Cobb [1994]
Director: Ron Shelton
Genre: Drama/Sports/Biography
Language: English
Country: USA

There are too many people that complain about this movie not being about Ty Cobb during his baseball playing days. If that is the kind of movie you are looking for, then I would suggest watching the opening five minute montage and then pushing the stop button. It is clear from reading the synopsis and having a basic understanding of the film that this is more about Al Stump’s assignment to work with Cobb and write his biography. Therefore, the focus of the film is on Cobb during the last year of his life. He is a volatile, beaten-up bigot of an old man, and Tommy Lee Jones does a marvelous job portraying this. Robert Wuhls depiction of Stump, however, leaves a lot to be desired. I found Wuhl’s performance to be dull and uninspiring. Having said that, the film itself is solid and fairly entertaining, but it could have used a little time trimmed off the top. There is no reason for this movie to be over two hours long. The film will likely only appeal to baseball fans, although it should be noted that there is very little actual baseball being played during these 129 minutes. Cobb is nothing amazing, but it will appeal to those interested in the subject. I will grade it somewhere in the middle – 6/10.

6/10