Bang the Drum Slowly (1978)

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This movie left me wondering what I missed. The script, I suspect, is to blame. I developed no empathy for any of the characters, including the one dying of cancer. I didn't understand most of the relationships. Why did the pitcher have such concern for the catcher? Nor did I understand why the catcher suddenly became a phenomenal hitter. This movie went no where to me. It always seemed very flat.One of the posters on here who liked it spoke of the dialogue. The dialogue, also flat, often seemed very artificial to me. I couldn't imagine anyone talking like that.I feel as if I missed something here, but I have no idea what. This movie just didn't do anything, as far as I was concerned.

Usually in baseball every pitcher and catcher on a particular team develop some sort of relationship since they need team work to be successful. Such is the story here added with the complication that the catcher Bruce, shyly but beloved character played by Robert De Niro, is dying of Hodgkins Disease. As the dying catcher, De Niro captures a simplicity rarely seen in his acting. It's really a standout performance.Michael Moriarty is the faithful pitcher and Vincent Gardenia received a well deserved supporting nomination as the suspicious manager of the team who hires a detective to find out what's going on between these 2 guys.Inevitably, the team finds out and attempts to come to the rescue of the stricken catcher.This is certainly one of the best of the baseball pictures as in the case of Pride of the Yankees, it explores tragedy and the human relationship among team players than can develop during such adversity.Selma Diamond is on hand as is effective in her brief 2 scene appearance as the sly telephone operator who knows something is amiss.The one disappointment was that when the inevitable occurs during off season, other than the Moriarty character, no one else attended the funeral.

Being a baseball fan for 30+ years; i really enjoyed this movie, it's a good baseball story about a relationship between the ace pitcher and a catcher, the movie features various quirky players and such, but mainly focuses on these two. If you're not a baseball fan , then maybe the story about the friendship between the two will draw you in,, if on the other hand you are looking for lots of action, crashes , stuff like that,, look elsewhere, this is one of those movies that is very touching to the soul, makes you think about life in general; Robert Deniro gives an excellent performance as Pearson the catcher, maybe not his best performance but way better than average,, the rest of the cast features Michael Moriarity, a small bit from Danny Aiello, and a few others who i can't remember, but all in all it was a good touching story about a catcher trying to help his team with the World Series. A thumbs up from this baseball fan.

I saw this movie when it came out in 73 and it has remained a favorite of mine. At the time, Moriarty was the bigger star. DeNiro was practically an unknown. The movie has some very amusing parts (the game of TEGWAR for instance). But the real reason I love this movie is its message. At the beginning of the movie, the team is made up of a bunch of players who, for the most part, are only out for themselves. They are talented, but don't work together as a team. It is only when they find out Piney is dying that they begin to work as a team for his sake. This is why they win the pennant. I think this movie has a great message for young people. I would like to see a remake of it.