What are you really worth?|Sep. 22, 2011|USA|134 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Drama
Description: Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, is deeply disheartened after the team’s loss to the New York Yankees in the 2001 American League Division Series. Facing the departure of key players like Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, and Jason Isringhausen to free agency, Beane must build a competitive roster for the 2002 season despite the team’s limited budget. During a scouting trip to the Cleveland Indians, Beane meets Peter Brand, a Yale economics graduate with unconventional ideas about player evaluation. Beane tests Brand’s theory by asking if he would have drafted him in high school, given Beane’s promising start but ultimately disappointing major league career. Brand admits he wouldn’t have drafted Beane until the ninth round based on his method of assessing player value, further impressing Beane.
Using Brand’s approach, Beane signs undervalued players such as Chad Bradford, Jeremy Giambi, and Scott Hatteberg, while also acquiring David Justice. The Athletics’ scouts strongly oppose this strategy, leading to a heated confrontation where Beane fires head scout Grady Fuson. Beane also clashes with the team’s manager, Art Howe, who disregards the new strategy and sticks to a traditional lineup.
The Athletics struggle early in the season, falling ten games behind first place, prompting critics to label the method a failure. However, Brand argues the sample size is too small to draw conclusions, and Beane convinces team owner Stephen Schott to stay the course. To enforce the strategy, Beane trades Jeremy Giambi and Carlos Peña, leaving Howe no choice but to field the team Beane and Brand have designed. Three weeks later, the Athletics are only four games behind first place, showing signs of success.
Cast director: Bennett Miller
Cast actor: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Robin Wright, Stephen Bishop, Reed Diamond, Brent Jennings, Ken Medlock, Tammy Blanchard
Original name: Moneyball