Summary: A baseball game which features only grown men is played on the last day of their cherished grounds before they are bulldozed and memories of growing up on the field. At dusk such memories turn into humor, nostalgia; and signal the end of an era.
Movie Review Where to begin with this space documentary of sorts which is undoubtedly an exaggeration, case in point, Carson Lund’s Eephus that is getting a North American release at the Main Slate of 62nd New York Film Festival. At first glance, it appears to be the story of two amateur baseball teams who share a deep sense of nostalgia for the Soldier s Field, a venue demolished after many years service. As we understand and witness during a radio show towards the beginning of the movie, narrated by a most notable compatriot of many, such as documentary maker Fredrick Wiseman, the field that will soon be abandoned. Where American sports lover may go for the hittin’ to other fields? Or perhaps it’ll be the desire to pay their boots in sonorous places. It is here where the plot thickens as we learn what Eephus is. There’s no town rallying to save the field. Blueprints are not just that, plans are made, and, in several weeks, the work will commence. This final match that is chronicled in Eephus plays more like a postmortem that is reflected in the feeling of nostalgia. But you’d think that baseball never dies. And true, but not this formation which defines this casting. They have that livery and are more than willing to flaunt it.
These are people who probably spent the better part of a lifetime at Soldier’s Field waiting for the storm and boy does it show. But they aren’t ready to hang the bat just yet. They have come out for the last match, and in this last match, Lund’s audience will not only come to understand these characters as multifaceted three dimensional people but also as utter unfamiliar faces who strolled into the diamond only to nonchalantly and enigmatically walk out of it. Such a movie may be hyper focused on the sport but Eephus directed by Curtis Casey was able to shift the attention to the vital subject matter of this book – which is a particular aspect of life, its essential transience.
I am not a person with an acute enthusiasm for the sport of baseball but over time I’ve begun developing an interest for it, thanks to the efforts of John DeMarsico who’s the Game Director at SNY for the New York Mets. I’ve always been a fan of movies and its people, and DeMarsico is doing a lot of interesting things in the way he approaches shooting live broadcasts. Be it pulling inspiration from Kill Bill to picking a scene from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, DeMarsico is actively searching for the elegance or the sentiment in what most may consider the boring. And in some regards, the case of Eephus is a little boring. But that is the intention! It honors and respects the slow paced nature that is baseball and showcases it in the same manner DeMarsico is aiming to do with his streams. DeMarsico explained, “You don’t know what the storylines are going to be, but every game has its own isolated little story that you can tell just about. It’s just a matter of finding it every day.” And Lund has in fact, developed a plot out of that aesthetic in an eccentric game like Eephus.
Just as DeMarsico has achieved through the Mets games telecast, Lund and cinematographer Greg Tango filmed the baseball game in Eephus with poise and mastery of the subject. This is in the same way that every other baseball game on screen is also accorded the high regard. Here’s a game that may just be a neighborhood affair with some random players, but it is much more than that as well. The dugout is portrayed in a fit fashion for the ending of an era and as a true game with all the thrill it embodies. Tango adds reality to the most important aspect of the baseball game in action whether it is the camera on base trying to peep over a runner’s shoulder or standing on a pitcher’s mound peering down at an up to bat player. But part of the beauty of Eephus is how the heart of this film, and what makes it such a treasure in the hearts of the audience, rests within the players.
As stated before, it seems that a number of these players have had a reason to visit Soldier’s Field before. They are on each other’s throats to some degree and there are more than a few grievances to share in relation to the conduct and skill level. One would assume that these men have come to be quite familiar with one another over the course of time. And for a second, that may appear to be the case. The more probable possibilty? They know only the most rudimentary details about each other and, with some of the players, such detail may even be an overestimate. Baseball is a game that is played in brief bursts of activity. There are interactions when the rivals are on different bases with the players switching occasions. More often than not, all that can be heard in the dugout are complaints about the aches and the next action. At this time, the focus is about what happens next – in their lives. It’s not that these men disregard people they’ve ignored for so many years. It’s just that, at least for now, it’s all about the game. And after the last inning is completed, not much else can be done for that.
