On this day March 29 1985 the romantic sports comedy The Slugger’s Wife premiered in theaters. Directed by Hal Ashby and written by Neil Simon the film starred Michael O'Keefe as a baseball star who falls for a rising rock singer played by Rebecca De Mornay.
The story followed the ups and downs of their whirlwind romance as his obsession with her success starts to affect his performance on the field. Despite its big names both behind and in front of the camera the movie failed to connect with critics and audiences.
With a disappointing box office total of $1.8 million The Slugger’s Wife became one of the lesser known films in both Hal Ashby’s and Neil Simon’s careers.
80s insight: Even though the film wasn’t a hit Michael O'Keefe had previously been nominated for an Academy Award just a few years earlier for The Great Santini.
The story followed the ups and downs of their whirlwind romance as his obsession with her success starts to affect his performance on the field. Despite its big names both behind and in front of the camera the movie failed to connect with critics and audiences.
With a disappointing box office total of $1.8 million The Slugger’s Wife became one of the lesser known films in both Hal Ashby’s and Neil Simon’s careers.
80s insight: Even though the film wasn’t a hit Michael O'Keefe had previously been nominated for an Academy Award just a few years earlier for The Great Santini.
