to selling out).
While Ruth’s widow couldn’t stand to see Maris hit No. 61 because “the Babe loved that record,” the Maris kids applauded and hugged McGwire when he hit No. 62.
Worthy of an asterisk
In 1998, some pitchers said they’d give McGwire a fastball down the middle so he could hit No. 62 off them. I
n 1961, the Orioles brought in knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm specifically to hurt Maris’ chances of hitting No. 60 in the 154th game, the last game in which the record could be “officially” tied or broken, since that’s how many games there were when Ruth played.
Although commissioner Ford Frick’s infamous asterisk was dropped from the record books in 1991, “61*” is a wonderfully ironic title for this film about an achievement worthy of a distinguishing mark.
After all, Maris wasn’t like Ruth, Mantle or McGwire. That’s kind of why we like him.
![61 movie reviews](https://reviewsfrommycouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/interview-with-roger-maris.jpg)
More about Maris
Want to learn more about Roger Maris as we celebrate 60 years of 61 in ’61? My dad, James D. Hansen, wrote a fictional interview with his baseball hero in 1991, and published it in 1998 — the year of McGwire and Sosa. Titled “An Interview with Roger Maris: 30 Years Later — All Those Years Ago,” the 99-page book can be ordered in paperback or e-book format from Amazon .
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61* Reviews
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Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record in 1961. As the two NY Yankees come within grasping distance of Ruth's record, their loyalty as friends and teammates is put to the ultimate test.
Director Billy Crystal captures the sixties zeitgeist in this made-for-Cable movie about a key season in the history of America's favorite pastime. As baseball enthusiasts cheer Mark McGwire's record-breaking batting rivalry with Sammy Sosa in 1998, older fans recall a similar frenzy back in simpler, steroid-free times. In 1961, the Yankees headed for the pennant race with two dissimilar star players, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). Everyone's fair-haired boy, Mantle was charismatic enough to deflect criticism about his boozing and womanizing. Straight-arrow Maris, a recent addition to the team, played by the rules but didn't make for good copy, and lacked the social skills to galvanize the press on his behalf. Badmouthed by the media and booed by the fans, Maris remained an outsider. Neither baseball Commissioner Ford Frick (Donald Moffat) and Ruth's widow (Renee Taylor) wanted to see Babe Ruth's home-run record broken, but if the inevitable were to occur the cry from the newsrooms and the bleachers was, "Let it be Mantle!" No rivalry existed off the field. Maris and teammate Bob Cerv (Chris Bauer) became Mantle's house-mate in Queens and Maris encouraged Mickey to curb his self-destructive carousing. Maris and Mantle both wanted glory, but for Yankees rather than for themselves. When Mantle's injuries caught up with him, Maris stood poised to outdo the Babe and ignored death threats and bad vibes to break the Babe's home run tally in only one more game than it took Babe Ruth. Screenwriter Hank Steinberg tries to cover all the bases, using baseball fandom as a metaphor for the insularity of the American public. Though Crystal doesn't entirely realize the script's social ramifications, he does a stunning job of recreating the Yankees' corps d'esprit and of resurrecting a less crass era when major league players were both human and heroic.
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Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?
In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees. One, Mantle, was universally loved, while the other, Maris, was universally hated. Both men started off with a bang, and both were nearing Babe Ruth's 60 home run record. Which man would reach it?