Maybe afterwards a couple of beers are pulled at the nearest bar. But it is hard to picture these men taking part in the same barbeque. This area, no matter how derelict and neglected it may be, is most beloved to them. It is a refuge, the ‘most’ yet ‘none other than’ a space; a differentiating paradigm for which all their attention is focused on a single purpose. Sociologically, it is called a third place. Such places are necessary for life. So what happens to individuals who are one day separated from such an exodus, but bet their lives making these places their focus?
Though, wherever your third place may be, you treat it as an institution in and of itself. It is hard to envision a world devoid of it. Why is that? Since they have their home, usually because they are bigger than gazing into ones eye. An historic theatre, expansive park with edit tree under which they can quite comfortably. A group of people who go out for coffee because it is their favorite drink yes, they can be. Such places have existed for centuries, possibly even before we first existed in order to incorporate them into our daily routine. In Eephus, Soldier’s Field is that third place.
And it seems to be one of those things that has always been part of the town for many years. Consider Franny (Cliff Blake), for example. He appears to be the elder statesman of the field as he prepares to mark the last game he ever has to write in his old scorebook. It is fair to assume it is a place that existed before him. Maybe he simply decided to keep scores simply because it was fun. Perhaps he did it because there was an inherent passion for the game. Perhaps he did it because he could see that enlivened though the players may be transient, there is a story in every seat of the bleachers. In every patch of the grass, and in every angle of the diamond. And it is this personal sense of history that is often overlooked by many people in the broader context that is more important. One time, a boy who was among the children of one of the fathers on the pitch asks, “Why are they so bothered? Are there not other more serious issues that exercises these people? And this is exactly what Eephus is all about.
It is true that while watching some movie (which I admit is my ‘me time’) there are many other interesting things happening in my life as well. But however long my movie of choice is, that director has won me over at the very outset. It is crucial to pour your entire being into your passion. And the men in Eephus have been doing exactly that for week after week in years past… and they are now getting compensated for their efforts, in the form of it being taken from them. Some teammates start thinking about what they have been getting into now that they are about to become ex-fielders. Some would turn to the silver screen, others to literature. But it is a real shock when one’s passion does not seem to come through. Or, when talking about the alternative field, the place where such alternative could be used for the sake of playing: that gets ruled out immediately. It is too distant (not more than a half hour), or there is a problem with toilets (the complete outfield will be disgusting). The list is endless. The culmination point? Most probably the fact that it doesn’t belong to them. It matters where the memories were created in this field, for it indeed was created there. It is often the case in dispute when disorder is more preferable than placing it down and walking off primly from all of it.
Is it possible that they are indeed preventing their face from being disfigured by trying to cut off their nose? Possibly, but it’s on hearing of the namesake of this film that perhaps we start unlocking the headspace of these players.
The eephus pitch, as one of the pitchers who uses it describes it, is easy but difficult at the same time. It is a type of pitch that most pitchers do not try since it is not an easy one to acquire. The pitcher seems to prepare for a strong curve ball. But instead the ball travels in a very high arc and at an incredibly slow pace, aiming to baffle the batter. When one bench player hears about it, he seems to confuse this pitch with the next one he witnessed an eephus pitch. The eephus pitcher describes the fact that in actuality, yes, they do look the same but what was just witnessed was a very poorly executed curve ball. They admit that there are some things in common but in practice. there is a world apart between both of them. As the game progresses, it begins to get dark, players start to cuss and some even get lost from their position, others are puzzled by what they will do next. And in those very last at bats, they range from trying to accept the loss that is to come. The loss not only entails the game itself but this period in which they have found themselves in their lifetime. There is a sequence in the film I believe epitomizes the drama and the epic qualities of the close-up to me of the Eephus.
Here’s a sketch that starts with a father and his young family telling them to pay attention. He eventually sits down, admits defeat to some pitch and struggles. They are trying to leave the place, without any allegations. First, one has no doubt, it’s pretty fun, and second, there is always a smile on the faces of those who made the quick remarks. Throughout the film, three main sets of characters pop up showing their strengths, slowly building the pressure and show more resilience towards the batters. There is a huge emphasis on the embrace of defeat and failure in the face of overwhelming odds, slowly but surely impacting the players’ mentality at Soldier’s Field today. Through the film, one can feel that the solace one seeks is clearly identifiable and so is the sadness behind defeat. More often than not, make the concluding remarks that one felt while watching one of the most beautiful and encapsulating films, Eephus. It definitely is amongst the top films of the year.
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