Moneyball (film)

{{short description|2011 American biographical sports film by Bennett Miller}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Moneyball

| image = Moneyball Poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Bennett Miller

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

}}

| story = Stan Chervin

| based_on = {{Based on|Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game|Michael Lewis}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Mychael Danna

| cinematography = Wally Pfister

| editing = Christopher Tellefsen

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Columbia Pictures
Scott Rudin Productions
Michael De Luca Productions
Rachael Horovitz Productions
Plan B Entertainment

}}

| distributor = Sony Pictures Releasing

| released = {{Film date|2011|09|09|TIFF|2011|09|23|United States}}

| runtime = 133 minutes{{cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF283042 |title=Moneyball (12A) |work=British Board of Film Classification |date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=September 9, 2011 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184906/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/moneyball-film |url-status=dead}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $50 million{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/09/brad-pitt-moneyball-dolphin-tale-abduction.html |title=Movie Projector: Brad Pitt vs. 'Lion King,' 'Dolphin Tale' for No.1 |last=Kaufman |first=Amy |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 22, 2011 |access-date=September 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126105340/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/09/brad-pitt-moneyball-dolphin-tale-abduction.html |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |url-status=live}}

| gross = $110.2 million[https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=moneyball.htm "Moneyball (2011)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603185632/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=moneyball.htm |date=June 3, 2019}}. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved February 22, 2012.

}}

Moneyball is a 2011 American biographical sports drama film. It was directed by Bennett Miller and adapted by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin from the 2003 book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. It stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright and Chris Pratt. The book is an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team with half (or even a third) as much money as his rivals. In the film, Beane (Pitt) and his deputy Peter Brand (Hill) scout the major leagues for undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players, triggering skepticism and resentment within the baseball community.

Columbia Pictures bought the rights to Lewis's book in 2004, hiring Chervin to write the screenplay. David Frankel was initially set to direct with Zaillian now writing the screenplay, but was soon replaced by Steven Soderbergh, who planned to make the film in a semi-documentary style featuring interviews from real athletes, and having the real players and coaches on the team portray themselves. But before its July 2009 filming start, the film was put in turnaround due to creative differences between Soderbergh and Sony over a last-minute script rewrite. Soderbergh exited, and Miller was hired to direct, with Pitt becoming a producer and Sorkin hired for rewrites. Filming began in July 2010 at various stadiums such as Dodger Stadium and Oakland Coliseum.

The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 23, 2011, to box office success and critical acclaim, particularly for its acting and screenplay. The film received numerous accolades, such as six Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Pitt and Best Supporting Actor for Hill.

Plot

The Oakland Athletics (A's) of Major League Baseball have difficulty fielding competitive teams due to low revenue and owners who are reluctant to spend money. General manager Billy Beane drafts and develops cheap, young, and talented players,{{Efn|In Major League Baseball, players do not become free agents (that is, they cannot auction off their services to the highest bidder) for the first six years of their Major League careers.}} but the A's lose the 2001 American League Division Series (ALDS) to the New York Yankees, baseball's richest and most successful team.{{Efn|In 2001, the Yankees' payroll was $112.8 million, over three times larger than the Athletics' payroll of $33.8 million. The Yankees had the largest payroll in baseball, while the Athletics had the second-smallest.{{Cite web |title=2001 Major League Baseball Attendance & Team Age |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2001-misc.shtml |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}}} For the 2002 season, Beane is given a paltry $41 million budget.{{Efn|In 2002, the Yankees once again spent three times as much money as the Athletics.{{Cite web |title=2002 Major League Baseball Attendance & Team Age |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2002-misc.shtml |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}}} Through free agency, three richer teams poach three of Beane's best players: Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen. Adding insult to injury, Giambi joins the Yankees.

Beane is skeptical about traditional baseball scouting methods after the New York Mets drafted him in the first round of the 1980 draft—prompting Beane to decline a Stanford scholarship—only for Beane to have an unimpressive playing career. Beane tries to trade for the Cleveland Indians' Karim García, but Cleveland refuses on the advice of team advisor Peter Brand, a Yale economics graduate who privately complains to Beane that Cleveland rarely takes his advice. Beane asks whether Brand would have drafted him in 1980. After Brand reluctantly admits that he would not have drafted Beane until the ninth round, Beane hires Brand.

