Initially, you might be put off by this film’s structure. The combination of flashbacks mixed with a present day baseball game was unexpected. But once you get a feel for it, it does flow nicely. Of course, any of you familiar with director Sam Raimi will know what a departure this is for him. This might displease some of his fans, but I like it more when directors show us that they can branch out. Not everyone is successful at this, but Raimi does it here. FOR LOVE OF THE GAME is by no means flawless, but it’s good enough to warrant a solid rating. (All it needed was some script and dialogue revision.) And with Costner in his element, some say that you can’t go wrong. I guess there’s some truth to that, but not entirely. Sure, he’s made two other baseball flicks that were big hits, but every movie has to ultimately stand on its own, regardless of its element or formula. Hey, not every western John Wayne made was a classic.

      Though clearly not his best ever, FOR LOVE OF THE GAME is certainly Costner’s best film in recent years. He and Kelly Preston together make it worth the effort, I think.