Bang The Drum Slowly
by John D. Hancock
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ann Wedgeworth, Michael Moriarty, Phil Foster, Robert De Niro, Vincent GardeniaDirector: John D. Hancock
Brand: Team Marketing
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-03-04
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of Bang The Drum Slowly
Movie Review: Half hearted attempt at melodrama...
Summary: 2 Stars
A lot of people love this movie, so I'm preparing myself for a verbal beating, but really; I've yet to find a film as manipulative and generally unfulfilling as `Bang the Drum Slowly'. I say `yet to find' and I know that's rather harsh. There are far worse films, but for the genre, this is certainly at the bottom.
It's like `Brian's Song' without the spark.
Bruce Pearson and Henry Wiggen are teammates. When Bruce gets diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease they form a close bond as Henry looks out for Bruce, covering up his illness and sticking up for him, making sure he stays on the team and can play out his `last season'. There is growing suspicion as Bruce has to make plenty of doctor's appointments, and their coach Dutch Schnell roots around trying to find answers to his many questions, which makes it harder and harder for Bruce to keep his condition a secret.
Sooner or later, it all has to come out.
I know that many will not agree with me, but I felt that `Bang the Drum Slowly' lacked a lot of heart and soul. It just seemed very textbook and came off like an overly manipulative `Lifetime' movie. It had all the elements to create a satisfying tear jerker, but it couldn't quite construct them properly. The film wasn't as touching as it could have been because it lacked a natural spark, a life that made it feel a part of the audience. I think that De Niro is to blame for some (not all) of that. I actually found this to be a very weak performance given by one of the best actors to have ever worked in the business. I was shocked to see him sift through each scene rather lazily. Some will balk at that accusation, but hear me out. He gave a very clich?d and expected portrayal of a sick under educated man. Technically it was proficient, but it lacked any real emotion. He seemed almost bored half the time. There is a way to project the feeling of being weight down by your own anxiety without stripping the character of his appeal, and apparently De Niro didn't know how to do that yet.
But like I said, he's only partially to blame. The script was very heavy handed and the films director didn't quite know how to use that to his advantage. It had no real flow.
I will say that both Michael Moriarty and the Oscar nominated Vincent Gardenia do fine jobs with the material and actually turn in very good performances. I actually agree with Gardenia's nomination; for he brought a comedic flare and sincere concern to Dutch. Sadly, his performance is not enough to get me to recommend this movie. So, disagree all you like, but I'm not going to lie to you; this didn't work for me.
Summary of Bang The Drum Slowly
The story of the friendship between a star pitcher, wise to the world, and a half-wit catcher, as they cope with the catcher's terminal illness through a baseball season.Only those with ice water in their veins won't get misty-eyed watching this moving film about the friendship of two professional baseball players, one of whom--in every sense--is playing his last season. A pre-stardom Robert De Niro portrays a rather simple-minded rookie catcher who comes under the wing of a veteran pitcher (Michael Moriarty). When De Niro's character is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, Moriarty tries to help him get through one more season. Directed by John Hancock and based on the novel by Mark Harris (who also wrote the screenplay), the film builds on baseball's ability to foster its own lore of courage, nobility, loyalty, and--sadly--tragedy. Watching the youthful De Niro and Moriarty, with all that promise in their bones, adds to the overall romance of the film today. Also appearing are Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello. A perennial favorite for many. --Tom Keogh
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