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John Goodman, "The Babe"
“The Babe” brushes over the dark complexities of Babe Ruth’s personal life to present a sanitized feel-good portrait of a national treasure. And Goodman is more than up to the challenge—embodying the cornball jubilation of a classic Hollywood hero. Ruth towered over the other players of his day, and accordingly “The Babe” is not as much about the competition as about the star. Director Arthur Hiller sees in Ruth something of a carnival showman, a one-man touring slugger who crushes one homer after another, always striving to live up to the reputation that fans demand. While the movie skews towards sappy fairy tale, Goodman finds traction in Ruth’s idealism, projecting the earnest aura of a performer who found fulfillment in dazzling everyone he met.
