The Natural

The Natural is a 1952 novel about baseball written by Bernard Malamud and Kevin Baker. The book centers around Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked when he is shot in a chance encounter. Most of the story concerns his attempts to get back into baseball later in life, when he plays for the fictional New York Knights with his legendary bat, "Wonderboy." The story closely parallels the legends of Percival and King Arthur.

Related Topics:
1952 - Baseball - Bernard Malamud - Kevin Baker - New York Knights - Percival - King Arthur

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The Natural was adapted into a film starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs in 1984. The movie is not considered very faithful to the book, as its details differ, especially its upbeat ending which is the opposite of the ending of the novel. The novel was intended to be a dark satire of a fallen hero. The Hollywood version takes the opposite approach. The movie, as with the book, is about the trials of Roy Hobbs, an individual with great "natural" baseball talent. However, early in the movie, his father tells him that his success will be less about his natural ability, and more about how hard he works to be successful. So, the remainder of the movie chronicles the trials he suffers, which are terrible, maybe a bit extreme. In 1984, it was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress-Glenn Close, and nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress-Kim Basinger.

Related Topics:
Robert Redford - 1984

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Randy Newman's dramatic and Oscar-nominated score, which was described by at least one complimentary critic as "Coplandesque", has been referenced frequently since then, in visual pieces underscoring other "natural" ballplayers. One early usage was in a short documentary about eventual 1984 Most Valuable Player, and later Hall of Famer, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs.

Related Topics:
Coplandesque - Hall of Famer - Chicago Cubs

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Cultural references to the book and movie title have continued through the years. The Sports Illustrated cover story for August 29, 2005, featured Atlanta Braves rookie sensation Jeff Francoeur and was titled, "The Natural".

Related Topics:
Sports Illustrated - August 29 - 2005 - Atlanta Braves - Jeff Francoeur

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