Fifth about The Seventh

The Natural

The Natural: the story told by Barry Levinson in this sports drama is, essentially, a real-world fable, of a man that against all odds finds himself a hero disguised as a baseball player. The story leans heavily towards nostalgia, but it doesn’t have much going on for it. Robert Redford is both the right and wrong choice for the role: he exudes the golden boy aura it asks, but he is undeniably too old. Kim Basinger is a fine choice for the seductress that appears in his life. Robert Duvall is adequately sleazy, while Wilford Brimley and Richard Farnsworth are likewise good choices as the pair of coaches. Much of the nostalgia factor comes from the golden hues of Caleb Deschanel’s cinematography and composer Randy Newman’s musical score; editor Stu Linder makes sure the sports scenes are exciting to watch.

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