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Historical drama

61* (2001): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch

61* (2001) movie poster

61* is a 2001 historical drama directed by Billy Crystal, starring Barry Pepper as Roger Maris, Thomas Jane and Charles Esten. It runs 2 hours 9 minutes. Stream it on HBO Max, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

Where to watch Watch the trailer
61* (2001) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 9m (129 min)
Director
Billy Crystal
Genres
History , Drama
Original language
English
Studio
61* Productions Inc.
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is 61* About?

The premise of 61* without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In 1961 the New York Yankees featured two legendary sluggers, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. While Mantle was adored nationwide, Maris faced scorn despite his talent. Both launched spectacular seasons and closed in on Babe Ruth’s iconic 60‑home‑run mark, sparking a fierce debate over which of them would finally break the record.

61* Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • bare chested man
  • baseball
  • baseball player
  • new york yankees
  • kansas city missouri
  • year 1961
  • baseball game
  • locker room
  • north dakota
  • babe ruth character
  • reference to ed sullivan
  • joe dimaggio character
+38 more
  • reference to mark mcgwire
  • mickey mantle character
  • roger maris character
  • whitey ford character
  • yogi berra character
  • phil rizzuto character
  • mel allen character
  • elston howard character
  • reference to sammy sosa
  • year 1998
  • baseball sport
  • baseball announcer
  • chicago illinois
  • told in flashback
  • baseball commissioner
  • family relationships
  • scrambled eggs
  • hospital patient
  • partnership
  • tv advertisement
  • muscle strain
  • home run record
  • unfaithful husband
  • ulcer
  • end credits roll call
  • scene after end credits
  • baseball movie
  • fan the person
  • roommate roommate relationship
  • teammate
  • sports writer
  • friendship
  • new york city
  • vomiting
  • reference to hank greenberg
  • record breaking
  • television camera
  • reference to sammy davis jr.
Where to watch

Where to Watch 61*

Stream it on HBO Max, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Stream 2

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Cast & crew

61* Cast & Characters

Barry Pepper leads the cast as Roger Maris, with Thomas Jane as Mickey Mantle and Charles Esten as Kevin Maris. Directed by Billy Crystal; 31 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in 61*

· 27 more
Show all 31 cast members
Plot

61* Plot Summary

What happens in 61* from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1998, the family of the late Roger Maris Richard Masur goes to Busch Stadium to witness Mark McGwire Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals break their father’s record with a 62nd home run. Maris’ widow, Pat Pat Crowley, is hospitalized due to complications from arrhythmia and watches the game on television from a hospital bed.

Full summary

The whole story of 61*, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

61* Trailers & Videos

The trailer of 61*.

61* trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know 61*?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which New York Yankees star was Roger Maris's teammate and rival during the 1961 home‑run race?
Cars

Cars in 61*

14 cars on screen, including the 1954 Chevrolet Two-Ten and the 1947 GMC PD 3751.

All 14 cars
  • 1954 Chevrolet Two-Ten in 61* 1954 Chevrolet Two-Ten Minor role
  • 1947 GMC PD 3751 in 61* 1947 GMC PD 3751 Minor role
  • 1998 Lincoln Town Car Stretched Limousine in 61* 1998 Lincoln Town Car Stretched Limousine Minor role
  • 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air in 61* 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Background role
Details

61* Also Known As

7 alternative titles, including “61” and “Home Run Race”.

Also known as
  • 61
  • Home Run Race
  • 61*: A História de Um Recorde
  • 61* - Неофициален рекорд
  • 빅 리그
  • 职棒双雄
  • Baseball-barátok

Seen 61*?
More like this

Movies Like 61*

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Mantle, The Babe Ruth Story and The Pride of the Yankees.

FAQ

61* FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch and post-credit scenes of 61*, each answered in a sentence.

How long is 61*?

61* runs 2 hours 9 minutes (129 minutes).

When was 61* released?

61* was released on April 28, 2001.

Who directed 61*?

61* was directed by Billy Crystal.

More films by Billy Crystal

Who is in the cast of 61*?

61* stars Barry Pepper as Roger Maris, Thomas Jane as Mickey Mantle and Charles Esten as Kevin Maris, among 31 credited actors.

Where can I watch 61*?

In the US, 61* is streaming on HBO Max and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).

Does 61* have a post-credit scene?

No. 61* has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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