Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes
Trouble logging in?
By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.
Email not verified
Let's keep in touch.
Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:
- Upcoming Movies and TV shows
- Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
- Media News + More
By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.
OK, got it!
- About Rotten Tomatoes®
- Login/signup
Movies in theaters
- Opening This Week
- Top Box Office
- Coming Soon to Theaters
- Certified Fresh Movies
Movies at Home
- Fandango at Home
- Prime Video
- Most Popular Streaming Movies
- What to Watch New
Certified fresh picks
- 77% The Apprentice Link to The Apprentice
- 82% The Outrun Link to The Outrun
- 90% V/H/S/Beyond Link to V/H/S/Beyond
New TV Tonight
- 88% Rivals: Season 1
- -- Shrinking: Season 2
- -- Hysteria!: Season 1
- -- Happy's Place: Season 1
- -- American Horror Stories: Season 3
- -- Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage: Season 1
- -- The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 3
- -- Tracker: Season 2
- -- The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh: Season 1
Most Popular TV on RT
- 81% Disclaimer: Season 1
- 92% Sweetpea: Season 1
- 74% Teacup: Season 1
- 94% The Penguin: Season 1
- 75% Citadel: Diana: Season 1
- 83% Agatha All Along: Season 1
- 94% Nobody Wants This: Season 1
- -- Outer Banks: Season 4
- 100% From: Season 3
- Best TV Shows
- Most Popular TV
Certified fresh pick
- 81% Disclaimer: Season 1 Link to Disclaimer: Season 1
- All-Time Lists
- Binge Guide
- Comics on TV
- Five Favorite Films
- Video Interviews
- Weekend Box Office
- Weekly Ketchup
- What to Watch
50 Best New Action Movies of 2024
100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer
What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming
Awards Tour
Vote in the 1994 Movies Showdown – Round 5
The Shrinking Cast on Advice They’d Give Their Characters
- Trending on RT
- Spooky Season
- Free Movies on Tubi
- Re-Release Calendar
- '90s Horror Movies
61* Reviews
I enjoyed 61*, but then again, I'm a longtime fan of baseball.
Full Review | Original Score: 7.5/10 | Jan 10, 2022
Crystal delivers a nice looking sentimental television drama geared for the fan who looks to baseball as if it were a religion.
Full Review | Original Score: B | Mar 31, 2020
What begins as a lively, vibrant evocation of one of baseball's greatest seasons ends as a frustratingly conventional tale of sports heroism, a sort of upscale movie-of-the-week for the Classic Sports Network crowd.
Full Review | Mar 25, 2020
This film is about more than a broken record. It's about a broken heart. Watch it, and yours may break, too.
The beauty of 61, the Billy Crystal film for HBO, is that it early on makes a few dangerous missteps and corrects them quickly, all the while benefiting from a story as riveting and freshly modern as any sports story ever.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 25, 2020
Mr. Jane, as Mantle, nails both the player's movie-star charisma and his painful, self-destructive streak.
The largest grace note is the core of the film: that's the affection and bond between Mantle and Maris, men so different in temperament, so similar in culture.
Featured here are Barry Pepper as Maris and Thomas Jane as Mantle, actors as persuasive on the field as off.
The triumph here is one of tone and texture, where the baseball and the emotions are almost always depicted just right.
The filmmakers depict the teammates' relationship with a gratifying complexity -- they're both competitive and protective of each other.
Barry Pepper is an amazing Maris look-alike, Thomas Jane manages to suggest the damage Mantle did to himself, and Richard Masur plays the sort of sportswriter I wanted to grow up to be...
Full Review | Feb 5, 2018
While the script has its fair share of treacly moments intended to manipulate viewers into caring deeply for this duo, Billy Crystal's dream project about his beloved Yankees and one of their great chapters gets a heroic treatment in 61*.
Full Review | Jul 6, 2010
A great baseball movie solidly directed by Billy Crystal. You can tell he's a Yankee fan, but also does not hesitate from showing the warts on some of his idols.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 12, 2007
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 8, 2005
Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 29, 2005
One of the best telemovies I've ever seen...simply sensational
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 31, 2005
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 2, 2004
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 4, 2004
...[features] two superb performances.
Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 1, 2003
Baseball drama from director Billy Crystal has the graceful arc of a well-hit ball.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 7, 2002
- Cast & crew
- User reviews
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
- Billy Crystal
- Hank Steinberg
- Barry Pepper
- Thomas Jane
- Anthony Michael Hall
- 143 User reviews
- 22 Critic reviews
- 4 wins & 26 nominations total
Top cast 99+
- Roger Maris
- Mickey Mantle
- Whitey Ford
- Pat Maris ('61)
- Dan Topping
- Phil Rizzuto
- Artie Green
- Joe DiMaggio
- Moose Skowron
- Elston Howard
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
More like this
Did you know
- Trivia Because there was no accurate documentation of it, no one knew what the precise color of the Yankee Stadium seats were in 1961. When faced with this dilemma, production designer Rusty Smith was told that Billy Crystal had an old bleacher seat from Yankee Stadium. Though the seat was completely painted blue, Smith found one small chip of green on the seat that proved to be the true Yankee Stadium green.
- Goofs When Maris is talking with his wife from a payphone after the birth of their son, he's talking on a payphone that is a single-slot model. In 1961, the three slot version (25 cent, 10 cent 5 cent) was still in use. The single-slot phone was not introduced until 1965.
Bob Sheppard : Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Yankee Stadium.
- Crazy credits Yankee Stadium played by Tiger Stadium
- Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Driven/The Golden Bowl/61*/One Night at McCool's/The Luzhin Defence (2001)
- Soundtracks Dream Lover Written and Performed by Bobby Darin Courtesy of Atco Records By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
User reviews 143
- Cineleyenda
- Sep 18, 2001
- April 28, 2001 (United States)
- United States
- Tiger Stadium - 2121 Trumbull Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Face Productions
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Technical specs
- Runtime 2 hours 9 minutes
- Dolby Digital
Related news
Contribute to this page.
- See more gaps
- Learn more about contributing
More to explore
Recently viewed.
Letterboxd — Your life in film
Forgotten username or password ?
- Start a new list…
- Add all films to a list…
- Add all films to watchlist
Add to your films…
Press Tab to complete, Enter to create
A moderator has locked this field.
Add to lists
Where to watch
Directed by Billy Crystal
Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?
In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees. One, Mantle, was universally loved, while the other, Maris, was universally hated. Both men started off with a bang, and both were nearing Babe Ruth's 60 home run record. Which man would reach it?
Barry Pepper Thomas Jane Anthony Michael Hall Richard Masur Bruce McGill Chris Bauer Jennifer Crystal Foley Christopher McDonald Haynes Brooke Bob Gunton Donald Moffat Joe Grifasi Peter Jacobson Seymour Cassel Robert Joy Michael Nouri Domenick Lombardozzi Bobby Hosea Paul Borghese Renée Taylor Pat Crowley Dane Northcutt Charles Esten Shannah Laumeister Stern Shiva Rose Mike Carlucci Tony Stef'Ano Mark McGwire Sammy Sosa Show All… Brynne McNabb Cameryn McNabb
Director Director
Billy Crystal
Producer Producer
Robert F. Colesberry
Writer Writer
Hank Steinberg
Casting Casting
Editor editor.
Michael Jablow
Cinematography Cinematography
Haskell Wexler
Executive Producers Exec. Producers
Billy Crystal Ross Greenburg
Production Design Production Design
Rusty Smith
Art Direction Art Direction
Denise Hudson
Set Decoration Set Decoration
Anne D. McCulley
Composer Composer
Marc Shaiman
Costume Design Costume Design
61* Productions Inc.
Releases by Date
28 apr 2001, 11 sep 2001, 17 jun 2002, releases by country.
- Digital Sortie DVD
Netherlands
- Physical 6 DVD
- Theatrical R
129 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page
Popular reviews
Review by Brennan ★★★★★
Just a fantastic baseball movie about what should have been one of the funnest seasons for 2 teammates ever! Mantle, played fantastically by Thomas Jane, is obviously an all time great player in the sport who was a career long yankee so it makes perfect sense he’d be the favorite. Good lord the hate that Maris, also played fantastically by Barry Pepper, had to endure from his own fans and writers was insane! Goes to show, and the movie touches on this well, what an impact Babe Ruth still had on the game of baseball nearly 30 years after he had stopped playing!
