‘The Natural’ (1984)
In spite of the A-list stars — Glenn Close, Robert Redford and Kim Basinger — Barry Levinson creates a great film in his adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s 1954 novel, ‘The Natural‘. Adapted from for the screen by Robert Towne (‘Chinatown‘ (1974), ‘The Firm’ (1993)) , Levinson manipulates these high-dollar performers like the actors in a Cassavetes film — the characters they play are caricatures of the performers themselves.
Redford is the faded golden-boy; Basinger is the Monroe-like gold-digger to his DiMaggio; Close plays the homely high-school sweetheart who ultimately redeems him. [Read more →]
