Review of Bang the Drum Slowly

There's no crying in baseball. That's not exactly etched in stone in Cooperstown. John Hancock directs this tear-jerker based on a novel by Mark Harris. Pro pitcher Henry Wiggen(Michael Moriarty)and catcher Bruce Pearson(Robert De Niro)are as different as night and day. No real chemistry between the two. To be exact, Pearson is a little slow in the brains department and is not much appreciated by any of his fellow teammates. But when Henry finds out that Bruce is suffering from the beginnings of Hodgkin's disease, the red-hot pitcher becomes more helpful and concerned enough to look after Bruce, not knowing how much time is left. As expected once the information is leaked, the whole team ends up knowing of Pearson's plight.

I really wish there was more action on the field, but this is written as a drama focusing on a ballplayer. A young De Niro draws all the sympathy possible. Character actor Danny Aiello makes his movie debut as Horse. Tom Ligon plays the flamboyant Piney Woods; and Tom Signorelli plays Goose. Vincent Gardenia as Dutch Schnell is irritating as hell. Also in the cast: Phil Foster, Barbara Babcock, Ann Wedgeworth, Maurice Rosenfield and the chatty Selma Diamond. Nothing wrong with that occasional tear on your sleeve.