Bang The Drum Slowly
Robert De Niro stars as Bruce Pearson, a baseball player stricken with Hodgkin's disease. During his illness, he befriends the team's star pitcher Henry Wiggin (Michael Moriarty), who not only helps Bruce hide his illness from the materialist owners, but also emotionally supports his dying friend. Moriarty and DeNiro's performances, as well as coach Vincent Gardenia's, are the high points of this tearjerker based on Mark Harris's 1950's novel. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Vincent Gardenia.
