FILM / DISCUSSION /
BOOK-SIGNING
In Person:
Director/Writer RON SHELTON
BULL DURHAM
Starring Kevin
Costner, Susan Sarandon & Tim Robbins
Friday July 29th at 7:00 PM
Book & Film: Members
$33 | Public $38
Film-Only: Members
$15 | Public $20
Includes Reception
Join award-winning film director / author Ron Shelton for
an event celebrating the publication of his new book THE CHURCH OF
BASEBALL: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big
Swings, and a Hit. It’s the extremely entertaining
behind-the-scenes story of the making of the film, now a cult classic and an
insightful primer on the art and business of moviemaking.
Former minor leaguer Ron Shelton hit a
grand slam with his directorial debut, one of the most revered sports movies of
all time. Durham Bulls devotee Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon)—who every
year takes a new player under her wing (and into her bed)—has singled out the
loose-cannon pitching prospect Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), a big-league
talent with a rock-bottom maturity level. But she’s unable to shake Crash Davis
(Kevin Costner), the veteran catcher brought in to give Nuke some
on-the-field seasoning. A breakthrough film for all three of its stars and an
Oscar nominee for Shelton’s highly quotable screenplay, Bull Durham is
a freewheeling hymn to wisdom, experience, and America’s pastime, tipping its
cap to all those who grind it out for love of the game. (1988, US, 108min., R, English | Dir. Ron Shelton)
Bull Durham is now widely beloved. But
back in 1987, Ron Shelton was a first-time director and no one was willing to
finance a movie about baseball—especially a story set in the minors. The jury
was still out on Kevin Costner’s leading-man potential, while Susan
Sarandon was starting to be considered a has-been. There were doubts.
But something miraculous happened, and The Church of Baseball attempts
to capture why.
From organizing a baseball camp for the actors and rewriting
key scenes while on set, to dealing with a short production schedule and
overcoming the challenge of filming the sport, Shelton brings to life the
making of this beloved American movie. Shelton explains the rarely revealed ins
and outs of moviemaking, from a film’s inception and financing, screenwriting,
casting, the nuts and bolts of directing, the postproduction process, and even
through its release. But this is also a book about baseball and its singular
romance in the world of sports. Shelton spent six years in the minor leagues
before making this film, and his experiences resonate throughout this book.
Full of wry humor and insight, The Church of
Baseball tells the remarkable story behind an iconic film.
Ron Shelton is an award-winning screenwriter,
filmmaker, and former minor league baseball infielder. His screenplay for Bull
Durham earned nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences, National Society of Film Critics, and the Writers Guild of
America. This book offers his complete, unrestrained story behind the film
including all the entertaining drama. Bull Durham launched
a writing-directing career that includes White Men Can't Jump, Blaze, Cobb,
and Tin Cup, among other films. He also directed Jordan
Rides the Bus, a documentary about Michael Jordan's year in the minor
leagues. A former professional baseball player, he holds degrees from Westmont
College and the University of Arizona.