A 1992 American Biographical Sports Drama directed by Arthur Hiller that follows the life of Babe Ruth (John Goodman) and his rise and fall in baseball.
The movie also stars Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado, Bruce Boxleitner, Peter Donat, James Cromwell, Richard Tyson, Ralph Marrero, Bob Swan, Bernard Kates, Michael McGrady, Danny Goldring, and W. Earl Brown. Elmer Bernstein composed the score.
It was released on April 17, 1992.
Compare and contrast The Babe Ruth Story.
Tropes for the film:
- Berserk Button: Ruth does not like being called "incorrigible".
- Bittersweet Ending: Ruth ends his baseball career on a high note by defying the men who tried to exploit him, but he never manages a baseball team, and his unhealthy lifestyle leads to his death by throat cancer in 1948.
- Cigar Chomper: True to life, Ruth loves smoking cigars. And also true to life, it plays a part in his fatal bout with throat cancer.
- Cool Bike: The Bambino rides an early model Harley-Davidson.
- Demoted to Extra: Brother Matthias Boutlier is only around during Ruth's younger years. In real life, Ruth maintained contact with him during the former's career, even buying him a car after getting rich—and then buying him another one when it crashed.
- Gasshole: Ruth flatulates when someone pulls his index finger.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Ruth can be friendly at times, but the film shows that he can be quite vicious.
- He Is All Grown Up: Johnny Sylvester, a young boy for whom Ruth scores two home runs, reappears at the end of the film as an adult, having witnessed Ruth's final game and retirement. He returns the autographed ball that Ruth gave him, figuring it would be a good luck charm. Ruth is deeply touched by this, but sadly says that he's "solid gone" before trudging away.Johnny: You're the best! You're the best that's ever been!
- Henpecked Husband: Though loving and supportive, Claire keeps her husband under her thumb. This is actually a good thing, as she causes him to dial back on the hedonism and temperamental outbursts.
- Historical Domain Character:
- Babe Ruth, legendary baseball player.
- Claire Hodgson Ruth, Babe's second wife.
- Other well known players such as Jack Dunn, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, and Bill Carrigan make appearances.
- Chicago gang bosses Jim Colissimo, Johnny Torio, and Al Capone of all people show up in a scene after Babe signs with the Yankees.
- Historical Downgrade: Brother Matthias is played by the rather spindly James Cromwell. The real Matthias was quite muscular.
- Madness Mantra: Twice in the film, while at a really low point, Ruth is shown leaning against a wall and whimpering pitifully, "Never see life through Satan's eyes".
- Mathematician's Answer: The titular ballplayer arranges for an adoption because he and his first wife, Helen, have had no luck conceiving a child. He arrives at their home with a nanny holding an infant, and a dazed Helen inquires, "What is it?" She means to ask whether the child is a boy or a girl, but Babe replies incredulously, "A baby".
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: The last shot of the film depicts an utterly broken and exhausted Ruth trudging down the entrance tunnel of the baseball stadium before fading to black and giving an epilogue.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Brother Matthias is as stern and intimidating as his job requires him to be, but he still shows concern for the young Ruth and is the first one to recognize his potential for baseball.
- Jack Dunn, Ruth's manager, is a genuine friend to his client, and ultimately sticks by him even after Ruth's reputation starts going down.
- Second Love: Claire, Ruth's second wife, proves to have a rather sobering influence on him.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The movie ends in a Foregone Conclusion that nonetheless delivers this. As the movie ends on a triumphant, but bittersweet note for the character, a closing narrative is given with the music even more triumphant as it informs the viewer that not only was the Babe never allowed to manage in professional baseball as he dreamed to, he died of throat cancer on August 16, 1948.
- Tagline: "There was only one".
- Warts and All: The film does not shy away from Ruth's unhealthy habits, his explosively short temper, and his womanizing.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Jack Dunn vanishes not long after Ruth's baseball career experiences a resurgence. Justified, as historically, Dunn passed away in 1928.
