Cobb (C- or 1.5/4 stars)
Tommy Lee Jones plays one of baseball's greatest hitters, Ty Cobb, in writer/director Ron Shelton's 1994 sports biopic 'Cobb' (based on the article & book by Al Stump). More than anything else, this film is an examination of Ty Cobb's personality; a look at the personal demons that made him a terror OFF the field as much as he was on it. An infamous drunk, bigot, & womanizer, Cobb didn't have many admirable qualities other than his baseball skills. In fact, he was described by many to be "difficult at best, psychotic at worst". Cobb said he was misunderstood. But he was, perhaps, all-too understood.
'Cobb' starts in 1961, with his death right around the corner. Riddled with cancer - among other ailments - Cobb decides that he wants his life story told. To write this bio {or at least a sanitized version of it}, he summons sportswriter Al Stump (Robert Wuhl) to ghost-write at his bedside. At 1st, Stump is ecstatic at the opportunity to spend time with 'the greatest baseball player of all time' - that is, until he meets him.
Cobb's poisonous nature convinces Stump that this may be quite the task. Yet, despite verbal & even physical abuse, Stump stays with Cobb, and even drives the cantankerous old man from Nevada to a Hall of Fame dinner in Cooperstown, NY; then to Cobb's hometown in Georgia. Along the way, Stump tries hard to use Cobb as a conduit of what the word 'greatness' means, but instead, he learns that the legendary chatter about Cobb's vile, violent, sordid, racist, misogynistic, abhorrent behavior is the sad, but simple truth. Torn btwn. printing the truth about Cobb's grim soul & cruel childhood ... and yielding to Cobb to present a saintly man who excels at baseball ... Stump writes 2 books: one for Cobb, and one for an adoring public. Cop out!
With a lead character as abrasive as this one, 'Cobb' is simply not a pleasant movie to experience. At times, it is actually uncomfortable. And at over 2 hours in length, I felt trapped with this man for what felt like an eternity. The only sympathetic scene in the film is when it is shown that Cobb had been financially supporting player Mickey Cochrane in secret. But overall, instead of great baseball sequences, we are mostly shown atrocious Cobb with all his bad traits right up until his death. Sure, we're given some reason for his behavior {daddy issues}, but that doesn't justify Cobb's detestable behavior. Cobb was even reviled by other players of his era. One of his uglier moments includes an incident where he charged the stands to beat-up a hand-less, handicapped heckler; blood was shed. Some say that because Cobb was raised in Georgia long ago, that this excuses his behavior. I say: bull snit.
So, Tommy Lee Jones is pretty mesmerizing as the raspy, southern-fried, snarling, sneering, demented Cobb. But really, it is a hammy, volcanic, histrionic portrayal that may or may not have been like the real man. Great acting or not, I couldn't jive with the portrayal. Robert Wuhl gives TL Jones someone to play-off of, but he doesn't do anything special. Others in the cast include Lolita Davidovich, Lou Meyers, Ned Bellamy, Rhoda Griffis & Tyler Logan Cobb. I think this movie wanted to make a comment about 'heroes' & the 'reality' of their persona, but it fails. Ty Cobb was a great player, but he does not deserve the reverence he has. And without a main subject to care about, the films issues {including scenes that drudge on & on} become intractable.
'Cobb' starts in 1961, with his death right around the corner. Riddled with cancer - among other ailments - Cobb decides that he wants his life story told. To write this bio {or at least a sanitized version of it}, he summons sportswriter Al Stump (Robert Wuhl) to ghost-write at his bedside. At 1st, Stump is ecstatic at the opportunity to spend time with 'the greatest baseball player of all time' - that is, until he meets him.
Cobb's poisonous nature convinces Stump that this may be quite the task. Yet, despite verbal & even physical abuse, Stump stays with Cobb, and even drives the cantankerous old man from Nevada to a Hall of Fame dinner in Cooperstown, NY; then to Cobb's hometown in Georgia. Along the way, Stump tries hard to use Cobb as a conduit of what the word 'greatness' means, but instead, he learns that the legendary chatter about Cobb's vile, violent, sordid, racist, misogynistic, abhorrent behavior is the sad, but simple truth. Torn btwn. printing the truth about Cobb's grim soul & cruel childhood ... and yielding to Cobb to present a saintly man who excels at baseball ... Stump writes 2 books: one for Cobb, and one for an adoring public. Cop out!
With a lead character as abrasive as this one, 'Cobb' is simply not a pleasant movie to experience. At times, it is actually uncomfortable. And at over 2 hours in length, I felt trapped with this man for what felt like an eternity. The only sympathetic scene in the film is when it is shown that Cobb had been financially supporting player Mickey Cochrane in secret. But overall, instead of great baseball sequences, we are mostly shown atrocious Cobb with all his bad traits right up until his death. Sure, we're given some reason for his behavior {daddy issues}, but that doesn't justify Cobb's detestable behavior. Cobb was even reviled by other players of his era. One of his uglier moments includes an incident where he charged the stands to beat-up a hand-less, handicapped heckler; blood was shed. Some say that because Cobb was raised in Georgia long ago, that this excuses his behavior. I say: bull snit.
So, Tommy Lee Jones is pretty mesmerizing as the raspy, southern-fried, snarling, sneering, demented Cobb. But really, it is a hammy, volcanic, histrionic portrayal that may or may not have been like the real man. Great acting or not, I couldn't jive with the portrayal. Robert Wuhl gives TL Jones someone to play-off of, but he doesn't do anything special. Others in the cast include Lolita Davidovich, Lou Meyers, Ned Bellamy, Rhoda Griffis & Tyler Logan Cobb. I think this movie wanted to make a comment about 'heroes' & the 'reality' of their persona, but it fails. Ty Cobb was a great player, but he does not deserve the reverence he has. And without a main subject to care about, the films issues {including scenes that drudge on & on} become intractable.