Moneyball

Bennett Miller’s 2011 film follows Billy Beane, general manager of a low-budget Oakland club, building his roster out of statistics. Six Academy Award nominations, no wins: Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role for Brad Pitt, Actor in a Supporting Role for Jonah Hill, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Sound Mixing, as the category was then called. The Artist won Best Picture. The analyst beside Beane was really Paul DePodesta, who refused the use of his name, so the character became Peter Brand. Demetri Martin had the part first; Jonah Hill inherited it when the production was rebuilt after Steven Soderbergh’s version collapsed shortly before shooting. The film argues by leaving things out. David Haglund wrote in Slate that the 2002 stars found by ordinary scouting barely reach the screen: Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito make no significant appearance, Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada hardly register, while Scott Hatteberg gets Chris Pratt. Art Howe, the field manager, called it deeply hurtful to learn after seven years how his boss apparently saw him, and said the filmmakers never called him. A good fit if you enjoy taking an argument apart and will go looking for the missing pitchers afterwards. Not for anyone wanting the whole 2002 season, since most of the drama is trade haggling by phone.