Beane and Brand study sabermetrics, an unconventional scouting philosophy. Unable to afford 5-tool players, Beane and Brand focus on maximizing the team's on-base percentage (OBP) and compromise on skills like base stealing, defense, and batting average. They acquire undervalued players like aging David Justice, injured catcher Scott Hatteberg, and submariner Chad Bradford. Beane fires head scout Grady Fuson, who refuses to abandon his traditional scouting methods.

A poor start to the season prompts the media and the team to question Beane's philosophy. Manager Art Howe, who is angling for a contract extension, disregards Brand's advice to put the players with the best OBP at the top of the batting order. Howe refuses to play Hatteberg at first base, but Beane forces Hatteberg into the lineup by trading away Howe's starting first baseman Carlos Peña. Although Jeremy Giambi has good on-base skills, Beane decides that Giambi lacks the intangible qualities to succeed and trades him too.{{efn|In his review of the film, critic Alan Sepinwall remarked that "I've been around the more analytically-minded corners of Sports Internet for so long that I remember the absolute *meltdown* that happened online when the Jeremy Giambi/John Mabry trade happened. I just looked up the Baseball Prime comments from that day. A highly representative quote: 'So much for Billy Beane, Genius.'"{{Cite web |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=2023-07-16 |title=A ★★★★ review of Moneyball (2011) |url=https://letterboxd.com/alan_sepinwall/film/moneyball/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=letterboxd.com |language=en}} In 2012, Chris Jaffe remarked in The Hardball Times that "I don’t think any such trade could inflict such psychological shockwaves on that stat community as this one did. I just don’t think it’s possible. ... Now, stats vs. scouts has become more stats and scouts."{{Cite web |last=Jaffe |first=Chris |date=2012-05-22 |title=10th anniversary: Giambi-Mabry trade |url=https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/10th-anniversary-giambi-mabry-trade/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=The Hardball Times}}}} Beane persuades team owner Stephen Schott to trust in the plan. With Cleveland performing poorly, Beane devises a trade for the Indians' star reliever Ricardo Rincón.

The A's performance improves, placing them on the verge of a AL-record-breaking 20th consecutive win. Although Beane rarely attends games, his daughter Casey persuades him to attend the next game against the Kansas City Royals. Oakland leads 11–0 when Beane arrives, but the Royals mount a furious comeback and tie the game. Hatteberg hits a walk-off home run to the Oakland fans' delight. Despite the celebration, Beane tells Brand he will not be satisfied until they have changed baseball by winning the World Series.

The Athletics win the AL West but lose to the Minnesota Twins in the 2002 ALDS. A media analyst asserts that the A's lost because they lacked intangible qualities that cannot be measured with statistics. However, Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry realizes that the A's lost primarily because of random chance and their small budget. He offers Beane $12.5 million—the largest contract for a general manager in history—to take over the Red Sox organization. Tempted by the opportunity to implement his ideas on a larger budget, Beane discloses Henry's offer to Brand and says that their strategy failed. Brand shows Beane a video of batter Jeremy Brown, who hits a home run, but does not realize it. After listening to Casey sing "The Show", Beane turns down Henry's offer.

An epilogue reveals that the Red Sox utilized sabermetrics to win the 2004 World Series, prompting other teams to embrace Beane's philosophy.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Brad Pitt as Billy Beane
Jonah Hill as Peter Brand, partially based on Paul DePodesta
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe
Robin Wright as Sharon Beane
Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg
Stephen Bishop as David Justice
Reed Diamond as Mark Shapiro
Brent Jennings as Ron Washington
Ken Medlock as Grady Fuson
Jack McGee as Rocco
Vyto Ruginis as Chris Pittaro
Nick Searcy as Matt Keough
Glenn Morshower as Ron Hopkins
Casey Bond as Chad Bradford
Nick Porrazzo as Jeremy Giambi
Kerris Dorsey as Casey Beane
Arliss Howard as John W. Henry
Derrin Ebert as Mike Magnante
Miguel Mendoza as Ricardo Rincón
Adrian Bellani as Carlos Peña
Art Ortiz as Eric Chavez
Royce Clayton as Miguel Tejada}}

