Can you enjoy the film Moneyball if you don’t know anything about baseball? In this Moneyball film review, I set out to determine whether those who know absolutely nothing about sports can enjoy this 2011 biopic, starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. 

I don’t know anything about baseball, sports, or the people who play them. Does that make me a good candidate for this Moneyball review? You decide… here are some real conversations I have had with my boyfriend:

Him: “Can you name three footballers?”

Me: “Garry Linekar. David Beckham. Rodney… Kicks?” 

(I was thinking of Wayne Rooney.)

Me: “I know this sounds stupid. But is The Superbowl like… all the sports?”

Him: “No, that’s The Olympics.”

Based on this ignorance, I should objectively be the last person to enjoy a film about baseball. But if a film is well-made, it doesn’t matter about the subject matter– right? Let’s find out!

*Content warnings* Some swearing and moderate violence.

Title, Date: Moneyball (2011)

Director: Bennett Miller

Star rating: 4*

What is the Film Moneyball About?

Based on real events immortalised in book form by financial journalist Michael Lewis, Moneyball follows former baseball player and general manager to the Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) as he attempts to build a competitive squad for the 2001 season using a statistics-based method. 

The catalyst for Beane’s new approach is the Oakland Athletic’s loss to the New York Yankees, prompting the departure of three of their best players. With a limited budget, Beane isn’t able to replace their players with those of the same calibre. 

That’s when he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), who introduces him to a new method: rather than choosing players based on their individual merit, you choose them based on sophisticated statistical analysis … eventually resulting in a team of players who other managers wouldn’t touch with a comically large foam finger.  

Who Wrote The Film Moneyball?

It’s no surprise to learn that Aaron Sorkin co-wrote this fast paced love letter (or… breakup letter?) to the game of baseball. But while his trademark, snappy dialogue permeates the tone and pace, it’s underpinned by several naturalistic elements which bring it down to Earth with a realistic bump.

This may have something to do with the fact that Sorkin teamed up with Gangs of New York writer Steven Zaillian for the script. The two of them balance each other out like a verbal see-saw, so that the film becomes as believable as the real events that inspired it.

Is Moneyball Interesting?

There’s always the risk that a film based on true events will be just kind of… boring, no matter how extraordinary the events themselves are. How do you imbue the mundane with the cinematic?

Moneyball’s answer is to up the emotional stakes by bringing Beane’s divorce, young daughter, and insecurities about his career into sharp focus - and there’s no shortage of amazing performances to bring this story to life. 

Who Was in Moneyball?

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were both Oscar-nominated for their performances in Moneyball, while a pink-cheeked, mumbling Chris Pratt shows up as Scott Hatteberg, a player with an elbow injury that has set him back. Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays Coach Art Howe, who is resistant to this fancy new strategy - so at odds with what he knows about baseball.

These opposing personalities are a great way to translate the film to the lay people in the audience (hi, that’s me, in case you hadn’t guessed!). As Beane explains the strategy, Coach Howe pushes back against it. They serve as exposition for the uninitiated, representing two opposing sides of the argument and thereby explaining to us everything we need to know in simple terms.

At its core, Moneyball is really a story about the underdog. How will this ragtag team of misfits ever win? This question keeps us watching and interested, even if - like me - you would have thought Billy Beane was a character from a 1940’s adventure novel before watching this film. 

Let’s get to the point - Can you watch, understand and enjoy Moneyball if you don’t know anything about baseball? The answer, in my opinion, is yes. 

Moneyball subtly explains the ‘status quo’ of professional baseball, so that when it’s disrupted by Beane’s ambitious statistical analysis strategy, us non-baseball-fans can understand the gravity of what’s being done. 

This then leads us to actually understand the games as they unfold on the pitch, and we find ourselves caring about whether Chris Pratt… throws a good… ball? (I may have liked the film, but don’t worry, I didn’t retain any of the terminology.)

Take it from someone who genuinely thought that The Superbowl was ‘all the sports’, Moneyball is worth two hours of your time (and it helps that it is currently streaming on Netflix!) 

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Written by Alex Scarlett

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