In the annals of great baseball movies, the modern benchmark appears to be Field of Dreams (1989). And it is a great movie. But there’s another excellent title featuring one of the characters (‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson) that was released the year previous. Eight Men Out is a factual biopic detailing the events behind the 1919 World Series scandal that ultimately destroyed the lives of several Chicago White Sox players.
For those who don’t know, the 1919 Chicago White Sox were considered one of the greatest teams ever to play the game. Feeling shorted and wanting for more compensation for their talent, a group of players are approached to throw the upcoming World Series. As more players are cajoled and accidentally brought into the fold, conflict arises within the group. There are also difficulties for the gamblers and mob elements as well, who are solely interested in their own profits. With all the unusual events behind-the-scenes and on the field, those in the stands begin to wonder about the flat performances as well, resulting in suspicion from all sides.
It actually quite striking how more of a forerunner the movie is to recent titles like Moneyball (2011). This is a detail-oriented exploration of how bribery and nefarious elements easily worked its way into the game. We get all the facts, from how poorly the players were compensated for their play to the how underhanded elements worked their way in, offering bribes to influence results. One can truly understand the temptation. Perhaps most fascinating are the emotions the players felt at being underappreciated by owners and also their internal conflict at taking a payout to throw their performance while playing a game they truly loved.
There are an awful lot of characters but they’re all very clearly defined in the opening act, which each important player getting a scene or two to identify their position, their personality and whether or not they’re in on the take. There’s also the team owner and coach, small time hoods, a big time gangster and sports journalists thrown into the mix. Thankfully, the cast consists of talented performers and their work helps engage viewers in the story even if we don’t get to see a lot of them. It’s full of familiar faces; John Cusack, Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd, Charlie Sheen, John Mahoney, David Strathairn, D.B. Sweeney, Michael Rooker, Don Harvey and Clifton James all share the screen.
That’s a lot of people in one story. As a result, there isn’t as much heart to the movie as your typical sports flick, but that isn’t the point of this production. Truthfully, Cusack carries the soul of the story as Buck Weaver, the player who knows what’s going on but refuses to participate (and ultimately is lumped in with the group by others, regardless of his protestations). And there is plenty of tension throughout. These players aren’t master thespians, and they rarely seem to be on the same page, leading to some tense conflict all around.
The Blu-ray carries over some of the extras from a special edition DVD released many years ago. There’s a great director’s commentary from John Sayles which elaborates on the production and even more of the details of the story. Additionally, there’s an hour long retrospective documentary and a theatrical trailer.
The details are fascinating and remarkable and even if you’re not a big baseball enthusiast, one can follow the events without too much trouble. Eight Men Out is an excellent film about the business of baseball and the unexpected ramifications of not taking ;proper care of players.