Film director Spike Jonze has a small uncredited role as Alán, Sharon's spouse.{{cite web |last1=Buchanan |first1=Kyle |title=How Spike Jonze Ended Up in The Wolf of Wall Street |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/spike-jonze-wolf-of-wall-street-cameo.html |work=Vulture |access-date=12 May 2020 |date=December 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106215618/http://www.vulture.com/2013/12/spike-jonze-wolf-of-wall-street-cameo.html |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=live}} Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick appears as Athletics co-owner Stephen Schott.{{cite web |last1=Bond |first1=Paul |title='Moneyball': Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick Plays Baseball Mogul in Film (Video) |date=June 22, 2011 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moneyball-activision-blizzards-bobby-kotick-204635 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518153905/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moneyball-activision-blizzards-bobby-kotick-204635 |archive-date=May 18, 2016 |url-status=live}}

Production

=Development and pre-production=

File:Aaron Sorkin (27566400913).jpg asked Aaron Sorkin (pictured) to rewrite the screenplay. He agreed on the condition the initial screenwriter Steven Zaillian gave his blessing. Sorkin and Zaillian shared screenplay credit.]]

In May 2004, Sony Pictures acquired the rights to the Michael Lewis book, and had hired Stan Chervin to write the screenplay.{{cite web |last1=B. |first1=Brian |title=Sony acquires Moneyball |date=May 5, 2004 |url=https://movieweb.com/sony-acquires-moneyball/ |work=MovieWeb |access-date=4 July 2020}} By October 2008, Brad Pitt was being courted to star in the film, now being written by Steven Zaillian, and David Frankel was attached to direct.{{cite web |last1=Siegel |first1=Tatiana |title=Columbia pitches 'Moneyball' to Pitt |date=October 17, 2008 |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/columbia-pitches-moneyball-to-pitt-1117994175/ |work=Variety |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723223209/http://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/columbia-pitches-moneyball-to-pitt-1117994175/ |archive-date=July 23, 2017 |url-status=live}} Frankel and Pitt met with one another during the week of the 66th Golden Globe Awards to discuss the project, but eventually Frankel would exit by February 2009, with Steven Soderbergh entering negotiations to direct.{{cite magazine |last1=Sperling |first1=Nicole |title=Brad Pitt and Steven Soderbergh to team up on 'Moneyball' movie? |url=https://ew.com/article/2009/02/05/moneyball-3/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=4 July 2020 |date=February 5, 2009 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184905/https://ew.com/article/2009/02/05/moneyball-3/ |url-status=live}} Soderbergh confirmed his involvement in May that year, and in talking about the film, stated "I think we have a way in, making it visual and making it funny. I want it to be really funny and entertaining, and I want you to not realize how much information is being thrown at you because you're having fun. We've found a couple of ideas on how to bust the form a bit, in order for all that information to reach you in a way that's a little oblique".{{cite web |url=http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Steven%20Soderbergh%3A%20The%20Girlfriend%20Experience |title=Steven Soderbergh: The Girlfriend Experience |website=SuicideGirls.com |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525093205/http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Steven%20Soderbergh:%20The%20Girlfriend%20Experience/ |archive-date=May 25, 2009 |url-status=live}} Demetri Martin was cast to play Paul DePodesta in the film, with former Athletics players Scott Hatteberg and David Justice playing themselves, and interview segments featuring players Darryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra set to occur.{{cite magazine |last1=Fleming |first1=Michael |title=Demetri Martin swings at 'Moneyball' |date=April 21, 2009 |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/demetri-martin-swings-at-moneyball-1118002626/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927214928/http://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/demetri-martin-swings-at-moneyball-1118002626/ |archive-date=September 27, 2015 |url-status=live}}

Production under Soderbergh was set to begin in July 2009, and was to be shot on location at Oakland Coliseum. Art Howe, former manager of the team, was also set to appear as himself.{{cite news |title=A's notebook: Lights, camera, action … for 'Moneyball |date=May 26, 2009 |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/05/26/as-notebook-lights-camera-action-for-moneyball/ |work=East Bay Times |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184921/https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/05/26/as-notebook-lights-camera-action-for-moneyball/ |url-status=live}} Five days before its July 8 filming start date, Sony cancelled the film and entered it into "limited turnaround". The cited reason for the cancellation was that, upon a last-minute script revision by Soderbergh that added "an abundance of baseball details", studio executives felt the audience would feel alienated. It was also stated that the studio now felt the film was too "arty" for its $58 million budget. Soderbergh was said to be unwilling to compromise, leaving Sony chairwoman Amy Pascal "apoplectic". Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. both turned down offers to pick up the project.{{cite web |last1=Brooks |first1=Xan |title=Soderbergh's Moneyball mothballed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/03/steven-soderbergh-brad-pitt-moneyball-mothballed |work=The Guardian |date=July 3, 2009 |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107123213/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/03/steven-soderbergh-brad-pitt-moneyball-mothballed |archive-date=January 7, 2019 |url-status=live}} Soderbergh revealed he exited the film in a September 2009 interview with The Orlando Sentinel, saying, "There have been a couple of times in my career where I've been unceremoniously removed from projects. I don't waste a lot of energy on it. It doesn't get you anywhere. As soon as it became clear that there was no iteration of that movie that I was going to get to direct, I immediately started looking around for something else to do".{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Russ |title=Soderbergh Finally Talks About Moneyball |date=September 2, 2009 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/soderbergh-finally-talks-about-moneyball/ |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705015113/https://www.slashfilm.com/soderbergh-finally-talks-about-moneyball/ |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live}}

In December 2009, Bennett Miller was hired to direct the film,{{cite web |title=Bennett Miller to Direct Moneyball |date=December 5, 2009 |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/61417-bennett-miller-to-direct-moneyball |website=Comingsoon.net |access-date=20 January 2021}} with the casting of Jonah Hill, who was replacing Martin as DePodesta, announced in March 2010.{{cite web |last1=Wales |first1=George |title=Jonah Hill joins Brad Pitt for Moneyball |date=March 9, 2010 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/jonah-hill-joins-brad-pitt-for-moneyball/ |website=GamesRadar+ |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184947/https://www.gamesradar.com/jonah-hill-joins-brad-pitt-for-moneyball/ |url-status=live}} DePodesta's name was removed upon his request as he felt the script no longer accurately depicted him; Hill was given the role of a DePodesta-like "Peter Brand."{{cite magazine |last1=Barshad |first1=Amos |title=If It's Cool With Everyone, Paul DePodesta Would Really Rather Jonah Hill Not Use His Name in Moneyball |date=August 5, 2010 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2010/08/if_its_cool_with_everyone_paul.html |magazine=New York |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705014716/https://www.vulture.com/2010/08/if_its_cool_with_everyone_paul.html |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live}} Aaron Sorkin was brought on to provide a rewrite of the screenplay. Pascal had specifically sought out Sorkin's involvement, in addition to Pitt joining as a producer, and bringing producer Scott Rudin on board as executive producer. Sorkin agreed on the condition Zaillian gave his blessing. Sorkin and Zaillian eventually worked on different drafts of the script independently of one another.{{cite news |title=THR's Writer Roundtable: 6 Top Scribes Talk Standing Up to Clint Eastwood, Dealing with Rewrites and Being Fired by Your Wife |date=November 21, 2011 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/thr-writer-roundtable-dustin-lance-black-264313 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705012016/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/thr-writer-roundtable-dustin-lance-black-264313 |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Block |first1=Alex Ben |title=Brad Pitt Reveals What He, Sony Did to Save 'Moneyball' |date=December 16, 2011 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moneyball-making-brad-pitt-bennett-miller-274738 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222225429/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moneyball-making-brad-pitt-bennett-miller-274738 |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |url-status=live}} Miller took three weeks to agree to do the film, and stated he wasn't interested in making a traditional sports film, seeking instead to make it "subversive to the genre. It's not really a conventional sports movie. It puts all that stuff on its head".{{cite news |last1=Block |first1=Alex Ben |title=Making of 'Moneyball' |date=December 13, 2011 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-moneyball-272655 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184933/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/making-moneyball-272655 |url-status=live}} Cinematographer Adam Kimmel was initially set to work on the film, but due to his April 2010 arrest for sexual assault, was replaced by Wally Pfister.{{cite news |last1=Jagernauth |first1=Kevin |title=Cinematographer Adam Kimmel Arrested |url=https://theplaylist.net/cinematographer-adam-kimmel-arrested-20100426/ |work=The Playlist |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184946/https://theplaylist.net/cinematographer-adam-kimmel-arrested-20100426/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Wally Pfister, ASC, Shoots "Moneyball" |url=https://www.panavision.com/wally-pfister-asc-shoots-moneyball |website=Panavision |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821184135/http://www.panavision.com/wally-pfister-asc-shoots-moneyball |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |url-status=live}} In May, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright entered negotiations to join the cast, with Hoffman portraying Howe, and Wright as Beane's ex-wife.{{cite web |title=Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright Circling Moneyball |date=May 14, 2010 |url=https://movieweb.com/philip-seymour-hoffman-and-robin-wright-circling-moneyball/ |work=MovieWeb |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904185002/https://movieweb.com/philip-seymour-hoffman-and-robin-wright-circling-moneyball/ |url-status=live}} Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop and Kathryn Morris were added to the cast in July, though Morris's scenes were cut.{{cite web |last1=Moody |first1=Mike |title=Chris Pratt joins 'Moneyball' cast |date=July 14, 2010 |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a243851/chris-pratt-joins-moneyball-cast/ |work=Digital Spy |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222045511/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a243851/chris-pratt-joins-moneyball-cast/ |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |last1=Sneider |first1=Jeff |title=Kathryn Morris gets 'Discarded' |date=May 30, 2012 |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/kathryn-morris-gets-discarded-1118054797/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801061005/http://variety.com/2012/film/news/kathryn-morris-gets-discarded-1118054797/ |archive-date=August 1, 2013 |url-status=live}} Pratt described how he initially was told in his first audition for the role of Hatteberg that he was "too fat". He took three months to work out and shed 30 pounds, which led to him winning the role.{{cite news |title=Chris Pratt: I Was Too Fat For 'Moneyball' Role |date=August 29, 2011 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-pratt-i-was-too-fat-moneyball_n_940579 |work=HuffPost |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184956/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-pratt-i-was-too-fat-moneyball_n_940579 |url-status=live}} Bishop, portraying Justice in the film, had grown up idolizing the player, and played baseball for the advanced-A affiliate team of the Atlanta Braves at the time Justice was on their roster.{{cite news |last1=Prewitt |first1=Alex |title=Stephen Bishop plays David Justice in 'Moneyball' |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/index/_/id/7008804 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184946/http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/index/_/id/7008804 |url-status=live}} Real baseball players, scouts, umpires, executives, and groundskeepers were included alongside the actors. For the role of Billy Beane’s daughter, Miller auditioned several young actresses before selecting Kerris Dorsey, whose performance included a rendition of Lenka's The Show.

