What's the Difference between For Love of the Game the Book and For Love of the Game the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Billy Chapel
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William Chapel
Portrayed by: Kevin Costner
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Carol Grey
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Jane Aubrey
Portrayed by: Kelly Preston
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Gus Osinski
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Gus Sinski
Portrayed by: John C. Reilly
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This Character does not appear.
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Heather Aubrey
Portrayed by: Jena Malone
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This Character does not appear.
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Gary Wheeler
Portrayed by: Brian Cox
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Maxwell
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Frank Perry
Portrayed by: J. K. Simmons
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Josephus Birch
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Davis Birch
Portrayed by: Bill E. Rogers
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For Love of the Game Book vs Movie
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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The book starts with Billy Chapel in his hotel room in NYC waiting for his girlfriend Carol Grey to meet him. She does not show. Billy calls her office and they say she is out. |
The film starts with a montage of Billy Chapel growing up as a child, then changes scene to the Detroit Tigers boarding the plane to NY to play the Yankees. Catcher Gus Sinski does not want Billy to pitch with his chronically sore arm. |
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Billy is 37 and has been pitching for the Atlanta Hawks for 17 years. |
Billy is 40 and pitching for the Tigers for 19 years.
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Carol Grey is a divorcee and never wants children. If she marries again, it will be to a wealthy older man. They see each other from time to time and take vacations together. |
Billy and Jane have a casual relationship. They agree to see other people when Billy is not visiting her in NY. |
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A reporter named Dooby Ross is let into Billy’s hotel room. Ross tells Billy about a deal to trade him to a west coast team. The Old Man (previous team owner) has passed away. Ross wants to know if Billy will go to another team or retire. Billy does not say. |
Team owner Gary Wheeler sees Billy in his hotel room. Wheeler says he sold the team and the new owners are going to trade Billy to the Giants. Wheeler tells Billy he should retire. Billy is not sure what he will do. Wheeler’s nephew is sent to shadow Billy until he gets an answer on retirement.
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Carol calls Billy’s hotel room and says she is in the park across the street. Carol tells Billy that she is quitting her job and moving back home. She is considering marrying a wealthy older man. |
Billy meets Jane in the park after she calls. Jane is quitting her job and moving to London. She tells Billy that he does not need her. She is flying to London during his game in NY against the Yankees. |
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Billy met Carol at a party four years prior. They parted without a kiss after their first date. Soon after they were together as much as possible. |
Five years earlier, Billy meets Jane on the highway when her car breaks down. They go out on a date after her car is towed. She attends his game, they go out to dinner and then she stays the night in his hotel room. He asks to meet her when he is back in NY next time; she agrees.
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Billy is in the batting lineup. He does not get on base. |
Billy is not shown in the batting lineup. |
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Billy and Carol have sex in a Cessna 150 that Billy was flying over Scotland. |
This is not in the film.
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Billy’s parents died together in a car accident. |
Billy’s parents died a year apart. |
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This is not in the book. |
Davis Birch encourages Billy to invite Jane down to Florida during spring training; she declines. Janes flies down to Florida to Billy’s apartment, but she sees Billy’s masseuse in his apartment. Jane decides not to continue their casual relationship.
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Carol does not have children. |
Jane is a single mother with a teenage daughter. Jane asks Billy to retrieve her daughter after she runs away to her father’s house in Boston. Jane asks Billy to bring her home to NY. |
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This is not in the book. |
During the off-season, Billy seriously injures his hand while operating a table saw. This potentially career ending injury adversely affects his relationship with Jane and they stop seeing each other.
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Carol is not going to London. |
Jane is watching the game while waiting for her flight to London at the airport. She decides to miss her flight as the game nears the end. |
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This does not happen in the book. |
Near the end of the game, Billy sends a message on a baseball to Wheeler telling him he is through with baseball.
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These details are not in the book. |
At the bottom of the 9th inning, Billy prays to God for the pain in his shoulder to go away for ten minutes. Billy is unable to block out the distractions from the crowd during the final inning. |
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After Billy pitches a perfect game, he parties with Gus and Birch. Later he calls Carol, he tells her that he loves her and needs her. Carol says she loves Billy and she will go to NY to see him. |
Rookie Ken Strout is sent in as the last batter. He is thrown out at first base. Gus and Billy party after the perfect game. Later Billy decides to fly to London and find Jane. He finds Jane at the airport and says he loves and needs her.
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