I’ve always loved this movie. I love the history it tells! I love the beautiful score that…
Review by Ryan Bingham ★★★★
For an HBO film, this film is great. It would have been nice to see some bigger names here, but that shouldn't take away from the product that was produced. The screenwriting is great, truly showing what Maris went through emotionally. They do a good job of showing the craziness of people. Whether they are fans, owners, media, or teammates. The creation of the old Yankee Stadium looks fantastic, especially for 2001. 61* is a very well done film with an surprisingly emotional story.
As far as I am concerned, he still holds the record. Everyone ahead of him used steroids, something this film doesn't touch on.
Review by Barry Daulton ★★★★
A movie that is just as much about how players have to deal with the media as it is about the legendary HR chase of 1961. Pepper and Jane really seem to capture Maris and Mantle perfectly. The special effects are still decent if not dated a bit, but were great for the time. At the time framing it with McGwire's breaking his record was neat, but doesn't age well after Bonds broke that and the PEDs of baseball have tarnished those records. 61 is still the record to me.
Review by James White ★★★½ 1
Only Yankees fans could boo and send death threats to their own player when he's succeeding
Review by Pete Talbot ★★★½
It's funny how HBO was able to make some decent baseball movies 15+ years ago at the height of post-strike baseball. Unfortunately, the nostalgia for McGuire and Sosa's runs have worn off very quickly as McGuire missed out on his chance at the Hall of Fame and Sosa looks like he won't come close at all. In a funny way, the asterisk of Maris's 61 homers has denoted it as the home run number to beat as Stanton came close with 59 this year. This movie has great action on the field and I really enjoy the use of rear projection to convey the game play action.
Review by Charles Radbourn ★ 3
A two hour pornhub clip for every boomer who wants to remember the Old Days. Watch the sniper from Saving Private Ryan joylessly smack dingers while a genuinely fun Tom Jane looks on, all the while pretending not to watch Billy Crystal masturbate to nostalgia in the corner. For some reason Mark McGwire is featured.
Review by Citizen Kris ★★★★½
It's only appropriate that on the eve of baseball's Opening Day, I view my favorite baseball movie.
61* is ultimately a straight-to-HBO movie, but it's so much better than that. The baseball savant in me absolutely adores the attention to detail given here. That's a credit to director Billy Crystal, who is likely the most knowledgeable celebrity Yankees fan there is.
I'm a firm believer that out of all the baseball movies I've seen, this has the best game action and I'm very particular about that.
This also has a stellar ensemble cast. My favorite performance was from Bruce McGill who played Yankees manager Ralph Houk and had "baseball manager" down to a T.
92% Movie Collection
Review by C.A. DeStefanis ★★★★ 4
While the Mark McGwire bookends have aged poorly and a lot of the digital effects look pretty spotty on a HD television this is still a fantastic little baseball flick directed by none other than Billy Crystal. The story of the 1961 home run race between New York Yankees Micky Mantle and Roger Maris as they try to surpass the seemingly insurmountable mark set by Babe Ruth and the obstacles that litter their paths. This is a no-frills, workman like retelling of the actual events. Nothing fancy at all. What does set it apart are the performances. Much like the actual Yankees of yore the supporting cast is a murderer's row of talent and familiar faces who all do excellent…
Review by Cameron ★★★★ 2
What is it about baseball movies that always makes me cry? (And, yes, I include Major League: Back to the Minors)
Review by Diego Rocke ★★★½
Me dieron muchas ganas de volver a ver esta película después de lo de ayer. Para dar un poco de contexto, yo amo el béisbol, es el deporte que más adoro y siempre he sido fan de los Yankees. Ayer, Aaron Judge conecto su homerun #61 del año, mismo que empato la marca impuesta por Roger Maris de 61 en 1961, es decir, hay algo mágico dentro de ese número, además de que Judge usa el número 99 y Maris usaba el 9, y Judge conecto el homerun en el estadio "Roger" Centre de Toronto. En fin, yo considero que nada es coincidencia, todo ya está predestinado de algún modo u otro y eso me hizo sentir algo muy especial…
Review by matnol9 ★★★★★ 2
*** Minor Spoilers***
One one my favorite baseball biopics...excellent job by director Billy Crystal who is a die-hard Yankees fan and idolizes No. 7 Mickey Mantle, superbly depicts the NY Yankees 1961 phenomenal season, which focuses on teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris pursuit of Babe Ruth’s prestigious single-season home run record of 60 set in 1927...But one of the main antagonist were certain members of the press, they relentlessly try to put a wedge between Roger and his teammates, the fan’s and even his lovely wife...and did it for various reasons, for one they thought if this sacred Yankees record was to be broken, then it probably should be by the most cherished Yankee Mantle..and besides they thought Roger was…
Review by Yarjka ★★★
“Why can’t you just admit you want it too?”