=Filming=

Filming was given a July 2010 start date with a reduced budget of $47 million after Pitt agreed to a pay cut.{{cite web |last1=Fleming |first1=Mike Jr. |title=Finally, It's Batter Up For 'Moneyball' |date=April 12, 2010 |url=https://deadline.com/2010/04/finally-its-batter-up-for-moneyball-31167/ |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927123916/https://deadline.com/2010/04/finally-its-batter-up-for-moneyball-31167/ |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |url-status=live}} Filming took place at Blair Field for eight days.{{cite magazine |first1=Stephanie |last1=Perez |first2=Jonathan |last2=Murrietta |title=Finding the "Money Shot" in Blair Field |url=https://www.lb908.com/post/2018/08/31/finding-the-money-shot-in-blair-field |magazine=Long Beach 908 Magazine |access-date=September 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204001332/https://www.lb908.com/post/2018/08/31/finding-the-money-shot-in-blair-field |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |url-status=live}} To save money, Dodger Stadium was used to stand in for several stadiums. Roughly 700 extras portrayed fans in the stadiums for the game scenes.{{cite web |date=September 14, 2010 |last1=Verrier |first1=Richard |title='Moneyball' films scenes in Dodger Stadium |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/09/moneyball-films-scenes-in-dodger-stadium.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=1 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705022638/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/09/moneyball-films-scenes-in-dodger-stadium.html |archive-date=July 5, 2020 |url-status=live}} Scenes were shot at the Oakland Coliseum beginning on July 26.{{cite web |last1=Stiglich |first1=Joe |title=Oakland A's update: Filming of Coliseum scenes for 'Moneyball' movie starts July 26 |date=July 6, 2010 |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/07/06/oakland-as-update-filming-of-coliseum-scenes-for-moneyball-movie-starts-july-26/ |newspaper=The Mercury News |location=San Jose, California |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430132759/http://www.mercurynews.com/2010/07/06/oakland-as-update-filming-of-coliseum-scenes-for-moneyball-movie-starts-july-26/ |archive-date=April 30, 2017 |url-status=live}} Principal photography took place over 58 days, with filming locations including Dodger Stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, and Fenway Park.{{Cite web |last=Block |first=Alex Ben |date=2011-12-13 |title=Making of ‘Moneyball’ |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/making-moneyball-272655/ |access-date= |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=}} Production designer Jess Gonchor recreated the interior spaces of the Oakland Athletics' facilities—including the locker room, weight room, and video room—on a Sony soundstage, while exteriors of the Coliseum were filmed on location, often at night to accommodate the A's game schedule. Since the production had a limited budget, Dodger Stadium was dressed to represent multiple ballparks visited by the Athletics. Some scenes set in Oakland were filmed in Long Beach and Glendale, California.

=Music=

{{Main|Moneyball (soundtrack){{!}}Moneyball (soundtrack)}}

The score was composed by Mychael Danna, with whom Miller worked on Capote. Danna implemented the song "The Mighty Rio Grande" by This Will Destroy You throughout the film.{{cite web |last1=Perez |first1=Rodrigo |title=Mychael Danna's Rousing 'Moneyball' Score Feat. This Will Destroy You & A Lenka Song Is A Big Winner |date=September 23, 2011 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/09/mychael-dannas-rousing-moneyball-score-feat-this-will-destroy-you-a-lenka-song-is-a-big-winner-116174/ |work=Indiewire |access-date=4 September 2020 |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118210855/http://www.indiewire.com/2011/09/mychael-dannas-rousing-moneyball-score-feat-this-will-destroy-you-a-lenka-song-is-a-big-winner-116174/ |url-status=live}} Joe Satriani plays the 'Star Spangled Banner' at the first game of the 2002 season. In the film, Billy Beane's daughter, Casey Beane (played by Kerris Dorsey), performs a cover of Australian singer Lenka's 2008 song "The Show", which is included in the soundtrack of the film. Another notable song featured in Moneyball's soundtrack is "Give Up the Funk".

Accuracy

David Haglund of Slate and Jonah Keri of Grantland criticized the film and book for excluding pitchers Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito and position players such as Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada--all discovered via traditional scouting methods, and key contributors to the success of the 2002 Athletics.{{cite magazine |first=David |last=Haglund |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2011/09/more_moneyball_same_problems.html |date=2011-09-21 |title=More Moneyball, Same Problems |magazine=Slate |access-date=2017-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503025408/http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2011/09/more_moneyball_same_problems.html |archive-date=May 3, 2017 |url-status=live}}

Former Oakland A's manager Art Howe has spoken publicly about his disapproval of his portrayal in an interview on Sirius XM. "It is very disappointing to know that you spent seven years in an organization and gave your heart and soul to it and helped them go to the postseason your last three years there and win over 100 games your last two seasons and this is the way evidently your boss [Beane] feels about you." Howe also said producers of Miller's version of the film didn't contact him to consult on his portrayal.{{cite web |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/howe-upset-with-moneyball-portrayal |title=Howe upset with 'Moneyball' portrayal |work=Fox Sports |date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=November 16, 2012}} Hatteberg also said that Howe was portrayed inaccurately, saying: "Art Howe was a huge supporter of mine. I never got the impression from him that I was not his first choice." He mentioned Howe and Beane had a "turbulent relationship".{{cite web |first=Mike |last=Ryan |url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/09/21/scott-hatteberg-moneyball-interview-facts-fiction/ |title=Real Life 'Moneyball' Major Leaguer Scott Hatteberg on the Facts and Fiction of the New Film |website=Moviefone |date=September 21, 2011 |access-date=November 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601123614/http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/09/21/scott-hatteberg-moneyball-interview-facts-fiction |archive-date=June 1, 2013 |url-status=dead}}