Billy Crystal
Hank Steinberg
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![61 movie reviews Barry Pepper](https://media.themoviedb.org/t/p/w138_and_h175_face/pmdNUqrpsoozh7QYqUgEgZQ69cA.jpg)
Barry Pepper
Roger Maris
![61 movie reviews Thomas Jane](https://media.themoviedb.org/t/p/w138_and_h175_face/9frnlc2zoDcoeqZALB6aeYSQddl.jpg)
Thomas Jane
Mickey Mantle
![61 movie reviews Anthony Michael Hall](https://media.themoviedb.org/t/p/w138_and_h175_face/nLthzoCuNxxd3KteIrnnMg1066G.jpg)
Anthony Michael Hall
Whitey Ford
![61 movie reviews Richard Masur](https://media.themoviedb.org/t/p/w138_and_h175_face/eTKFP76mnSgIhoknfxtebqnWb6K.jpg)
Richard Masur
![61 movie reviews Bruce McGill](https://media.themoviedb.org/t/p/w138_and_h175_face/9zF43TgWiO3AlKC4I48S7ZK09lK.jpg)
Bruce McGill
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Chris Bauer
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Jennifer Crystal Foley
Pat Maris ('61)
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Christopher McDonald
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Haynes Brooke
Detroit Bartender
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- Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth 's single-season home run record.
- Aiming for one of the most famed records in sports history, a pair of very different baseball players hit home runs at an impressive rate. Roger Maris , a reserved sort, is much less popular than his hard-partying New York Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle , the player who many observers think will be the one to challenge Babe Ruth 's record of 60 home runs in one season. But in the summer of 1961, Maris surges ahead of Mantle, making a run at Ruth's mark. — Jwelch5742
- 1961. Two New York Yankees batters, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, are chasing Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs. The two couldn't be more different - Maris quiet and reserved and relative newcomer to the Yankees, Mantle larger-than-life and hedonistic and a lifetime Yankee. The closer they get to the record, the more the pressure builds. — grantss
- Summer, 1961: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle are on pace to break the most hallowed record in U.S. sports, Babe Ruth's single-season 60 home runs. It's a big story, and the intense, plain-spoken Maris is the bad guy: sports writers bait him and minimize his talent, fans cheer Mantle, the league's golden boy, and baseball's commissioner announces that Ruth's record stands unless it's broken within 154 games. Any record set after 154 games of the new 162-game schedule will have an asterisk. The film follows the boys of summer, on and off the field: their friendship, the stresses on Maris, his frustration with the negative attention, and his desire to play well, win, and go home. — <[email protected]>
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HBO has become best known as the home of Tony Soprano’s New Jersey crew, but the net’s newest TV movie, director Billy Crystal’s ebullient 61* , deals with a different breed of tristate area hitmen. The title refers to the home run record set by New York Yankee Roger Maris in 1961 — a feat asterisked due to the fact that the season was eight games longer than when Babe Ruth set the mark in 1927. The film contends Maris’ achievement was diminished in this manner because fans, major league execs, and, most of all, the media would rather have seen his flashier teammate Mickey Mantle break the Babe’s coveted record. (The asterisk was removed by commissioner Fay Vincent in 1991.)
Crystal sets out to resuscitate Maris’ reputation and succeeds, thanks to the casting of Barry Pepper. The actor, so creepy as the scripture quoting sniper in ”Saving Private Ryan,” exudes Midwestern decency as the North Dakota bred slugger. At home, he’s a doting husband and dad, yet on the diamond, he cracks fewer smiles than Russell Crowe on Oscar night. (One reporter dubs the MVP ”Most Vacant Personality.”) With his brush cut and stoic countenance, Pepper looks so much like Maris, it’s scary.
Thomas Jane (”Deep Blue Sea”) doesn’t resemble Mantle as closely, but he captures the Mick’s cocky swagger. The contrast between free swinging Mantle and family man Maris stands at the heart of ”61*.” Crystal doesn’t view his childhood hero through misty eyes; he honestly depicts the imbibing that would cost Mantle his liver and his life. Yet while the movie is unabashedly pro-Maris, it isn’t antiMantle. Rookie writer Hank Steinberg’s affecting screenplay hints at the demons that drove both men: Mantle’s father died of Hodgkin’s disease at 39, instilling his ”live for today” mentality, while Maris’ older brother (also a promising ballplayer) was sidelined by polio.
