Eight Men Out

PG

Released Sep 2, 1988

1 hr. 59 min.

History

Drama

List

87%

54 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The Chicago White Sox, who are set to play the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series of 1919, are at odds with their team's owner, Charles Comiskey (Clifton James), who pays his players unsatisfactory wages despite the team's popularity. A group of professional gamblers offers the Sox's best athletes a fortune to throw the series, and the players agree. However, their reputations and careers are ruined when the dark secret, dubbed the "Black Sox Scandal," reaches the public consciousness.

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Critics Consensus

Perhaps less than absorbing for non-baseball fans, but nevertheless underpinned by strong performances from the cast and John Sayles' solid direction.

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K W

Loved this. John Cusak was great.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

Audience Member

The year is 1919 There's no corporate sponsors or high pay The Chicago White Sox are at odds with the team's owner They're sick of the wages and want something done about it Some gamblers then offer them a fortune to throw the World Series But their reputations and careers are on the line when the public starts to notice Many of them are found guilty of conspiracy to comitt fraud Winning is one thing but deliberately losing is another Not for people that aren't already sports enthusiasts but there's a good cast and a nice look into a scandal of American sports history

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

Full Review

ed m

Best baseball movie ever.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

Full Review

Taylor L

'Eight Men Out'. A drama about the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, or a comedy about a group of 30-something closeted men linking up by coincidence one night and finding love along the way? Shoeless Joe is innocent, there's a spot in the Hall with his name on it, and unlike a bunch of middling batters and 19th-century businessmen, he actually deserves to be there. Unlike most sports films, even other sports films based on true stories, Eight Men Out doesn't track an underdog story or a teambuilding moment; it's a championship team that was notoriously underpaid sticking it to their penny-pinching boss. There's a conflict of personalities, and debate continues on as to who was on the take and who played at full strength, so it's not just an "against the system" feel-good film. But there are so many characters in an ensemble film of this size, most of whom aren't given a lot of time to develop really gripping struggles with honesty and friendship, so the film comes off as a relatively matter-of-fact recounting of events instead of a multifaceted moment in sports history that was part half-noble retribution, part legitimate scandal. Long-beloved cinematographer Robert Richardson gives the film some solid imagery and none of the performances can be called bad (Michael Lerner as Arthur Rothstein was a favorite), but for the great American pastime it doesn't have that romance that makes a classic baseball movie. Ending scene felt like a particular weak point. Bring back the strawboaters. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very good movie. Classic.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Nice time piece on the Black Sox Scandal. I still think Shoeless Joe got screwed over. Hated as a southerner and non educated, died poor in SC as a liquor store owner.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

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John Sayles

Director

John Cusack

Buck Weaver

Clifton James

Charles 'Commie' Comiskey

Michael Lerner

Arnold Rothstein

Christopher Lloyd

Bill Burns

John Mahoney

Kid Gleason

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Eight Men Out: Official Clip - Buck's Fans

1:02

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - It's Him

2:12

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - The Verdict

1:38

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - Banned From Baseball

1:08

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - Eddie's Bonus

2:12

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - The Fix

2:13

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - A Separate Trial

2:05

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - Shoeless Joe

1:49

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - Say It Ain't So, Joe

2:08

Eight Men Out: Official Clip - The Thrill of Baseball

1:56

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

The tone of Eight Men Out is reminiscent of the droll irony of John Huston's considerations of the vanity of human wishes and the corrupting power of money.

Rated: 4/4

May 6, 2014

Full Review

Peter Travers

People Magazine

The light shed on this dark period of sports history makes Eight Men Out essential moviegoing. But what makes it heartbreaking is watching the toll taken on champions betraying their talent on a field of honor.

May 6, 2014

Full Review

Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

It's a period re-created with a whoosh of energy and a redeeming vein of irony.

Mar 20, 2013

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

It’s Sayles’ multi-faceted approach – switching from the players to the gamblers to the administrators to the journalists – that really gets you hooked, while the rat-a-tat dialogue is up there with the best of Robert Altman and Aaron Sorkin.

Aug 25, 2023

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...benefits from its inherently compelling subject matter and raft of compelling, eye-catching performances...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 20, 2023

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Still stands out as one of the best baseball movies ever

Rated: 3/4

Oct 22, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

The Chicago White Sox, who are set to play the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series of 1919, are at odds with their team's owner, Charles Comiskey (Clifton James), who pays his players unsatisfactory wages despite the team's popularity. A group of professional gamblers offers the Sox's best athletes a fortune to throw the series, and the players agree. However, their reputations and careers are ruined when the dark secret, dubbed the "Black Sox Scandal," reaches the public consciousness.

Director: John Sayles
Executive Producer: Barbara Boyle
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 2, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.3M

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