For Love of the Game (1999)

54% of critics liked it
(76 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(42,090 ratings)

Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, For Love of the Game brought Kevin Costner back to the world of baseball after his successes with Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium and… More Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, For Love of the Game brought Kevin Costner back to the world of baseball after his successes with Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium and throwing what is shaping up to be a perfect game with the help of his best friend and catcher, Gus Osinski (John C. Reilly). However, Billy is having a hard time keeping his mind on the game; he's come to a crossroads in both his personal and professional lives, and he isn't sure what to do or where to go. He's learned that the Tigers are about to be sold, and the new owners intend to trade him at the end of the season, and that his girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston) is planning to leave him. For Love of the Game represents a change of pace for director Sam Raimi, best-known for the Evil Dead trilogy and the acclaimed suspense drama A Simple Plan (1998) (although Raimi, a baseball fan born in Michigan, doubtless enjoyed making a film featuring the Detroit Tigers). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 18 min.
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Written By: Dana Stevens
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Sep 17, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Aug 15, 2000
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
A perfect game in Yankee Stadium is no big deal these days; two have been pitched in the past 16 months. But a good baseball movie, that's hard.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
For the first 100 minutes or so I found this hokey but serviceable; after that my watch became more meaningful than anything I could locate on-screen.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Thinking back through the movie, I cannot recall a single thing either character said that was worth hearing in its own right, apart from the requirements of the plot.
Robert Koehler, Variety
Costner is as uneven as the storytelling itself, stone cold at moments, shimmeringly real in others.
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At two hours-plus, it doesn't just seem long, it sometimes feels like a double rain delay.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Those who have even a small soft spot for baseball's soothing rhythms will be hard-pressed to resist it.
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
Like Billy this movie is good on the field, but not so much once off it.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Memo to all involved: It's a game.
Sarah Wenk, Common Sense Media
An old-fashioned Hollywood sports story/romance.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Costner and Preston's convincing work together go a long way in keeping the audience interested and involved.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
For Love of the Game is painless, but it's also pompous and pious about baseball in a way that doesn't mean much to a non-fan like me.
, Time Out
[The] game stretches over most of the film, but any anticipated suspense is undercut by the sepia-tinted inserts charting the couple's bumpy uninvolving five-year romance from first meeting to acrimonious split(s)
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Costner and company do a fine job getting you into the head of an aging sports idol at a pivotal moment in his life.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
*For Love of the Game continually pushes its luck past the breaking point.
, Apollo Guide
Like Chapel, Costner believes himself to be great, even when he's slowly getting worse.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
While For Love of the Game has much to recommend it, particularly Costner's strong, understated performance, Raimi throws too many unnecessary curves.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
Preston is forgettable as "this week's blonde," adding her name to a list of women wooed by this poster boy for the strong, silent type.
Andy Richards, Sight and Sound
[Raimi's] involvement in this grating star vehicle is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of For the Love of the Game: the Evil Dead are, presumably, turning in their grave.
James Rocchi, Netflix
Costner baseball flick is great at motion, not so hot at emotion.
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Instead of quitting while he's way ahead, Costner takes on For Love of the Game, a melodramatic film version of Michael Shaara's novel.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Manu G

Billy Chapel must choose between the woman he loves and the game he lives for. Saw it again! Absolutely love this movie. Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston dazzle completely. The story is quite good and entertaining. Sports movies like this one I could watch every day. Baseball great… More
Billy Chapel must choose between the woman he loves and the game he lives for. Saw it again! Absolutely love this movie. Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston dazzle completely. The story is quite good and entertaining. Sports movies like this one I could watch every day. Baseball great Billy Chapel, 40, wants nothing more than to reconnect with his one-time lover, Jane Aubrey. On the morning he's to pitch the last game of the season, she tells him she's leaving that evening for a job in London; he also learns that the Detroit Tigers' new owners plan to trade him. As he pitches that night, he must decide whether to accept the trade or quit the game he loves, and between innings, he recalls meeting Jane, their first date, happy times, miscommunication, and what may be a final break. Meanwhile, with Vin Scully announcing, one Yankee batter after another fails to reach first base. Can Billy pitch a perfect game, and if so, what does it matter if he loses Jane?
Jason O

