THE long-awaited sequel to “Bull Durham” is finally getting off the ground. A spy tells us Kevin Costner recently met with director Ron Shelton at Trader Vic’s in LA to discuss reprising the role of carousing catcher Crash Davis from the 1988 baseball flick. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are also expected to return as pitcher Nuke LaLoosh and baseball groupie Annie Savoy, who are now married and owners of a Major League team that Costner manages. Kristen Kerr, recently seen on “Dexter,” is being eyed as one of Crash’s love interests, our insider said.
First of all, who’s been waiting for this? No, seriously. Who? I want names. Nobody wanted a sequel to this. Nobody got done watching Bull Durham and thought to themselves “Hmm, I sure do wish I could see how Crash ended up doing as a manager.” Beyond that, NO ONE in the world who saw that movie thought to themselves “Hey, know what would be cool? If after the movie ends Annie ends up getting back with Nuke because he signs a big contract.” Okay?
Let’s be straight here. I like Bull Durham. Bull Durham involves baseball, but it is not a baseball movies. This is a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of baseball. I like this movie because I can watch baseball and still fill my inner need of being a complete sap. I like this movie because I can watch baseball related scenes, have a few laughs and not have the girl I am with complain because we are watching a sports movie. That’s why this movie was good and that’s why it has endured for so long. This movie is not legendary. This is not a movie that needs a sequel, there is nothing left to tell. The story of a career minor leaguer should end in the minors, not as a major league manager that one of his former pitchers now owns. (Sidenote: How far fetched is that? Fernando Valenzuela probably can’t even pay his mortage at this point, much less buy the Dodgers.)
