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As expected, Moneyball was one of the big winners during Tuesday's announcement of this year's Academy Award nominations. The film -- adapted from the bestselling book written by Michael Lewis -- scored six nominations, including a nod for best picture. Charismatic lead Brad Pitt -- whose portrayal of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane drew raves -- was also among those recognized for his work. He'll slug it out with good pal George Clooney and three others for the coveted Best Actor prize. Count me among Moneyball's (seemingly few) detractors. I found the movie unbelievably slow and dreadfully inaccurate. I thought Pitt was solid but unspectacular. And I just didn't find myself interested in the film's climax. I wasn't emotionally invested. Though I've yet to see all nine of this year's Best Picture nominees, Moneyball is, without question, my least favorite of those I've seen. As I got to thinking about it,...

Critics herald the baseball flick as 'the prime Brad Pitt movie.'

By Kara Warner

Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Photo: Columbia TriStar

On paper, "Moneyball" is a movie that sells itself. It's based on a best-selling book about our national pastime, the screenplay for which was adapted by Oscar winners Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, and it stars Brad Pitt, in all his handsome, charming splendor, as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane. Throw in a killer supporting cast that includes Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and several real-life ball players, and you've got the makings of a hit.

With a 94 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Moneyball" seems to be a solid winner with critics. So take an early seventh-inning stretch and settle in for some sports clichés as we sort through the "Moneyball" reviews!

The Story

"A sports-centric come-from-behind drama that harbors profound truths under its self-effacing grin of an exterior,...

Critics herald the baseball flick as 'the prime Brad Pitt movie.'

By Kara Warner

Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Photo: Columbia TriStar

On paper, "Moneyball" is a movie that sells itself. It's based on a best-selling book about our national pastime, the screenplay for which was adapted by Oscar winners Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, and it stars Brad Pitt, in all his handsome, charming splendor, as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane. Throw in a killer supporting cast that includes Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and several real-life ball players, and you've got the makings of a hit.

With a 94 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Moneyball" seems to be a solid winner with critics. So take an early seventh-inning stretch and settle in for some sports clichés as we sort through the "Moneyball" reviews!

The Story

"A sports-centric come-from-behind drama that harbors profound truths under its self-effacing grin of an exterior,...

The trailers are starting to make the rounds for the digested, regurgitated and over-incubated adaptation of Michael Lewis' best-selling baseball novel, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Brad Pitt pushed for a film version of the novel, which highlights the change in direction of the Oakland Athletics under General Manager Billy Beane. The San Francisco Bay Area franchise was one of the highest spending clubs in the early parts of the 90s, but after owner Walter Haas died in 1995, the new ownership group slashed payroll and cut operating costs (apparently this sort of behavior isn't limited to the New York Knights or Charlie Sheen's Cleveland Indians).

Beane's strategies expanded upon statistical analysis with objective studies and regressions analysis and all sorts of mathematical approaches, embracing the field of "Sabermetrics". By developing a different idea about how baseball games were won, and a different idea about which...

The first trailer for one of my most anticipated films of the year, Moneyball, has been released thanks to Yahoo. This is Bennett Miller’s long awaited follow-up to his Oscar winning 2005 film Capote and it is based on Michael Lewis’ controversial bestseller of the same name. As many of you already know, I am a huge a baseball fan so this is obviously right up my ally. The book, which is terrific, follows unorthodox Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane, played in the film by Brad Pitt, as he attempts to build a winning baseball team for under $50 million. Beane built his team around players who got on base a lot and went after players who had high On Base Percentage’s, also known as Obp, who cost little to have. These players, like Scott Hatteberg, featured in the trailer via Chris Pratt, were middle of the road...