Eephus Movie Review

Eephus (2024)

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Written by: Michael Basta & Nate Fisher & Carson Lund
Directed by: Carson Lund
Starring: Keith William Richards, Frederick Wiseman, Cliff Blake, Ray Hryb, Bill 'Spaceman' Lee, Wayne Diamond, Cliff Blake
Rated: Unrated [R]
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Plot
Grown men's recreational baseball game stretches to extra innings on their beloved field's final day before demolition. Humor and nostalgia intertwine as daylight fades, signaling an era's end.

Verdict
It's a bit slow, focusing on a rec league game with players that aren't athletes. Thus the action is mild to non-existent. Many scenes are just routine plays. The sub-text is that this is the last game before the field is torn down, thus marking the end of their rec-league careers. They play into the night trying to hold on to the past. I wish this developed the characters more. At the conclusion, I can't distinguish anyone. This could easily tell stories and develop characters throughout the game with players creating an ongoing dialog while on base or even jawing into the dugout. Without that, this is hollow.
Skip it.

Review
A bunch of players gather for the last rec league game. The field will be torn down, and there are no other leagues nearby. It's the end.

Keith William Richards plays Ed Mortanian

This is a lot of small plays. It's a routine rec league game, and while I wouldn't expect to see big league plays, this needs something. One of the better parts is when a player in the field yells "pizza," causing everyone to start yelling out food. The umpire has to halt the game to stop it. A few spectators come and go, heckling the teams. A player on the bench talks up his eephus pitch, which is a high-arcing off-speed pitch.

It's likely due to it being their last game, but tempers flare even among teammates. That and the game is going long. This is their last game, and the players don't want to let go. Players begin leaving due to other commitments. The ump wants to leave, and they have trouble convincing him to stay. An ardent fan agrees to ump instead, though only from the stands. It's comical, putting the teams on the honor system for calls.

Bill "Spaceman" Lee plays Lee

As the game winds down, some of them reflect on it being their last game. It's an end of an era. They're willing to play into the night to hold onto something fleeting. This is their past and present as they try to curtail the future. Eventually it becomes so dark they can barely see. No one has paid the electricity at the field so there are no lights.

I wish this had tried to build a narrative within the game. There could be an ongoing joke between the first baseman and a batter that only continues when the batter gets on base. Players on the bench could discuss their lives or future. Most of the characters aren't distinguished. There could easily be chatter in the dugout and on the field that could develop the characters. We get so little, and with their level of skill the action is lackluster. That's unfortunate as the underlying reasons why this game plays for so long is a great idea.