Esteemed actor, director, and environmentalist Robert Redford, 89, passed away Tuesday while surrounded by his loved ones.
Redford was renowned for his iconic roles in movies like ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and ‘All the President’s Men.’ He also won numerous awards as a director for films like ‘Ordinary People’ and ‘A River Runs Through It.’
However, for sports fans, one specific role stands above all, and that is none other than that of Roy Hobbs in ‘The Natural.’
‘The Natural’ best moments
Redford’s 1984 film, centered around a promising young baseball player from Nebraska, had numerous iconic moments that still get talked about in sports media.
Although many baseball commentators like to use the hyperbole ‘knock the cover off the ball’ to describe any hard hit, Redford’s character Roy Hobbs did exactly that in the film.
However, throughout the film, Hobbs continues to shatter more than just baseballs. Even stadium infrastructure wasn’t safe. Hobbs’ immense power, courtesy of his bat ‘Wonderboy’, led to Wrigley Field’s scoreboard getting smashed as well.
The most iconic moment throughout the film happens toward the end, though. After refusing two bribes and splitting his iconic bat, Hobbs hits another home run to help the New York Knights win the pennant. This time, it destroys the stadium lights.
Where does ‘The Natural’ rank among all-time sports movies?
‘The Natural’ is widely considered one of the greatest sports movies of all-time. At the time of its release, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards. And its stature among cinema fans has remained to this day, constantly named among the top-20 sports films ever made.
Rolling Stone labeled it No. 19 in 2020. ESPN listed the film at No. 6 in one of their lists.