Bernard Malamud’s novel, The Natural, was published in 1952 and was regarded as a good read. Malamud was praised for his work and his dedication to including true events from past times in sports to elude to in his book. In 1984, Robert Redford and director Barry Levinson decided to shed some light on The Natural in the cinematic world. Many people hadn’t read the book before they saw the movie, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Although the novel and the movie has many important similarities, little do those people know that there is many differences also, whether it be from little differences like the color of Memo’s hair, or to a massive plot twist at the end. While it is still a wonderful movie to watch, it’s hard to enjoy it as much when
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Baseball comes easy to Roy and he is going to be a great player, and he knows it. A pro scout named Sam finds Roy and takes him to try out for a professional team. On the way, Sam makes a bet that Roy can strike out the Whammer, he did. But on the third pitch strike, in the book Sam gets hit in the stomach and eventually dies of internal injuries, this doesn’t happen in the movie. It is an important event because as Roy is growing up and trying to live his life, he carries around the guilt of accidentally killing a man, and it takes a toll on his personality. Roy believes he is going to be the best there ever was. One would not typically describe Roy as a humble, or down to earth man. He cares for himself, money, and success, with not much regard for others or their feelings. Roy Hobbs possess’ the 7 deadly sins in the novel; Pride, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth and Greed. This is important to note because in Levinson’s movie, Roy’s behavior and personality are not much like that of him in the book. At the beginning of the movie, Roy’s father tells him he is going to be the best, but Roy isn’t so sure of himself and remains humble about his natural ability. Levinson also changes Roy’s position from right field in the book, to left field in the movie. Lovinson portrays Ray as a heartfelt, fan loving, do it for the team, type of man. It makes sense to change him a little to a …show more content…
Iris also appears in the movie except she is known as Iris Gaines. Change in last names is just a small change in the whole story of Iris and Roy. In the book, Roy meets Iris Lemon and is interested in her, but while they’re making love, she tells Roy that she has a daughter, and her daughter also has a kid, therefore Iris is a 33 year old grandma, and she is not a grandma in the movie. Roy doesn’t want any part of that and stops seeing her immediately. The significant change that the movie made is that Iris Gaines and Roy Hobbs know each other from their past, and reconnect after she stands up at the baseball game, rather than them meeting for the first time after she stands up at the game like in the book. Iris Gaines also has a son in the movie, rather than the daughter Iris Lemon has in the book. The creators of the movie throw a major curveball when they reveal that Iris’s som is Roy’s kid. Another event they changed between Roy and Iris was when in the movie, Iris hands a security guard a note to give to Roy right before he goes up to take his last at bat and crushing a walk-off homerun. This did not happen in Malamud’s novel, and Roy struckout, losing the
Baseball comes easy to Roy and he is going to be a great player, and he knows it. A pro scout named Sam finds Roy and takes him to try out for a professional team. On the way, Sam makes a bet that Roy can strike out the Whammer, he did. But on the third pitch strike, in the book Sam gets hit in the stomach and eventually dies of internal injuries, this doesn’t happen in the movie. It is an important event because as Roy is growing up and trying to live his life, he carries around the guilt of accidentally killing a man, and it takes a toll on his personality. Roy believes he is going to be the best there ever was. One would not typically describe Roy as a humble, or down to earth man. He cares for himself, money, and success, with not much regard for others or their feelings. Roy Hobbs possess’ the 7 deadly sins in the novel; Pride, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth and Greed. This is important to note because in Levinson’s movie, Roy’s behavior and personality are not much like that of him in the book. At the beginning of the movie, Roy’s father tells him he is going to be the best, but Roy isn’t so sure of himself and remains humble about his natural ability. Levinson also changes Roy’s position from right field in the book, to left field in the movie. Lovinson portrays Ray as a heartfelt, fan loving, do it for the team, type of man. It makes sense to change him a little to a …show more content…
Iris also appears in the movie except she is known as Iris Gaines. Change in last names is just a small change in the whole story of Iris and Roy. In the book, Roy meets Iris Lemon and is interested in her, but while they’re making love, she tells Roy that she has a daughter, and her daughter also has a kid, therefore Iris is a 33 year old grandma, and she is not a grandma in the movie. Roy doesn’t want any part of that and stops seeing her immediately. The significant change that the movie made is that Iris Gaines and Roy Hobbs know each other from their past, and reconnect after she stands up at the baseball game, rather than them meeting for the first time after she stands up at the game like in the book. Iris Gaines also has a son in the movie, rather than the daughter Iris Lemon has in the book. The creators of the movie throw a major curveball when they reveal that Iris’s som is Roy’s kid. Another event they changed between Roy and Iris was when in the movie, Iris hands a security guard a note to give to Roy right before he goes up to take his last at bat and crushing a walk-off homerun. This did not happen in Malamud’s novel, and Roy struckout, losing the