The filmmakers depict the teammates’ relationship with a gratifying complexity — they’re both competitive and protective of each other. In an attempt to curb his carousing, Mantle moves into Maris’ sleepy Queens pad, and there’s a priceless scene in which the two sit dumbfounded as they watch a TV report about their alleged ”feud.” The press bashing ultimately becomes tiresome, but ”61*” provocatively illustrates how pop culture demands that celebrities provide entertainment both on and off the job.
Crystal directs in an endearingly old-fashioned style, making use of spinning headline montages and period tunes (such as Mantle’s wooden duet with Teresa Brewer, ”I Love Mickey”). With his fondness for borscht belt comics (the subject of his 1992 directorial debut, ”Mr. Saturday Night”) and prehistoric talk show host Joe Franklin (whom he spoofed in ”SNL” sketches), he’s always seemed a throwback to an earlier era, and that nostalgic penchant suits this material well. As a stand-up, Crystal understands the Bronx Bombers’ on the road bonding, and he brings a baseball fanatic’s attention to detail — from re-creating Maris’ batting stance to using Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard as narrator.
The deep bench of supporting players includes the director’s daughter Jennifer Crystal Foley (”Once and Again”), as Maris’ wife, Pat. A seemingly nepotistic choice, Foley delivers a lovely performance (it doesn’t hurt that Dad shoots her adoringly). ”Breakfast Club”ber Anthony Michael Hall convincingly embodies pitcher Whitey Ford, who helps clean up Mantle’s drunken messes, and ”Animal House” alum Bruce McGill is a pillar of dignity as Yankee manager Ralph Houk. Among the evocative cameos are Michael Nouri (as a clubhouse haunting Joe DiMaggio), Christopher McDonald (as play by play man Mel Allen), and Joe Grifasi (as his pasta obsessed side kick, Phil Rizzuto).
Like any home run hitter, ”61*” occasionally whiffs. Framing the story with scenes of Maris’ wife and kids watching Mark McGwire break his record in 1998 feels awkward, as does having Yogi Berra (Paul Borghese) spout one of his most famous ”Yogi-isms” (”Ninety percent of the game is half mental”) during a batting practice sequence. And while Crystal mostly keeps his maudlin tendencies in check, he overuses the slo-mo footage and Marc Shaiman’s mawkish score when Maris finally smashes his 61st dinger. Still, it’s hard not to get choked up at the sight. By that point, Crystal and his movie have earned their sentimental pinstripes.
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61 (2001) 61* (2001) 61* (2001) 61* (2001) 61* (2001) View more photos Movie Info Synopsis Aiming for one of the most famed records in sports history, a pair of very different baseball players hit ...
Full Review | Mar 25, 2020. Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle. TOP CRITIC. The beauty of 61, the Billy Crystal film for HBO, is that it early on makes a few dangerous missteps and corrects them ...
Brilliantly cast, beautifully shot and at times brutally honest in its storytelling, 61* is an absolute gem. Any baseball fan well knows the story of the great home run chase of 1961. Here, Crystal peels back the curtain and brings us up close and personal with the men who made that season so memorable. In Barry Pepper, who plays Roger Maris ...
61*: Directed by Billy Crystal. With Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Masur. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
61* is a 2001 American sports drama television film directed by Billy Crystal and written by Hank Steinberg. ... Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 86% out of 28 professional critics gave the film a positive review, ... Film critic Richard Roeper named 61* one of his top five all-time favorite baseball movies.
Review by Barry Daulton ★★★★. A movie that is just as much about how players have to deal with the media as it is about the legendary HR chase of 1961. Pepper and Jane really seem to capture Maris and Mantle perfectly. The special effects are still decent if not dated a bit, but were great for the time.
61* (2001) By Alan Ng | January 9, 2022. Sixty years ago, New York Yankee Roger Maris did what was once believed to be impossible: he beat Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs. In 1998, Mark McGwire would eventually surpass Maris with 70 homers prompting comedian and lover of baseball Billy Crystal to tell Maris' story in HBO ...
