by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
The days of playing baseball in the spring and summer were long. The dirty grass. Hitting the ball. Running down fly balls. Chewing gum and spitting. Baseball is not fast paced. It is a game of chance, strategy, and methodical execution. The point is not to rush. Baseball is the closest sport to chess you are ever going to have. But outside of the conventions of playing the game, we have all the nostalgic memories of what it was like to play the day away, the sun slowly disappearing. Few films have ever captured this magic experience quite like Carson Lund’s Eephus.
Set in the 1990s, Eephus nicely encapsulates the period with texture in every frame. It chronicles the last game at a Massachusetts field before it’s torn down for good. The two teams — made up of men trying to keep up the spark of their youth — are willing to push through the challenges of their own age, the dwindling light, and the dropping temperatures to make sure this stadium receives the legacy it deserves. The end of an era is nigh, and players on to it desperately. The film channels the wondrous nuances of the baseball experience, but its real MVPis the feeling underneath the whole journey. There is the joy of the game, but there is also the wear and tear that comes from playing in such a sprawling outing. Eephus’ atmosphere is unexpected and subversive. When you think “beer league,” you don’t expect this. Each image is gorgeous and perfectly blocked, with the camera moving purposefully. If you can slow your expectations and match the methodical pace, this is quite special.
To buttress the glorious experience is Lund’s co-written (along with Nate Fisher and Michael Basta) screenplay. There are no big cinematic moments — instead, the film’s strength is in the natural way the characters interact. There are no big, capital M Moments that spell out the themes or ideas. All that work and growth is presented in the character dynamics, and how they engage with the game. There are about 20 players in this game (along with their loyal observers and the umpires), and each has depth and personality. Eephus is exciting. This feels like a real game with real players who all have their own lives off the diamond, but who come together and craft something together. Each hurdle is presented in an authentic way, and the audience gets to see how a whole range of characters confront such a situation. We see the characters’ range and depth, and their life outside of the game, as well as their experience on the field, inform their actions.
What is so unique about this incredibly large and effective cast? They all feel real. There are no stars. You might recognize a face or two, but this ensemble of character actors breathes life into Eephus. We feel the joy of the game starting. We feel each of them getting tired as the light disappears and the innings feel long. We feel the fear of life after this game for some. There is desperation in so many of them when it comes to finishing this last game. Eephus is like a last hurrah at the field with your longtime buddies. There might be some amateurish performances, but they are all so authentic that they’re right at home instead.
Eephus is the first baseball movie to make such an impact since Moneyball. It teleports you back to a time in your childhood that you long for. Or it captures the brotherhood and connection you might have when you find your “pack.” Eephus might be too slow for some, and too much about the details of baseball for others, but its magic lies in contemplation. The reflection that comes with everyone wrapping up and leaving the field one last time is the embodiment of what makes Eephus so special.
Rating: Loved It
Eephus is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd