Forgotten Kevin Costner Gem With 97% Tomatometer is Now on Prime (Just in Time for Baseball Season)

Summary

• A great 1988 sports romantic comedy drama movie recently became available on Prime.
• It is a movie with Kevin Costner that tells the story of the MiLB club.
• Both at the time of its release and now, critics and audiences alike are in absolute raptures.

Now that the Super Bowl is over and the Kansas City Chiefs are once again overwhelming favorites after beating the 49ers, it's time to switch from the NFL to the MLB, which has been going on for a month now.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are leading the way despite losing two of three to the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves are once again showing off their incredibly talented team, and the New York Yankees... well, the Yankees haven't shown any impressive results yet, but as usual, they are the loudest voices in the media.

Well, in between, we suggest you check out the excellent, if somewhat forgotten in 2024, sports rom-com, starring none other than Kevin Costner as a veteran catcher. Though the film moves from the major leagues to the experiences of minor league players, it is considered by many to be one of the best portrayals of baseball in all of cinema! With the film receiving incredible critical acclaim and recently being made available for streaming on Prime, why not check it out?

What Is This Movie?

White Men Can't Jump with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, Cobb with Tommy Lee Jones, Play It to the Bone with the aforementioned Harrelson and Antonio Banderas are all sports movies that few people hadn't heard of in the 90's, and what they have in common is a director and writer, filmmaker Ron Shelton. He's a former MiLB infielder, which is why many of his movies are not just about sports, but touch on personal experiences.

He was particularly inspired to create the 1988 sports rom-com Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.

The plot follows Lawrence 'Crash' Davis, a former member of the Triple-A International League club Richmond Braves, who is sent to play catcher for the then-Single-A MiLB club Durham Bulls.

His main goal is to coach Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' Laloosh (Robbins), a hot-headed but incredibly talented pitcher who has all the potential to be a future major league star. Except, as we said, he has a hotheaded temperament, a lack of proper experience, and an inability to think through tactics on the fly. At the same time, there is a storyline with Annie Savoy (Sarandon), a groupie who is Nuke's girlfriend, but in the course of events falls in love with Crash.

What Are Critics and Audiences Saying about It?

In addition to Ron Shelton's baseball background, Bull Durham featured real-life minor league players recruited by semi-pro baseball player Pete Bock. As a result, Costner and Tim Robbins played alongside real players rather than supporting characters.

With such a strong love for baseball and its portrayal on screen, coupled with an excellent script, free of annoying clichés but full of good jokes and romance, as well as memorable acting performances, Bull Durham received incredibly enthusiastic reviews upon its release.

The movie's ratings remain high, with an impressive 97% critics score and 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a movie that is sure to please, thanks to its first-hand baseball experience, cleverly written and funny dialogue, and of course, the charisma of Kevin Costner.

Bull Durham is one of those hidden gems that should not be hidden at all. After all, it's a great sports comedy-drama that will appeal to both hardcore baseball fans and those who just want to see a well-written story starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins. Bull Durham is available to stream on Prime.