‘Bull Durham’ (1988) throws a rom com curveball (review)

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Rent it from DVD Netflix

Sports, comedy, and romance make for an unusual combination. 1988 sports rom-com “Bull Durham” features an ensemble cast, pleasant blend of genres, and superb writing.

Eccentric Annie (Susan Sarandon) explains in a voice-over narration, she tried most religions until she settled on the Church of Baseball. Each year, Annie selects one player from the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team as her student. During the season, Annie teaches her chosen pupil about baseball, sex, and life.

Rookie phenom Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) joins the Durham Bulls as a talented, albeit unpredictable, pitcher. While he’s capable of pitching unrivaled fastballs, LaLoosh lacks control. Seasoned minor league player Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) joins the Bulls roster for the sole purpose of taming Nuke. Shortly after Crash arrives, Annie invites both Nuke and Crash to vie for her company. Crash states that he’s a veteran and refuses to “try out,” leaving LaLoosh as Annie’s over-eager student by default.
Despite the addition of Nuke and Crash to the Bulls lineup, the team begins the season with a strong losing streak. LaLoosh begrudgingly adopts Crash’s sage wisdom on the diamond, while accepting Annie’s advice in the sheet. By the middle of the season, Nuke matures into a reliable pitcher. Both Annie and Crash teach Nuke the same lesson, but in different ways: to slow down and think less. Meanwhile, Annie and Crash realize that they’re a far better pair. Unfortunately, Annie and Nuke remain in a relationship.

Although “Bull Durham” derives its name from the Durham Bulls single-A baseball team, the focus is less on sports and more about romance. Baseball merely serves as the backdrop. As a romantic comedy, it’s unusual. The passion between Annie and Crash steeps until the third act, defying expectations. Normally, the courtship begins well before the ninth inning.

Still, it’s not a flick absent of tropes. Notably, most of these arise on the field and in the locker room. “Bull Durham” pits the hotshot rookie (Nuke) against the humble veteran (Crash), while throwing in an impending losing streak. Thankfully, it doesn’t dwell on these elements, the lack of a traditional happy ending for Crash further solidifies the mostly cliche-free narrative.

Acting is top-notch. Costner is at the top of his game with a balance of humor and surliness. Sarandon dominates as the esoteric Annie, a character no other actress could have played as believable. As Nuke, Robbins lends nuance to the egocentric yet likable dimwit. From the dialogue and characters, which present a varying degree of both experience and inexperience, it’s no surprise that writer-director Ron Shelton spent time playing minor league baseball.

One part rom com with a side of sports and a dash of drama, “Bull Durham” is among the finest genre flicks to date. Though not without its clichés, “Bull Durham” knocks if out of the park with a major league cast, fantastic narrative, and a few curveballs which ultimately make it a home run.