Most of the trailers for the upcoming Moneyball (currently debuting at the Toronto Film Festival) have focused on star Brad Pitt. No surprise there—the guy’s everything you could ask for out of a leading man, the perfect balance of good looks and acting chops. Pair him with the fast wit of a rising comedic star like Jonah Hill and you have a must-see combination primed for awards season.
But the Moneyball sundae has two cherries on top that shouldn’t be overlooked: the reliable Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe, manager of the Oakland A’s, and director Bennett Miller. Six years have passed since Miller last stepped up to the plate with his wonderfully understated debut narrative Capote (which earned Hoffman a slew of trophies, including the Best Actor Academy Award), but now he’s back with what looks like another pensive, human drama. While the movie might dabble in some serious statistics, the real heart is going to come from Miller. He loves characters (see his documentary The Crusie for proof) and he has a handful of them to play with in Moneyball.
Which brings us to this exclusive new clip from the film featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman doing what he does best: hovering one step away from completely losing it. We’ve seen the actor hit his breaking point in the past—Charlie Wilson’s War and Doubt come to mind—and the atomic bomb Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill drop in this clip appear to push Hoffman into similar territory. He doesn’t seem too happy to find out a hunkish GM is messing with his team.
Check out this new scene from Moneyball, which hits theaters September 23.
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches and @Hollywood_com
