History Film / Moneyball

* BasedOnATrueStory: One could argue {{Very Loosely|BasedOnATrueStory}} - there was a fair bit of rearranging of characters and lines, including the complete omission of Michael Lewis (the author of the original book), and a number of people who claim they were portrayed unfairly, particularly Art Howe.

* {{Jerkass}}: Art Howe. In real life, Beane fired him following the loss to Minnesota.

** When director StevenSoderbergh was attached to direct, [=DePodesta=] was one of the characters. DemeteriMartin was to have played him but production was shut down a few days in.

* EpicFail: Set-up, then averted. They watch a video of a minor league game, in which an insecure player trips rounding First Base and crawls in a panic to get his hand back on the base, only for the bemused first baseman of the other team to tell the player he [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome smashed the ball over the fence for a home run.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: Art Howe. In real life, Beane eventually fired him.

* OpposingSportsTeam: Highlighted with the Yankees, as per their contractual arrangement to be the villain in any baseball movie not starring them.

* RealitySubtext: Peter [=DePodesta=]'s change of heart about how he was portrayed led to the composite character of Peter Brand being written in his place.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The movie began production with StevenSoderbergh directing and Demeteri Martin in the Jonah Hill role. After Soderbergh turned in his first dailies, Sony found his part-scripted, part-documentary, part-animation (which had Bill James voicing himself, explaining the idea of Sabremetrics) approach unmarketable and he was fired after about a week of shooting. The production was shut down for a year while AaronSorkin was brought to do rewrites and after Bennett Miller was hired to direct, production finally restarted.

The film stars BradPitt and Jonah Hill; AaronSorkin served as a co-writer of the movie's screenplay.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''TheSocialNetwork'', another AaronSorkin scripted film BasedOnATrueStory about a subject that at first would not seem to be an interesting one to make a movie about.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''TheSocialNetwork'', another AaronSorkin scripted film BasedOnATrueStory about a subject that at first would seem not to be an interesting subject for a movie.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''TheSocialNetwork'', another AaronSorkin scripted film BasedOnATrueStory about a subject that at first wouldn't be an interesting subject for a movie but is made very riveting and entertaining.

* DidNotDoTheResearch: The song Casey Beane sings twice in the film is "The Show," first recorded in 2008 by Lenka. The film takes place in 2002.

* RealLifeWritesTheScript: Peter [=DePodesta=]'s change of heart about how he was portrayed led to the composite character of Peter Brand being written in his place.

* AmicablyDivorced: Billy and Sharon.

* ParentWithNewParamour: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], Casey's divorced parents never bicker or argue as much as one might expect given the situation.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Averted. At the end of the film, Beane turns down 13-odd million dollars to stay with the A's.

* BasedOnATrueStory: One could argue {{Very Loosely|BasedOnATrueStory}} -- there was a fair bit of rearranging of characters and lines, including the complete omission of Michael Lewis (the author of the original book), and a number of people, particularly Art Howe, claim they were portrayed unfairly.

* [[spoiler: BitterSweetEnding: The A's go on an unprecedented 20-game win streak but lose in the playoffs. Billy is offered a 12.5-million dollar contract — the highest offered for a baseball GM at that time — to GM for the Red Sox and seriously considers it but ultimately decides to stay with the A's, content to know that he's changed the game for the better.]]
* [[spoiler: BrokenStreak: Averted. The A's go up 11-0 on the Royals and look like they'll cruise to their record 20th straight victory. The Royals gradually chip away at the lead and manage to tie the game 11-11...and then the A's Scott Hatteberg hits a walk-off home run in the 9th inning.]]
* BoringButPractical: The various players that Beane wants on the team, in spite of their various faults, is simply because they can get on base reliably.

* EpicFail: Set-up, then averted. They watch a video of a minor league game, in which an insecure player trips rounding First Base and crawls in a panic to get his hand back on the base. Only for the bemused Baseman of the other team to tell the player he [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome smashed the ball over the fence for a home run.]]

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Beane is amazed to learn that his preteen daughter now has a cell phone, which he considers unnecessary and is specified by her ex-wife to be for emergencies. In 2002, cell phones were still relatively rare for younger people.
** And the concept of Sabremetrics itself, which drives the plot.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: [[spoiler: Averted. At the end of the film, Beane turns down 13-odd million dollars to stay with the A's]]

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. A more appropriate name would be, "Screw The Rules, I ''Don't'' Have Money"

* [[spoiler: HistoricalDownerEnding - see BitterSweetEnding ]]

* EpicFail: Set-up, then averted. They watch a video of a minor league game, in which an insecure player trips rounding First Base and crawls in a panic to get his hand back on the base. Only for the bemused Baseman of the other team to tell the player he smashed the ball over the fence for a home run.

Billy goes through a bit of a depression after a post season loss to the [[DamnYankees New York Yankees]] as he realizes that with his Ballclubs meager salary, they just can't compete with the likes of teams that spend three times the amount of money they can. Destiny along with the Cleveland Indians put Billy together with Peter Brand as they start using Bill James-style statistics (aka: Sabermetrics) to rebuild the Oakland Athletics into a League powerhouse once again.

* CompositeCharacter: Peter Brand was based on a group of Beane's assistants/deputies, primarily Paul DePodesta, whose request not to have his name used in the film is what partially led to this.

* BasedOnATrueStory: One could argue {{Very Loosely|BasedOnATrueStory}} -- there was a fair bit of rearranging of characters and lines and a number of people, particularly Art Howe, claim they were portrayed unfairly -- but the bulk of the story told is accurate.

* BasedOnATrueStory: Debatably VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory as some of the persons portrayed in this film have argued vehemently that they have been unfairly portrayed, especially Art Howe. Other parts of the film, however, are far more accurate.

* CompositeCharacter: Peter Brand was based on a group of Beane's assistants/deputies, primarily Paul DePodesta, whose request not to have his name used in the film is what partially led to this

* UnlikelyHero: Light-hitting Scott Hatteberg hits a walkoff homer