Moneyball parents guide

Moneyball Parent Guide

In a world where spectacular hits make headlines, this is a nice reminder that a winning organization is often made up of more than just a few high-priced superstars.

Overall B+

Based on a true story, Moneyball follows the career of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), general manager of the Oakland A's baseball team, and his revolutionary and budgetary approach to picking players.

Release date September 23, 2011

Violence B+
Sexual Content A-
Profanity D
Substance Use C-

Why is Moneyball rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Moneyball PG-13 for some strong language.

Run Time: 134 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Clichés often contain little nuggets of truth. But they have become so trite their usefulness is squandered. Thank goodness for sports announcers (and movies) that aren’t afraid to pull out all the stops when it comes to A-games, textbook plays and cheering for the underdog.

Our family knows a little bit about underdogs. We’re fans of a hockey team that’s been in rebuilding mode for years. Yet whenever a young player begins to show promise, he’s lured away by some club with a bigger budget. And that doesn’t just happen in hockey. As far as Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the Oakland A’s general manager, is concerned, his 2001 Athletics team is merely an organ donor for franchises with deeper pockets. With a paltry $38 million payroll compared to heftier $100 million plus budgets, the A’s can’t even buy a win.

Enter computer geek Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Using his Yale economics degree, he suggests a different approach to player selection. Scrutinizing the statistical information of each athlete, he scientifically computes a hitter’s chance for getting on base. He then assembles a potential team based on data instead of gut instincts.

With no viable option, Billy decides to take a chance on Peter’s analytical assessments of the league’s most underrated players. Buying the competitors’ contracts for a song, Billy brings these forgotten boys of summer together for spring training. But the A’s coach, Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), isn’t buying into the tactic and plays hardball with Billy when it comes to putting the new guys in the game.

Long time baseball fans may be familiar with Beane’s radical reforms and the ramifications they had on the sport. (Some suggest they helped the Boston Red Sox break the Curse of the Bambino.) But even those who haven’t heard of Beane or been to a baseball diamond should consider this entertainment option. Thankfully most of the action (if baseball can be accused of having action) takes place off the field in backroom bargaining sessions or tense management meetings where Peter’s sabermetrics come in conflict with established scouting practices. (And only someone as young and inexperienced as Peter Brand would have the audacity to brandish his idea in the face of opposition from the old boys club.)

Two strong sexual expletives tossed in with a roster of other profanities are this script’s biggest concerns for family viewers. However, the movie’s most powerful message has to do with money. It would seem those with the most can boast. Yet each of the underrated athletes that join the struggling Oakland A’s has something to offer, even if it’s not a surplus of confidence. Though they suffer a dismal start to the season, something changes for these underdogs thanks to a general manager who doesn’t deviate from his plan. In a world where spectacular hits make headlines, this is a nice reminder that a winning organization is often made up of more than just a few high-priced superstars.

Directed by Bennett Miller . Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill. Running time: 134 minutes. Theatrical release September 23, 2011. Updated

Moneyball
Rating & Content Info

Why is Moneyball rated PG-13? Moneyball is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some strong language.

Violence: A character loses his temper on several occasions, throwing furniture, electric appliances and other objects.

Sexual Content: Characters talk about a man’s attendance at strip clubs.

Language: The script contains two strong sexual expletives used in a non-sexual context, along with some scatological slang, swearing, terms of Deity and a crude anatomical reference.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters frequently use chewing tobacco. They also drink on occasion. A secondary character is shown with a cigar. A brief reference is made about a man’s illegal drug use.

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Moneyball Parents' Guide

Many people in this movie (and in the real world) believe that money is the measure of a person’s worth. Do you agree with that statement? What are some examples to support your side of the argument? Are some individuals and their contributions to society underrated? What worthwhile efforts are people involved in that do not have monetary remuneration?

Why does Beane refuse to watch his own team play? Why are superstitions so common in sports? What does the Boston Red Sox coach mean when he says the first man through always gets bloody?

How does Beane’s responsibility as a father influence his decisions?

Click here to learn more about the real Billy Beane.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Moneyball movie is January 10, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Release: Moneyball

Release Date: 10 January 2012

Moneyball releases to home video on DVD and Blu-ray. Bonus extras include:

- Deleted Scenes

- Blooper with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill

- Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game

- Moneyball: Playing The Game

The Blu-ray version of the film also offers:

- Drafting The Team

- Adapting Moneyball

- Exclusive MLB® 12 The Show Preview Trailer

Related home video titles:

The art of assembling a winning team plays the lead role in The Damned United. Baseball is also the game of choice in The Rookie, For Love Of The Game, A League Of Their Own, The Sandlot and Everyone’s Hero.

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