The San Francisco Chronicle noted several inaccuracies in the film, including that players such as Giambi and Bradford had already joined the team before the time depicted in the film, and that the Giambi and Peña trades did not occur at the same time.{{cite news |last1=Slusser |first1=Susan |title='Moneyball' movie plays games with the truth |date=September 25, 2011 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Moneyball-movie-plays-games-with-the-truth-2308642.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123031958/http://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Moneyball-movie-plays-games-with-the-truth-2308642.php |archive-date=January 23, 2018 |url-status=live}}

Release

Moneyball premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2011,{{cite news |title=TIFF 2011: U2, Brad Pitt, George Clooney Films Featured At 2011 Toronto International Film Festival |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/26/tiff-brad-pitt-2011-george-clooney-u2_n_909633.html#s316195&title=U2 |access-date=August 25, 2011 |newspaper=The Huffington Post |agency=The Canadian Press |date=July 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208021030/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/07/26/tiff-brad-pitt-2011-george-clooney-u2_n_909633.html#s316195&title=U2 |archive-date=December 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}} and was released theatrically on September 23, 2011, by Columbia Pictures.{{cite web |title=Moneyball |url=http://www.allentheatresinc.com/movie/moneyball/ |website=Allen Theatres, Inc. |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184949/http://www.allentheatresinc.com/movie/moneyball/ |url-status=live}} The film was also released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 6, 2011, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Reception

=Box office=

Moneyball grossed $75.6 million in the United States and Canada and $34.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $110.2 million, against a production budget of $50 million. The film grossed $19.5 million from 2,993 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind the 3D re-release of The Lion King.{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2011&wknd=38&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office: September 23–25, 2011 |work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217063204/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2011&wknd=38&p=.htm|archive-date=February 17, 2017|url-status=live}} In its second weekend it grossed $12 million (a drop of only 38.3%), again finishing second.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2011&wknd=39&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office: September 30 – October 1, 2011 |work=Box Office Mojo

|access-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217062939/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2011&wknd=39&p=.htm|archive-date=February 17, 2017|url-status=live}}

=Critical response=

On Rotten Tomatoes, Moneyball holds an approval rating of 94% based on 265 reviews, with an average rating of 8.00/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Director Bennett Miller, along with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, take a niche subject and turn it into a sharp, funny, and touching portrait worthy of baseball lore."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moneyball |title=Moneyball |work=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango |access-date=January 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213204655/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moneyball |archive-date=December 13, 2018 |url-status=live}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/moneyball |title=Moneyball |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626072406/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/moneyball |archive-date=June 26, 2012 |url-status=live}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com |title=Find CinemaScore |format=Type "Moneyball" in the search box |website=CinemaScore |access-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |archive-date=January 2, 2018 |url-status=live}} The film appeared on 35 critics' top-ten lists for the best films of 2011, with two critics ranking it first and another ranking it second.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/movie-critic-best-of-2011-top-ten-lists |title=2011 Film Critic Top Ten Lists [Updated Dec. 22] |first=Jason |last=Dietz |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=December 8, 2011 |access-date=December 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626084253/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/movie-critic-best-of-2011-top-ten-lists |archive-date=June 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}

{{Multiple image

| align = right

| direction =

| total_width = 300

| image1 = Brad Pitt 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg

| alt1 = Brad Pitt

| caption1 =

| image2 = Jonah Hill 2012.jpg

| alt2 = Jonah Hill

| caption2 =

| caption_align = center

| header_align = center

| height1 = 500

| height2 = 500

| width1 = 380

| width2 = 431

| footer = Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill garnered critical acclaim, earning them Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.

