BULL DURHAM

US, 1988, 108 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins.
Directed by Ron Shelton.

Bull Durham was written and directed by Ron Shelton (Oscar nominee for his screenplay). While it is a film about baseball, a strong one showing the background of the teams in the minor league, the games, training, pressures, the camp followers, it is also an exploration of relationships and values.

Crash Davis is a champion hitter who lives in obscurity, and who is asked to come in and be a catcher and guide for the new young star, Nuke. He is a mixture of passion and detachment. As played by Kevin Costner, he is both attractive and enigmatic. (Kevin Costner was then to go on to star in the celebrated baseball fantasy, Field of Dreams.) Tim Robbins is very good as the rather empty-headed but ambitious young star. Susan Sarandon is also very good as Annie, the camp follower, who gives herself every year to one player and is devoted to the religion of baseball.

The film is very frank in its portrayal of its men and women, their relationships, their sexual encounters. The film was very popular in the United States in 1988, catching something of the atmosphere of the baseball tradition as well as the seriousness and humour of the battle of the sexes.

1.The popularity of the film? Particularly American? For non-American audiences?

2.The Carolina settings, the world of baseball, the cities, the road? Sport and baseball sequences? Musical score?

3.The title and the focus on the Carolina Boars at Durham? The symbol of the bull? Not in the major league? Baseball traditions, symbols?

4.The focus on Annie, her voice-over, her comments on the religion of baseball, her parallels with the major religions? The American traditions? The game itself, its skills? Annie as a follower, her choice of relationships, her purpose, monogamy for the year?

5.The baseball play: the presentation of the team, the locker room, the coach and the manager and their personality, urging the team on, taking a serious approach to frighten them, genial, sacking players? Failure and success? Nuke and his erratic pitching? Annie and Millie and their relationships, messages to the players? Crash, his role with Nuke, as a catcher, as a hitter? The plans for the season?

6.Kevin Costner as Crash: his past, 21 days in the Show, the reason for his being called in, his wanting to resign, his staying? The encounter with Nuke, watching him dance, picking the fight, his erratic pitching, referring to him as Meat? Going to Annie's, deciding not to get involved with her - and his telling her his problems? His continual taunting of Nuke, helping him, the matches, the erratic pitching, telling the hitter what was going to happen? On tour, Nuke as a slob, trying to teach him respect? His friendship with Annie, her knowledge of his record, wanting to keep it quiet? His career, his success, his hits? On tour, his friendships, soaking the pitch? his beliefs? The farewell to Nuke and wishing him well? His being sacked? Going to see Annie, the sexual encounter, the passion in his life? His relationship, hopes for a new job?

7.Nuke and his skill, his background and his father, wild, being happy with Millie before his first game, his wild throws, dancing, having no respect for himself? The fight with crash? His being hurt? His vanity, thinking that success was his car, etc? Unwilling to learn, on tour, gradually learning? The relationship with Annie, her reading him Richmond's poetry? The sexual encounters? The garter and talking to himself? Gradual discipline, learning from Crash? The invitation to go to the Show? The encounter in the pool room and meeting the successful player? The farewell? His success - and his platitudinous interviews and handling of the interviewer?

8.Annie and her relationships, her beliefs, poetry and sex? Giving Nuke his name? At the dance with Max? Meeting Crash and attracted? The visit home, selecting Nuke? The messages, training with Crash? Helping people to be themselves? The friendship with Millie, sending the messages? Nuke going to the show, the breaking of the relationship? Crash's coming to see her, the encounter? Her changing her style?

9.The team and its poor performance? The training? Jimmy and his wanting people to pray? The irony of his marriage to Millie? The player who was sacked? The manager and his role, the coach? On tour?

10.The American dream and baseball, Walt Whitman's glorification, Max the clown and his performance, the audience and fans?

11.An exploration of relationships and values in the American context? Atmosphere? Realism? Meanings?