History Film / SixtyOne

* ImmoralJournalist: Most of the press covering Maris' journey in the Leagues consist of slimy tabloid/yellow types who regularly engage in unethical sensationalism over factual coverage. Artie Green in particular is a pretentious asshat who salivates at any chance to tarnish Roger Maris' public reputation -- always by deliberately misconstruing Maris' words during interviews, twisting them, and churning out bottom feeder articles that paint the humble, unassuming man in a terrible light.

In 1961, the New York Yankees seemed poised to make another run at the World Series, having lost a tough seven-game series the year before. Fans are highly optimistic due to the wealth of talent in pinstripes, led by LivingLegend Mickey Mantle (Creator/ThomasJane) and the previous year's MVP, Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). In addition, with more games on the schedule to accommodate new teams joining the league (read: more roster spots for fringe pitchers), there is serious belief that someone could make a run at Babe Ruth's fabled single-season home run record of 60, set in 1927.

''61*'' is a 2001 BasedOnATrueStory [[SportsStories sports film]] directed by Creator/BillyCrystal.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Roger sets the home run record with 61, but it is indeed treated as a separate record. By the time Commissioner Fay Vincent amended the record books to have one set of records in 1991, leaving Roger as the undisputed home run king, he had already died in 1985. In real life, it's even worse, as all three players who have since passed Maris -- Barry Bonds, Mark [=McGwire=], and Sammy Sosa -- have ties to performance-enhancing drugs.]]

* HeroWithBadPublicity: All Roger Maris does is put up one of the greatest two-year stretches in history and helps the team win, and what he gets in return is a press who vilifies him and fans who not just refuse to support him, but send him death threats, even to his wife at home. It's enough to make him start chain-smoking and lose his hair in clumps.

* TheUnfavorite: The crux of the film. Roger is treated as this, despite winning the MVP the year before and having an even better year in 1961 (he again won the MVP that year). As someone who didn't start his career with the Yankees, he faces far more scrutiny than his teammates, and fans recoil that Babe Ruth's record could be broken by a quiet, soft-spoken player with an unremarkable career up to that point as opposed to another legendary Yankee with Hall of Fame credentials like Mantle, who was deemed worthy of carrying the record's torch. In addition, Maris's lack of charm and reluctance to talk to the press exasperates sportswriters, who paint him in the papers as sullen and aloof, which the fans eat up.

* AntiClimax: When Maris has a chance to pass Ruth on the last day of the season, the baseball world is so apathetic that Yankee Stadium is barely half-full and Commissioner Frick is not present. Sadly, TruthInTelevision.

** No asterisk was ever officially tied to Roger Maris's record, even though it was treated as a separate record for 30 years.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Roger sets the home-run record with 61, but it is indeed treated as a separate record. By the time Commissioner Fay Vincent amended the record books to have one set of records in 1991, leaving Roger Maris as the undisputed home run king, Maris had passed away in 1985. In real life, it's even worse, as all three players who have since passed Maris -- Barry Bonds, Mark [=McGwire=], and Sammy Sosa -- have ties to performance-enhancing drugs.]]
* {{Bookends}}: The film begins and ends with the Maris children and widow Pat watching Mark [=McGwire=] break Roger's record.

* CloudCuckoolander: Yogi Berra ("90 percent of this game is half mental") and color commentator Phil Rizzuto.

* ExecutiveMeddling: In-universe; when Maris begins to gain separation from Mantle in the home run chase, Yankee brass want manager Ralph Houk to flip-flop them in the lineup to benefit Mantle. Houk stands up to them, saying that as long as he's manager, the lineup will reflect their best chance to win and when it comes to the chase, "the right man is going break that stupid record."
* ForTheEvulz: During the final inning of 154th game of the season with the game and AL pennant out of reach, the Orioles bring in Hoyt Wilhelm, a knuckleballer who usually only comes in relief to preserve a lead, solely so Roger won't be able to tie Babe's record. The Yankees are not happy about this.

* GameBreakingInjury: [[spoiler: Late in the season, Mickey suffers an arm injury in tandem with a shot that leaves him with an infected hip that shelves him for the rest of the year, leaving Roger all alone to chase Babe Ruth.]]