}}

Roger Ebert, in his four-star review, praised the film for its "intelligence and depth", specifically highlighting the screenplay and its "terse, brainy dialogue."{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Playing in the commodities markets |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/moneyball-2011 |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608061830/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/moneyball-2011 |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |url-status=live}} Manohla Dargis of The New York Times found Pitt's performance "relaxed yet edgy and sometimes unsettling", and stated she couldn't see anyone but Pitt in the role.{{cite news |last1=Dargis |first1=Manohla |title=Throwing a Digital-Age Curveball |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/movies/brad-pitt-in-moneyball-by-bennett-miller.html |work=The New York Times |date=September 22, 2011 |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606155231/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/movies/brad-pitt-in-moneyball-by-bennett-miller.html |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |url-status=live}} Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers also praised Pitt's performance, in addition to Miller's direction and the screenplay, which he referred to as "dynamite".{{cite magazine |last1=Travers |first1=Peter |title=Moneyball |date=September 22, 2011 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/moneyball-118741/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102104928/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/moneyball-118741/ |archive-date=January 2, 2020 |url-status=live}} Owen Gleiberman for Entertainment Weekly highlighted Hoffman's performance alongside Pitt and Hill, finding Hoffman "does a character turn that's as fresh for him as the crew cut that makes him look like a grizzled old-timer."{{cite magazine |last1=Gleiberman |first1=Owen |title=Moneyball |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/09/28/moneyball/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406145337/http://ew.com/article/2011/09/28/moneyball/ |archive-date=April 6, 2018 |url-status=live}} Kirk Honeycutt was complimentary of the comedic chemistry between Pitt and Hill, which prompted Honeycutt to compare the film to The Bad News Bears and Major League.{{cite web |last1=Honeycutt |first1=Kirk |title=Moneyball: Toronto Review |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 8, 2011 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/moneyball-toronto-review-233013 |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701162644/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/moneyball-toronto-review-233013 |archive-date=July 1, 2019 |url-status=live}} Brian Eggert, owner and film critic of Deep Focus Review, said "even if you don't care much for baseball or sports in general, traces of a very human underdog drama come through to render the experience a universally consumable one."

In his review for New York magazine, David Edelstein said that Pitt's performance made the film more focused towards Beane as opposed to the team.{{cite magazine |last1=Edelstein |first1=David |title=Sluggers |date=September 16, 2011 |url=https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/moneyball-edelstein-2011-9/ |magazine=New York |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528115747/https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/moneyball-edelstein-2011-9/ |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |url-status=live}} Dana Stevens of Slate wrote that the film could be enjoyed by viewers who typically don't like sports movies. Stevens also highlighted Hill's performance, saying that the role "gives him the chance to be funny, not by wisecracking broadly but by underreacting."{{cite magazine |last1=Stevens |first1=Dana |title=Moneyball |date=September 22, 2011 |url=https://slate.com/culture/2011/09/moneyball-reviewed-a-great-sports-movie-for-people-who-can-t-stand-sports-movies.html |magazine=Slate |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904185005/https://slate.com/culture/2011/09/moneyball-reviewed-a-great-sports-movie-for-people-who-can-t-stand-sports-movies.html |url-status=live}} Writing in Slant Magazine, Bill Weber praised Pitt's performance, but found the film formulaic: "But true to Hollywood's tireless efforts to fit square-peg material into roundish genre niches, this wavering, intermittently smart story of daring to think differently flattens its narrative into formula." Weber also felt the audience would endure "tonal whiplash", pointing to the scene of Beane and Brand executing various trades: "played for laughs" but "the rhythm isn't snappy enough to draw laughs."{{cite magazine |last1=Weber |first1=Bill |title=Film Review: Moneyball |date=September 22, 2011 |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/moneyball/ |magazine=Slant Magazine |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904184953/https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/moneyball/ |url-status=live}} Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle found the film to be filled with compromises, writing, "Someone crammed Major League-style sports cliches into a more nuanced story about baseball and progress – and then tried to fit a Brad Pitt star vehicle inside of that. The result is an interesting but frustrating near-miss." Hartlaub also criticized the film's runtime.{{cite news |last1=Hartlaub |first1=Peter |title='Moneyball' review: Just a bit outside reality |date=September 23, 2011 |url=https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Moneyball-review-Just-a-bit-outside-reality-2308596.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231120242/https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Moneyball-review-Just-a-bit-outside-reality-2308596.php |archive-date=December 31, 2018 |url-status=live}}

Accolades

{{Main|List of accolades received by Moneyball (film){{!}}List of accolades received by Moneyball (film)}}

The film received 6 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing.{{cite web |title=The 84th Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2012 |website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417095424/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2012 |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |url-status=live}} At the 69th Golden Globe Awards, the film received 4 nominations: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Pitt), Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture (Hill) and Best Screenplay.{{cite web |title=The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards NOMINATIONS |website=Golden Globes |date=December 15, 2011 |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/69th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations |publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=5 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119102946/https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/69th-annual-golden-globe-awards-nominations |archive-date=November 19, 2017 |url-status=live}}