Billy Crystal is just one year older than my dad, who was 12 at the time Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle battled it out for the single-season home run record. It was clearly a monumental moment in the life of a teenage boy. I got to hear a lot about it when Mark McGwire broke the record in 1998 (I was 15). One thing that stood out to me was what was brought up in this film: that Maris is not an important enough player to have this record. Downplaying it for that reason, adding asterisks to it in order to hold onto an older, more traditional record held by a…
Similar Films
Select your preferred backdrop
Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.
Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!
|
|
Join or Sign In Sign in to customize your TV listings By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .
61* Reviews
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record in 1961. As the two NY Yankees come within grasping distance of Ruth's record, their loyalty as friends and teammates is put to the ultimate test. Director Billy Crystal captures the sixties zeitgeist in this made-for-Cable movie about a key season in the history of America's favorite pastime. As baseball enthusiasts cheer Mark McGwire's record-breaking batting rivalry with Sammy Sosa in 1998, older fans recall a similar frenzy back in simpler, steroid-free times. In 1961, the Yankees headed for the pennant race with two dissimilar star players, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). Everyone's fair-haired boy, Mantle was charismatic enough to deflect criticism about his boozing and womanizing. Straight-arrow Maris, a recent addition to the team, played by the rules but didn't make for good copy, and lacked the social skills to galvanize the press on his behalf. Badmouthed by the media and booed by the fans, Maris remained an outsider. Neither baseball Commissioner Ford Frick (Donald Moffat) and Ruth's widow (Renee Taylor) wanted to see Babe Ruth's home-run record broken, but if the inevitable were to occur the cry from the newsrooms and the bleachers was, "Let it be Mantle!" No rivalry existed off the field. Maris and teammate Bob Cerv (Chris Bauer) became Mantle's house-mate in Queens and Maris encouraged Mickey to curb his self-destructive carousing. Maris and Mantle both wanted glory, but for Yankees rather than for themselves. When Mantle's injuries caught up with him, Maris stood poised to outdo the Babe and ignored death threats and bad vibes to break the Babe's home run tally in only one more game than it took Babe Ruth. Screenwriter Hank Steinberg tries to cover all the bases, using baseball fandom as a metaphor for the insularity of the American public. Though Crystal doesn't entirely realize the script's social ramifications, he does a stunning job of recreating the Yankees' corps d'esprit and of resurrecting a less crass era when major league players were both human and heroic.  Stream & Watch 61* Cast & CrewMovie details, featured news.  Similar Movies Movie Reviews Follow MoviefoneLatest trailers.  | |||||
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Aiming for one of the most famed records in sports history, a pair of very different baseball players hit home runs at an impressive rate. Roger Maris (Barry Pepper), a reserved sort, is much less...
Baseball drama from director Billy Crystal has the graceful arc of a well-hit ball. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 7, 2002. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted...
9/10. An absolute home run. Billy Crystal hits it out of the park with 61*. Brilliantly cast, beautifully shot and at times brutally honest in its storytelling, 61* is an absolute gem. Any baseball fan well knows the story of the great home run chase of 1961.
61*: Directed by Billy Crystal. With Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Masur. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
A movie that is just as much about how players have to deal with the media as it is about the legendary HR chase of 1961. Pepper and Jane really seem to capture Maris and Mantle perfectly. The special effects are still decent if not dated a bit, but were great for the time.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 86% out of 28 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.8/10. [1] Film critic Richard Roeper named 61* one of his top five all-time favorite baseball movies.
61* (December 30/01) Billy Crystal's fascination with baseball is no secret. From his lengthy monologue about his first experience at a ball game in City Slickers to a trip to Yankee stadium for Comic Relief , his love of the game has always been evident.
61* Reviews. 2001. 2 hr 8 mins. Drama. R. Watchlist. Where to Watch. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record in 1961. As the two NY Yankees...
Overview. In 1961, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees. One, Mantle, was universally loved, while the other, Maris, was universally hated. Both men started off with a bang, and both were nearing Babe Ruth's 60 home run record. Which man would reach it? Billy Crystal. Director. Hank Steinberg. Writer.
Visit the movie page for '61*' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review.