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is an aging major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. Billy does everything he can to be the best at the only thing he really cares about....baseball. However, Billy lucks up and finds a great woman named Jane (Kelly Preston). Will Billy find someone… More
Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is an aging major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. Billy does everything he can to be the best at the only thing he really cares about....baseball. However, Billy lucks up and finds a great woman named Jane (Kelly Preston). Will Billy find someone that he really really cares a lot about with Jane, or will America's favorite pastime, baseball, still be the only thing that Billy Chapel will fight for? I recommend watching the movie to find out. "Field of Dreams" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I know that just about everybody's question will be "Is For Love of the Game as great as Field of Dreams?" after they see that this is a baseball movie and that Kevin Costner is the movie's main star. In my opinion, they're both great movies and they're two of the best sports movies ever made, but I didn't think that "For Love of the Game" is quite as good as "Field of Dreams" is. This movie has its spectacular times such as when Billy is giving it all he's got to try and get a perfect game. The love interest between Billy and Jane is also interesting and well done. I think the only reason that I didn't think it was as good as "Field of Dreams" is because "Field of Dreams" was VERY original and it was unbelievably captivating. Whereas, "For Love of the Game" is a great movie, but it's not as original and not as captivating as "Field of Dreams." If you like great sports or baseball movies, and especially if you liked "Field of Dreams," I recommend getting "For Love of the Game." NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. I was one of the thousands that were hyped to see this to see if it would be as good as "Field of Dreams", but no, not even in the same ballpark, or league.
Jason S

A good sports movie but it's more of a drama about a guy that is nearing the end of his career. Costner plays the role well and the rest of the cast works around his character nicely.
danny d

great flick, i love that kelly preston
Leigh R

It was okay.
Todd S

On the surface, this movie is a cheesy romance flick, but what makes it unique is it's backdrop. An aging pitcher, at the end of his career, looks back on how it all started, while in the middle of pitching what could be his final game. Along with the flashbacks of his baseball… More
On the surface, this movie is a cheesy romance flick, but what makes it unique is it's backdrop. An aging pitcher, at the end of his career, looks back on how it all started, while in the middle of pitching what could be his final game. Along with the flashbacks of his baseball memories, come flashbacks of his romance, which are long and lame. The baseball part of it is what attracted me and is great. If this was strictly a sports movie, it would be 5 stars. The story of his career is much stronger than several other films dedicated to just the game. With this film you have to take the good with the bad. At times it seems like two entirely different movies and it really takes away from what is otherwise a great film.
Jason T

I thought this beat the snot out of Field of Dreams as a sports movie. It's real baseball and not ghosts walking out of a corn field to play ball. But I loved the character development throughout the nine innings of ball and the fact that this wasn't just a herculean effort… More
I thought this beat the snot out of Field of Dreams as a sports movie. It's real baseball and not ghosts walking out of a corn field to play ball. But I loved the character development throughout the nine innings of ball and the fact that this wasn't just a herculean effort but a guy at the end of his rope, putting everything down on the table and then trusting in the guys to carry him when he can't any farther.
Joseph E

I rather enjoyed this Baseball Flick, although it felt like a Baseball Melo-Drama or Dramedy, yet It still has the right stuff, to keep you intuned untill the very last pitch.
Christopher B

Boring as hell director for hire work from Raimi. I'm sure Costner wanted to hire a director who was easy to push around, and Raimi, who was so seeking approval in Hollywood, served that purpose perfectly. Heck, when this came out he all but called his fans idiots in an… More
Boring as hell director for hire work from Raimi. I'm sure Costner wanted to hire a director who was easy to push around, and Raimi, who was so seeking approval in Hollywood, served that purpose perfectly. Heck, when this came out he all but called his fans idiots in an Entertainment Weekly article. I'm certain Raimi can never make a movie worse than this one.
Jared H

I wish that there was more baseball and less cheesy love story, although I liked how the baseball scenes were done. Oh, and Kelly Preston is very nice to look at.
Erin C

Good movie, but then most baseball movies are (to me anyways :P).