"Moneyball" worth seeing

I hadn't expected much out of "Moneyball" except to see Brad Pitt. Would a movie about the business of baseball keep me engaged? My first thought was no. I was wrong.

"Moneyball," based on the same-titled book by Michael Lewis, delivers a story of a guy with a passion for baseball and a desire for his team to win. The problem is money to compete for the big players. Then he meets a recent college grad with a similar passion for the game who happens to think player pay is screwed up. Hmm, who doesn't? Light bulb moment follows. There's a math equation, talk about on-base percentages, ground outs, yada, yada. You'd think this would put non-fans to sleep. It didn't. I laughed and I found myself cheering for this guy (Billy Beane played by Pitt) whom I would never had known existed if it weren't for this movie.

While the movie does get into the business side of baseball, the story is largely about this guy, Beane (general manager of the Oakland A's), and his drive to see an idea to fix his baseball money problem work. He engages you with his passion to prove a formula for picking good players at a discount would work better than traditional scouting methods. Beane, himself, was a hot young recruit with plenty of potential, but somehow when the game was on he fizzled.

Jonah Hill, who plays the math formula guy Peter Brand, is really good in this, too. Pitt and Hill make a nice odd couple.

It's not a perfect movie, it does drag at times, but it was quite entertaining. I can see this as a date night pick where it's a win for him, but really it's not a loss for you. Overall, I give the movie a B.

If you're thinking of bringing your kids: It's rated PG-13 for strong language. There are also some reference to naughty baseball player behavior, girlfriend appearance and drinking. Oh, and there is a lot of spitting in a cup. If those things don't bother you, just know that boredom could be an issue. There isn't tons of baseball action. If you do bring your kids, it is an inspiring movie based on a true story. That's worth discussing.

Cheers.