The Natural 1984

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: Being a baseball fan involves repeatedly experiencing exquisite pain and exquisite joy. Well, there's a lot of both in The Natural. Read more

Vincent Canby, New York Times: Though entertaining in short stretches, The Natural has no recognizable character of its own. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader: I've just about had it with directors who use the mythic mode as an alibi for unshaded characterizations, simpleminded plotting, and swells of artificial emotionality. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Arguably the best baseball movie ever made. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The message is: Baseball is purely and simply a matter of divine intervention. At about the 130-minute mark, I got the idea that God's only begotten son was playing right field for the New York team. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: Levinson must have felt he had to swing for the fences. He can be forgiven for choking up with all The Natural's fans looking on dubiously. In fairness, the official scorer must credit him with a single. And Redford with an RBI. Read more

Time Out: Let yourself go and be rewarded by the sight of a hero running home to victory through clouds of fire. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: The Natural is an impeccably made, but quite strange, fable about success and failure in America. Read more