{"id":92879,"date":"2023-10-31T16:58:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T23:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92879"},"modified":"2023-11-01T08:36:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T15:36:37","slug":"bang-the-drum-slowly-1973","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92879","title":{"rendered":"Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;How can he be so sick, and play so well?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster-195x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-92880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster-176x270.png 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Slowly-Poster.png 618w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA terminally ill baseball player (Robert De Niro) is supported in staying on his team by his unwaveringly loyal friend, Henry (Michael Moriarty).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Baseball<\/li>\n<li>Friendship<\/li>\n<li>Illness<\/li>\n<li>Michael Moriarty Films<\/li>\n<li>Robert De Niro Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWhen discussing what he refers to as his &#8220;favorite baseball film,&#8221; Peary notes that screenwriter Mark Harris&#8217;s story (based on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bang_the_Drum_Slowly\">his 1956 novel<\/a>) is &#8220;sensitively directed by John Hancock&#8221; and centers on &#8220;how people come through for those in trouble (the same theme as <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=27736\"><em>Terms of Endearment<\/em><\/a>).&#8221; He writes that the &#8220;picture makes you feel good about people but, at the same time, sad that we so rarely show our altruistic side.&#8221; He argues &#8220;it has wit, creates nostalgia for a more innocent baseball era,&#8221; and &#8220;also tugs at your emotions [and] breaks your heart.&#8221; He concludes by noting that &#8220;the two leads, then relatively unknown, give exciting performances&#8221; &#8212; though &#8220;at the time [he] thought Moriarty would be the one to go on to superstardom&#8221; rather than De Niro. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"592\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-92887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro.png 592w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-De-Niro-476x270.png 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I can&#8217;t agree with Peary&#8217;s praise of this film; I&#8217;m more in alignment with Andrew Sarris, who in his review for <em>The Village Voice<\/em> noted that it&#8217;s highly effective at bringing on emotions (the closing baseball game is a tear-jerker) but otherwise too simplistic in its presentation. I&#8217;m guessing this one may mean a lot more to those who enjoyed the novel. Nominated as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in Peary&#8217;s <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Michael Moriarty as Henry<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"592\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-92884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty.png 592w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Moriarty-476x270.png 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The lump-inducing final baseball sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"592\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-92885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game.png 592w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Bang-the-Drum-Final-Game-476x270.png 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s recommended for one-time viewing if you&#8217;re curious. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0069765\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1650&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/prod-www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/68076\/bang-the-drum-slowly#articles-reviews?articleId=209411\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/newspapers?id=ZslHAAAAIBAJ&#038;sjid=8IsDAAAAIBAJ&#038;pg=6349%2C4168437\">Village Voice Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How can he be so sick, and play so well?&#8221; Synopsis: A terminally ill baseball player (Robert De Niro) is supported in staying on his team by his unwaveringly loyal friend, Henry (Michael Moriarty). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Baseball Friendship Illness Michael Moriarty Films Robert De Niro Films Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: When discussing what he refers to as his &#8220;favorite baseball film,&#8221; Peary notes that screenwriter Mark Harris&#8217;s story (based on his 1956 novel) is &#8220;sensitively directed by&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92879\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.9 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"&quot;How can he be so sick, and play so well?&quot; Synopsis: A terminally ill baseball player (Robert De Niro) is supported in staying on his team by his unwaveringly loyal friend, Henry (Michael Moriarty). 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