Moneyball on of the best Movies on Netflix

Director: Bennett Miller

Writers: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, and Robin Wright

Brad Pitt gives one of the best performances of his career in the 2011 sports drama Moneyball, which went through a fraught development period (Steven Soderbergh was fired from directing three days before shooting was supposed to begin) but came out pretty spectacular on the other end. Based on a true story, Pitt plays Bill Beane, a former baseball player and current general manager of the Oakland Athletics who takes a gamble on using statistics instead of scouts to build his team. Jonah Hill earned an Oscar nomination for his dramatic turn as sabermetrics guru Peter Brand, while Philip Seymour Hoffman is unsurprisingly a scene-stealer as the team’s manager who opposes this abnormal method. Bennett Miller directs the film with a quiet introspection as Beane looks back on his how own past has shaped his best and worst tendencies, and the film works well as a parallel to Pitt’s transition from “Hollywood hunk” to thoughtful performer. As a bonus, the screenplay gets a crackerjack boost from Aaron Sorkin, whose scenes stick out in the best way. – Adam Chitwood

Columbia Pictures bought the rights to Lewis's book in 2004, hiring Stan Chervin to write the screenplay. David Frankel was initially set to direct with Steven Zaillian now writing the screenplay, but was soon replaced by Steven Soderbergh, who planned to make the film in a semi-documentary style featuring interviews from real athletes, and having the real players and coaches on the team portray themselves. However, prior to its July 2009 filming start, the film was put in turnaround due to creative differences between Soderbergh and Sony over a last-minute script rewrite. Soderbergh exited, and Bennett Miller was hired to direct, with Pitt becoming a producer and Aaron Sorkin being hired to provide rewrites. Filming began in July 2010, taking place at various stadiums such as Dodger Stadium and Oakland Coliseum.

Moneyball premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 23, 2011, to box office success and critical acclaim, particularly for its acting and screenplay. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Pitt and Best Supporting Actor for Hill.