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review Pepper's flawless portrayal of Maris makes '61*' a hit By JOHN HANSEN April 27, 2001. Amazingly, prior to "61*," there had never been a film made about Roger Maris's and Mickey Mantle's home run chase of 1961. Now, after the film makes its national debut at 8 p.m. tomorrow on HBO, no one will ever have to make one again, because director Billy Crystal ...
61* 2001 • 128 minutes. 4.6star. 7 reviews. 86%. ... Add to wishlist. infoWatch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More. About this movie. arrow_forward. Billy Crystal directed this captivating baseball drama that follows Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as they chased Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record during the magical 1961 ...
All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech ... The story of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the summer of '61. Content Rating. NR. Distributors. HBO Productions ...
Check out the exclusive TV Guide movie review and see our movie rating for 61* ... 61* Reviews. 2001; 2 hr 8 mins Drama R Watchlist. Where to Watch.
Billy Crystal. Director. Hank Steinberg. Writer. In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees. One, Mantle, was universally loved, while the other, Maris, was universally hated. Both men started off with a bang, and both were nearing Babe Ruth's 60 home run record. Which man would reach it?
Visit the movie page for '61*' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review. Your guide to this cinematic ...
Summer, 1961: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle are on pace to break the most hallowed record in U.S. sports, Babe Ruth's single-season 60 home runs. It's a big story, and the intense, plain-spoken Maris is the bad guy: sports writers bait him and minimize his talent, fans cheer Mantle, the league's golden boy, and baseball's commissioner announces ...
61*. HBO has become best known as the home of Tony Soprano's New Jersey crew, but the net's newest TV movie, director Billy Crystal's ebullient 61*, deals with a different breed of tristate ...
61* (December 30/01) Billy Crystal's fascination with baseball is no secret. From his lengthy monologue about his first experience at a ball game in City Slickers to a trip to Yankee stadium for Comic Relief, his love of the game has always been evident.It makes sense, then, that he'd direct a film based on the legendary struggle to over-take Babe Ruth's home-run record back in 1961.
Release Date: June 7th, 2011 Movie Release Year: 2001 . Home > Blu-Ray > 61* 61* Overview - One was the Yankees' best loved player, the other was their most valuable. In the summer of 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle took on Babe Ruth's record, the 1927 single-season 60 home run slam. ... Bringing you all the best reviews of high definition ...
2 thumbs up from Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper for 61*, Billy Crystal's HBO movie focusing on Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle's quest to break Babe Ruth's sin...
2:00. Plot. In 1998, the family of the late Roger Maris goes to Busch Stadium to witness Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals break their father's record with a 62nd home run. Maris' widow, Pat, is hospitalized due to complications from arrhythmia and watches the game on television from a hospital bed.
Taking a nostalgic look at one of the greatest baseball teams and most memorable seasons in the game's history, 61* spotlights the summer of 1961, when Maris and Mantle chased one of the most hallowed baseball records ever - Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season mark of 60 home runs. In the spotlight of the press and at the mercy of public opinion, Maris and Mantle paid a high personal price ...
This movie allows us to take part in that experience, both positive and negative. It's 1961. New York Yankee teammates Roger Maris ( Berry Pepper) and Mickey Mantle ( Thomas Jane) are both ...
Released in 2001, "61*" is a sports drama film directed by Billy Crystal that tells the captivating story of the 1961 home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, two legendary New York Yankees players. This film portrays the pressure, the glory, and the challenges faced by these iconic athletes as they strive to break Babe Ruth's ...
Currently you are able to watch "61*" streaming on Max, Max Amazon Channel. It is also possible to buy "61*" on Apple TV, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Amazon Video as download or rent it on Microsoft Store, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu online. Synopsis. In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York ...
"Poor Things" director Yorgos Lanthimos and Oscar-winning star Emma Stone return to his weird, uncomfortable realm with this triptych of disturbing films that shares the same cast.