“This Overlooked Kevin Costner Film Directed by Sam Raimi Deserves a Second Look”

Sam Raimi’s Underrated Kevin Costner Baseball Film Deserves More Attention

Sam Raimi is best known for his contributions to horror and superhero cinema, but his filmography holds a few surprising detours. While The Evil Dead franchise and the Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire defined his reputation, Raimi stepped far outside his usual territory in the late 1990s to direct an overlooked sports drama: For Love of the Game.

Released in 1999, For Love of the Game stars Kevin Costner as an aging Major League Baseball pitcher reflecting on his life and lost love during what may be his final game. The film, based on Michael Shaara’s novel, is a sentimental and reflective drama—worlds apart from Raimi’s stylized horror or action-packed superhero fare.

Though Raimi is celebrated for his dynamic visuals and darker tone, For Love of the Game required a much more restrained approach. It’s not a movie that called for Raimi’s trademark camera tricks or genre-bending creativity. Still, he brings a subtle, emotional depth to the storytelling that’s often overlooked.

Costner, no stranger to baseball films, delivers a steady and heartfelt performance. While the plot may lean on familiar sports tropes, the film stands out for intertwining the love story with the rhythm of the game itself. It’s a quiet, thoughtful film that explores how personal memories can carry someone through their greatest challenges.

How It Stacks Up in Raimi’s Filmography

Within Sam Raimi’s body of work, For Love of the Game doesn’t rank among his most iconic efforts. The film’s straightforward narrative and limited scope don’t demand the same risk-taking or visual flair found in Darkman or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Critics were lukewarm—For Love of the Game holds a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest among Raimi’s directed films.

However, audiences have responded more favorably, with a 75% audience score. That contrast suggests the film connects on an emotional level, even if it doesn’t showcase Raimi’s usual directorial signatures.

While not a masterpiece, For Love of the Game reveals a different side of Raimi’s talent—his ability to handle quiet, character-driven stories. It’s a film that may have slipped through the cracks, but for fans of either Raimi or Costner, it’s well worth a watch.