I'm sure there are a lot of people on this board who saw the movie this weekend.  Let's basically treat this like an open thread where we can share thoughts/opinions on the movie.  Or, if you don't plan on seeing it, perhaps share why you aren't interested.  I'll share some thoughts after the jump.  Warning, there be spoilers here.

I fundamentally liked the movie.  In just about any movie that is made based on a book, there is a fundamental dilemma concerning how true to the original text the film should be.  Trying to get every single little detail right is usually a poor strategy - it's impossible to do so, and ever failure becomes magnified.  However, straying too far from the source work can make the film feel totally disconnected with the book.  I thought that Moneyball did a pretty good job of getting at the essence of the book while ignoring many of the details.  The movie fundamentally championed objective analysis as a means for teams at an economic disadvantage to remain competitive. 

Yes, the movie did not include everything (like the draft).  Yes, the movie got some facts wrong (like the fact that Jeremy Giambi was already on the team, and that the moneyball philosophy was not a one offseason 180 in organizational philosophy).  Yes, the movie had some plot contrivances (like Beane's job being in jeopardy/the stuff with his daughter).  And yes, many of the antagonists of the film (like manager Art Howe and the entire scouting department) were pretty one-dimensional foils who were not in any way given their due as developed characters. 

Some of that is Hollywood - how do you make a sports movie where the team doesn't win THE BIG GAME?  How do you make a Brad Pitt movie  without a romantic interest?  A movie that would have attempted to be as true to the word of the source material would not have worked - 130 minutes of looking at spreadsheet readouts would not be a box office success.  But, I feel that the movie did a good job telling a story that conveyed the thematic essence of the story in an entertaining way.  It could have been done better, but I don't think it could have been done in a way that would have fully satisfied the Nerds like me while having any chance at being succesful.

I'll discuss the nitty gritty in the comments.  I fundamentally liked it, but I can understand pretty well why a lot of people did not.  So, who's seen it and what do you think?