*61
I had taped this from HBO and watched it last night. Billy Crystal's ode to Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris' chase of Babe Ruth's home run record crackles along well for the fist half, but when Mantle (Thomas Jane) drops out of the picture, we are left with the morose, pathetic, whiner that is Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). Because Crystal so lingers on his woe and misery because everybody loves Mickey (as well they should
Mickey is fun), the picture runs 30 minutes too long. Apparently, Maris was a pitiable whiner for years to come (he stated as late as the 1980 All-Star Game, "They acted as though I was doing something wrong, poisoning the record books or something. Do you know what I have to show for 61 home runs? Nothing. Exactly nothing").
Thirty very long minutes. Grade: C.
