The Natural: Director's Cut
by Barry Levinson
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DVD details
Actor: Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Wilford BrimleyDirector: Barry Levinson
Brand: Team Marketing
Producer: Mark Johnson
Producer: Philip M. Breen
Producer: Robert F. Colesberry
Producer: Roger Towne
Writer: Roger Towne
Writer: Bernard Malamud
Writer: Phil Dusenberry
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Unknown; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Unknown; Japanese (Original Language), Unknown; Portuguese (Original Language); French (Dubbed), Unknown; Japanese (Dubbed), Unknown; Portuguese (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 144 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-03
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Color: Multi
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Director's Cut; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
- Mizuno Custom Classic Ash Bat (Natural)
- MLB Superstars Show You Their Game DVD
- When It Was a Game - Triple Play Collection DVD
DVD Reviews of The Natural: Director's Cut
DVD Review: A baseball classic given the All-Star treatment - a Grand Slam!
Summary: 5 Stars
"There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was to play this game." For admirers of the original theatrical and, later, DVD version, of "The Natural" this is obviously A MUST. The story of Roy Hobbs, a great young talent in the Ted Williams mode (they even share the same number - 9), struck down in his prime, and then, like a phoenix, reborn into athletic glory, is one of the classic American stories of all time, based on the fine novel by Bernard Malamud. This new "Director's Cut" version is like revisiting a great fairy tale from childhood and being given more - and often longer - scenes with some of your favorite characters. Director Barry Levinson explains, in a video introduction to the film, the reasons for this new edition: how the original film was somewhat rushed into theatres and how he and his editor (and others) wanted a much different first act to the film. And here it is: the new footage deepens and darkens and gradually brightens the film into a much more satisfying experience and still does not diminish the impact of the original at all. In a word, PERFECT. The musical score, by the great Randy Newman, perhaps a little too insistent in the original film, cueing us to how we should feel, sneaks up on you more in this version and makes all the wonderful moments in the film that come later that much more moving. Also, Robert Redford's performance as Roy Hobbs is immeasurably helped here: the new footage (often original scenes with more footage added), even certain quick cuts, make for a more layered, textured performance that gives us greater insights into this troubled, but noble character - and show how a once, great, guileless young ballplayer still exists inside the older, careworn, but still talented, man he has become. There are beautiful moments restored here - often wordless - and some original scenes have been edited, so that even though there is additional footage, the new version only runs about six minutes longer than the original. Personally, I felt all the performances benefited from the new version - Robert Duvall, Kim Basinger, Darren McGavin, Glenn Close, Wilford Brimley, Richard Farnsworth, all doing splendid work here. And though my only quibble with the film was - and still is - the somewhat stilted staging of some of the scenes (I would have liked to have seen more reactions from the ballplayers and coaches during games - sometimes they just look blank even when watching something exciting going on), this is clearly a TRUE classic - and the new version will only add to its glory. The additional special features include a wealth of information about the making of the film, and a splendid featurette on "The Mythology of The Natural." Clearly this is why this film endures - and will for the next 100 years. It has a timeless feel, from the perfect performances, the superb direction, the obvious care that was taken in the music, costumes, sets (the fantastic scenes in the various ballparks), and, finally, to the story itself, so beautifully articulated by Glenn Close's character later in the story: "I believe we have two lives: the one we learn with, and the one we live with after that." This new DVD "Director's Cut" version drives this theme home with the precision of one of Roy Hobbs's mammoth home runs. It is a darker, more textured, but ultimately more illuminating experience (and perhaps even more moving than the original version) - and one of Barry Levinson's finest achievements. I wish they had re-released it on the big screen first. But here it is in a beautifully packaged DVD (with a great, old-fashioned cover), worth every penny, and then some. A grand slam!
Description of The Natural: Director's Cut
Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability, fixing his extraordinary talent in the mind of sportswriter Max Mercy (Duvall), who eventually becomes instrumental in Hobbs' career. But a meeting with a mysterious woman shatters his dream. Years pass and an older Hobbs reappears as a rookie for the New York Knights. Overcoming physical pain and defying those who have a stake in seeing the Knights lose, Hobbs, with his boyhood bat, has his chance to lead the Knights to the pennant and to finally fulfill his dream. Available Subtitles: English, French, Japanese Available Audio Tracks: English (Unknown Format), Japanese (Unknown Format), French (Unknown Format) "A Natural Gunned Down" The stalking of Eddie Waitkus featurette"Clubhouse Conversations" featurette"Extra Innings 1: Slow Motion" featurette"Extra Innings 2: Uniform Color" featurette"Extra Innings 3: The Sandberg Game" featurette"Extra Innings 4: The President?s Question" featuretteThe mythology of The Natural featurette "The Heart of The Natural" featuretteThree "Creating The Natural" featurettesVideo Introduction by Barry LevinsonDigitally Remastered Audio and VideoBestsellers in DVD
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