-->'''Mickey''': What's that supposed to mean, huh, what the FUCK is that supposed to mean?!

* ArtisticLicenseSports: No asterisk was ever officially tied to Roger Maris's record, even though it was treated as a separate record for 30 years. Also, the scene with the angry fan hurling a chair at Roger never happened, and Bob Cerv joined the team mid-season as opposed to beginning the year on the team and as Roger's roommate.

''61*'' is a 2001 BasedOnATrueStory [[SportsStories sports film]] directed by Billy Crystal.

''61*'' is a BasedOnATrueStory [[SportsStories sports film]] directed by Billy Crystal. In 1961, the New York Yankees seemed poised to make another run at the World Series, having lost a tough seven-game series the year before. Fans are highly optimistic due to the wealth of talent in pinstripes, led by LivingLegend Mickey Mantle (Creator/ThomasJane) and the previous year's MVP, Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). In addition, with more games on the schedule to accommodate new teams joining the league (read: more roster spots for fringe pitchers), there is serious belief that someone could make a run at Babe Ruth's fabled single-season home run record of 60, set in 1927.

* ArtisticLicense: With the title: no asterisk was ever officially tied to Roger Maris's record, even though it was treated as a separate record for 30 years. Also, the scene with the angry fan hurling a chair at Roger never happened, and Bob Cerv joined the team mid-season as opposed to beginning the year on the team and as Roger's roommate.

* BookEnds: The film begins and ends with the Maris children and widow Pat watching Mark [=McGwire=] break Roger's record.
* CaliforniaDoubling: Tiger Stadium, with a little CG trickery, filled in for a pre-renovated Yankee Stadium.

->''Why did America have room in its heart for only one hero?''
-->-'''Tagline'''

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Roger sets the home-run record with 61, but it is indeed treated as a separate record. By the time Commissioner Fay Vincent amended the record books to have one set of records in 1991, leaving Roger Maris as the undisputed home run king, Maris had passed away. In real life, it's even worse, as all three players who have since passed Maris -- Barry Bonds, Mark [=McGwire=], and Sammy Sosa -- have ties to performance-enhancing drugs.]]

''61*'' is a BasedOnATrueStory [[SportsStories sports film]] directed by Billy Crystal. In 1961, the New York Yankees seemed poised to make another run at the World Series, having lost a tough seven-game series the year before. Fans are highly optimistic due to the wealth of talent in pinstripes, led by LivingLegend Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and the previous year's MVP, Roger Maris (Barry Pepper). In addition, with more games on the schedule to accommodate new teams joining the league (read: more roster spots for fringe pitchers), there is serious belief that someone could make a run at Babe Ruth's fabled single-season home run record of 60, set in 1927.

* PromotedFanboy: Billy Crystal, baseball and Yankees superfan, who saw Mickey Mantle hit a home run at the first Yankees game he ever attended (and even has Mantle's autograph on the game day program. Twice).

* DistractedByTheSexy: While Mantle and Maris chat in the on-deck circle before Mantle goes to bat, Mantle notes to Roger before he leaves that there's a woman behind the dugout with "the biggest pair of tits I've ever seen." Even Roger can't help but look.
* DudeNotFunny: When Pat jokes that she named her newborn after Babe Ruth, Maris looks horrified on his side of the phone. Pat quickly reassures him that she was just joking, but anything linked to Babe Ruth is too much for Roger to laugh at.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: All Roger Maris does is put up historic numbers and helps the team win, and what he gets in return is a press who vilifies him and fans who not just refuse to support him, but send him death threats, even to his wife at home. It's enough to make him start chain-smoking and lose his hair in clumps.

* TheUnfavorite: The crux of the film. Roger is treated as this, despite winning the MVP the year before and having an even better year in 1961. As someone who didn't start his career with the Yankees, he faces far more scrutiny than his teammates, and fans recoil that Babe Ruth's record could be broken by a quiet, soft-spoken player with an unremarkable career up to that point as opposed to another legendary Yankee with Hall of Fame credentials like Mantle, who was deemed worthy of carrying the record's torch. In addition, Maris's lack of charm and reluctance to talk to the press exasperates sportswriters, who paint him in the papers as sullen and aloof, which the fans eat up.