The Babe (1992)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer (WGA):

John Fusco (written by)

Release Date:

17 April 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

There Was Only One.

Plot:

Babe Ruth becomes a baseball legend but is unheroic to those who know him.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | New York Yankees | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Goodman	...	George Herman 'Babe' Ruth
Kelly McGillis	...	Claire Hodgson Ruth
Trini Alvarado	...	Helen Woodford Ruth
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Jumpin' Joe Dugan
Peter Donat	...	Harry Frazee
James Cromwell	...	Brother Mathias
J.C. Quinn	...	Jack Dunn
Joe Ragno	...	Miller Huggins
Richard Tyson	...	Guy Bush
Ralph Marrero	...	Frank 'Ping' Bodie
Robert Swan	...	George Herman Ruth Sr. (as Bob Swan)
Bernard Kates	...	Colonel Jack Ruppert
Michael McGrady	...	Lou Gehrig
Stephen Caffrey	...	Johnny Sylvester
Gene Ross	...	Brother Paul

Runtime:

Netherlands:115 min | USA:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:PG | Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The transportation scenes were filmed at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illionis. The museum's Frisco 1630 steam locomotive and the observation car "Inglehome" were used. The museum's 1859 Chicago horse car was moved to Chicago's Webster Street for a cameo role as a Baltimore horse-drawn tram in the segment about Ruth's childhood days.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Two of the many goofs in the film are the fact that Babe Ruth never hit an infield Homerun as depicted. While he did promise a sick Johnny Sylvester that he would hit a homerun for him he did not meet him in the hospital and he only promised him one homerun, not two as the film depicts.

Quotes:

Harry Frazee, Red Sox Owner: Half of everything I own just went down the drain with the "Gladiators of Broadway". The other half, is in the pocket of The Sultan of Swat, and he wants a raise and his own suites during road games.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Zombie Nightmare (#7.4)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Stardust

Just awful!

Could Babe Ruth have possibly been the undisciplined gutter swine he is portrayed as in this movie? The usually likable John Goodman is effective at losing audience compassion early, and then exposing an American icon as a moronic heel driven purely by his uncontrolled hedonism. You leave this movie feeling the ironic unfairness that such great athletic gifts were wasted on this despicable man.