The Babe (1992)
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47% of critics liked it
(17 reviews) -
39% of users liked it
(7,143 ratings)
John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of… More John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of "Little Johnny", the largely fanciful tale of the invalid boy who promises to get well if Babe hits him a homer (as in Pride of the Yankees, the cured Johnny makes return a appearance as grownup). The most amusing fabrication is the casting of narrow James Cromwell as the Babe's orphanage mentor Brother Mathias, who in real life weighed 300 pounds. Many of the characters are composites, notably Bruce Boxleitner's Jumpin' Joe Dugan. At least Ruth's two wives--Trini Alvarado as Helen, who suffers Babe's many peccadilloes and dies under strange circumstances, and Kelly McGillis as Claire, who keeps Babe on a very short leash-are depicted with a modicum of accuracy. The baseball sequences are well handled (though there could have been less slo-mo) while Elmer Bernstein's charmingly old-fashioned musical score is right in tune with the film's approach to its subject. The Babe is rated PG; had this been the whole truth and nothing but, and R rating would probably have been in order. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Arthur Hiller
- Genres
- Drama
PG,
- In Theaters
- Apr 17, 1992 Wide
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Austin Kennedy, Film Geek Central
John Goodman's performance deserves to be seen. I just wish I could say that for the rest of the movie.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Goodman as Babe Ruth has good moments.
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Martin Scribbs, Low IQ Canadian
The weakest baseball movie not to star Tom Selleck, Corbin Bersen, or a team of lovable black inner-city tots.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Charts the life and exploits of America's first real superstar athlete.
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Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
A terrible bio-pic, almost as bad as William Bendix in The Babe Ruth Story; Goodman is all ham; inaccuracies abound; no real sense of the game is evident.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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John Goodman
as George Herman "Babe" Ruth
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Kelly McGillis
as Claire Hodgeson-Ruth
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Trini Alvarado
as Helen Woodford-Ruth
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Bruce Boxleitner
as Jumpin' Joe Dugan
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Peter Donat
as Harry Frazee
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James Cromwell
as Brother Mathias
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J.C. Quinn
as Jack Dunn
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Bernard Kates
as Colonel Jacob Ruppert
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Michael McGrady
as Lou Gehrig
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Stephen Caffrey
as Johnny Sylvester age 30
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James Andelin
as Asa
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Larry Cedar
as Forbes Field Announcer
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Ron Dean
as Umpire Owens
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James Deuter
as Society Man
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Matt Doherty
as Boy in Car
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James "Ike" Eichling
as Cigar Smoker
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Ralph Foody
as Pittsburgh Man
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Brett Hadley
as 1st Umpire
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Irma P. Hall
as Fanny Baily
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Harry Hutchinson
as Tris Speaker
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Roy Hytower
as Elevator Operator
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Beep Iams
as Boy at St. Mary's
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Ken Kells
as 2nd Umpire
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Dana Lubotsky
as Julia
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Ralph Marrero
as Francesco Stephano "Ping Bodie" Pezzolo
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Jim Ortlieb
as Scribe
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Michael Papajohn
as Heckler
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Rick Reardon
as Ernie Shore
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Hank Robinson
as 4th Umpire
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Gene Ross
as Brother Paul
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Ned Schmidtke
as Hospital Reporter
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Peter Siragusa
as Umpire Hildebrand
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Richard Tyson
as Guy Bush
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Ron West
as Spectator
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Laura Whyte
as Mrs. Ballister
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Jeffrey Wiseman
as Boy at St. Mary's
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Alan Johnson
as Orphanage Reporter
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William J. Norris
as Fedoras
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Shannon Cochran
as Flapper
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Danny Goldring
as Carrigan
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Shirley Spiegler Jacobs
as Woman in Coffee Shop
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Michael Krawic
as Theatergoer
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Bob Swan
as George Ruth Sr.
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Meg Thalken
as Johnny's Nurse
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Steve King
as Fuchs
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Michael Nicolosi
as Jimmy Colosimmo
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W. Earl Brown
as Herb Pennock
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Nicholas Rudall
as Brother Malcolm
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Albert B. Smith
as Speakeasy Band
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Daniel Anderson
as Bistro Band
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John Webb
as Eddie
- Joe Ragno
