Episode 363: The Natural – Robert Redford, Baseball Mythology, and Art as Activism
Robert Redford’s death prompts a deep dive into his career, from founding the Sundance Film Institute to playing a Hydra villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Matthew and Paul Hoppe explore how The Natural serves as American mythology, examining what baseball reveals about heroism, economics, and the nature of sports fandom.
In This Episode:
- How did Robert Redford shape independent filmmaking through Sundance?
- What makes The Natural function as American mythology rather than just a sports movie?
- Why was Redford’s casting in Marvel’s Winter Soldier symbolically important for superhero cinema?
- Can athletes be both mercenaries and heroes?
- What does baseball fandom reveal about parasocial relationships and entitlement?
- How do economic realities shape player loyalty and fan expectations?
- What’s the difference between loving the game and treating it as a job?
