Former Major League Baseball player Moe Berg goes undercover in World War II Europe for the Office of Strategic Services.Former Major League Baseball player Moe Berg goes undercover in World War II Europe for the Office of Strategic Services.Former Major League Baseball player Moe Berg goes undercover in World War II Europe for the Office of Strategic Services.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
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- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the US/Japan All-star Game, Berg introduces himself to Japanese dignitaries in a humorous way and (in Japanese) starts by saying he can't speak Japanese. The movie does not tell us, but this was Moe Berg's second trip to Japan. In 1932, he and a couple other American players were recruited to come teach American-style baseball to the Japanese. Berg, who had a gift for languages, taught himself passable Japanese on the ship while on the way over. Early in the cruise, one of his fellow players asked if he could speak Japanese and Berg said "No". Once they got to Japan, they were astounded to find him speaking the language. One of them said "I thought you couldn't speak Japanese?" He replied, "That was two weeks ago."
- GoofsThe Roman numerals for the newsreel of the All-Americans trip to Japan read 1944; the correct year was 1934.
- Quotes
Sam Goudsmit: And so, the madness becomes real - We have to kill Werner Heisenberg, and I am to be a part of it.
Moe Berg: No one wants to kill Heisenberg.
Sam Goudsmit: Yeah? Then kidnap him! Send in spies to Germany and kidnap him.
Robert Furman: Ah, you've read too many spy novels.
Sam Goudsmit: I've never read a spy novel.
Robert Furman: It's not that easy to kidnap somebody.
Sam Goudsmit: Ah yeah, you mean killing is easier.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Failed Oscar Bait Movies of 2018 (2019)
Well there is a basic difference between spy fiction and the reality of spy trade-craft. Although the most exciting of the spy thrillers try to capture some of the elements of real world spying but those are mostly technical aspects which are adopted to give these movies a certain credibility; to make them believable to some extent.
Spy biopics like 'The Catcher Was a Spy' are different from these spy action thrillers because the titular characters are not out there to perform stunts. They are out there to gather real and sensitive information. Information which could decide the fate of a real war and a real man's life. The thrill in this movie comes from the grand scope of the mission and the conversely understated actions of a spy so as to avoid all attention. There are no guns blazing here.
This is Paul Rudd's classic regular guy performances at it's best. The real life Moe Berg was an anomaly. A sportsman with unexceptional career but a genius mind of sorts. Quite simply a good candidate for a spy in second world war but not of much use afterwards.
If you are watching this movie for the spy thrills then you might be disappointed. However, if you want to get a glimpse of what an American spy must have found out after talking to people like Werner Heisenberg about the nuclear weapons program of Nazi Germany, then it might be worth it.
I can compare 'The Catcher was a Spy' to a bit more contemporary spy biopic like 'Snowden'. Although completely different in tone and nature, both these spy biopics have something in common. They are about getting to know the mind of the person. Both these movies try to bring out the inner complexities of these people who are quite literally doing a job that demands them to be secretive, deceptive and yet charming.
- organicsocial
- Jul 16, 2018
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $14,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $725,223
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $114,771
- Jun 24, 2018
- Gross worldwide
- $953,953
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