Ballhawks

2010 documentary

Rating: 15/20

Plot: A documentary about grown men who hang around outside Wrigley Field to collect baseballs that leave the stadium.

A real treat for baseball fans, even diehard Cub haters like me. This is often funny, somehow made even funnier by Bill Murray's narration. But more importantly, it's often poignant, digging in and discovering truths about not only baseball and the generally heavy-hearted fans of the most embarrassing team in baseball but about life. More than anything, this is a movie about anticipation, people who wait and wait--probably infinitely--but who never lose hope. And there's something really cool about it. There's also something really cool about seeing just how much this team and this baseball field means to its city, and it really made me want to see another game at Wrigley. The Ballhawks themselves are entertaining, humorous, and complex individuals. There's an old guy who dresses like a young guy, a veteran (the Babe Ruth of Ballhawks who has an absolutely staggering 4,000+ baseballs), a guy who takes it way too seriously, and a controversial guy who breaks all the Ballhawks' unwritten rules. The director (Michael Diedrich) started out to make a film about these outsiders (literal outsiders) because he thought that the Cubs were going to win the World Series. They didn't because they're the Cubs, but an interesting accidental second story emerged when the Cubs people decided to extend the seating in left field, making it more difficult for balls to actually leave the stadium. The added conflict adds a dimension. There's far too much music, but this is a wonderful little documentary that all baseball fans (and especially Cubs fans, I reckon) will enjoy.

It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine.

2007 movie

Rating: 16/20 (Anonymous: 14/20)

Plot: Paul, a middle-aged man suffering from Cerebral Palsy, is wasting away in a nursing home. All he wants to do is be like everybody else and often fantasizes about just that. Except "everybody else" in this case is limited to men who strangle women after they sleep with them.

This isn't widely available, and a lot of people would argue that it shouldn't be. This is far from a perfectly-constructed movie. Heck, it's far from a competently-constructed movie. But there's a backstory that transforms this from just a movie to a work of art. The screenwriter and lead is the late Steven C. Stewart, a guy who really did suffer from Cerebral Palsy and who spent the better part of his life imprisoned in a nursing home. The great Crispin Hellion Glover brought his story to life. He does it cheaply--with some gross colors, some really obvious classical music choices, and more than a few editing errors. But there's a refreshing naivete with both the writing and the direction (the latter, possibly intentional) that makes this like outsider art. Outsider art made by an insider? When I was trying to put some words together, I had trouble coming up with anything better than "hideously beautiful," cheap and oxymoronic. Typing "hideously beautiful" embarrasses me as much as some of things I laughed at (uncomfortably) while watching this movie. There's a very dark humor throughout the story as well as some unintentionally funny (or are they intentionally unintentionally funny?) moments, especially any time Crispin Glover's dad Bruce is on-screen. If Bruce Glover doesn't win my yearly Torgo for his small role here, I'll be surprised. I really liked the beginning and end of the movie (a framing device), a terrific scene with police detectives and bendy straws, and a final murder scene that stretches so far into ridiculous territory that it hits you in the eye and makes you ejaculate raisins. Literally! Watching this movie with a crowd of people was fascinating to me. I believe most of the crowd liked what they saw, probably because they came to the theater knowing exactly what to expect, but I think it was liked in different ways. I don't frequently watch movies in big crowds, but I can't remember ever seeing a movie that got this much of a reaction, and that's worth something right there. Well, maybe Ernest Goes to Camp.

I saw this at the IMA. Crispin Glover showed a slide show and read from eight of his novels. Then, he showed this movie. Then, he came back out and kind of answered people's questions. My appreciation for America's finest actor has grown. I didn't stick around to have my cd cover autographed and get a picture because I was tired. I really hope he comes back to Indy some time to show his first movie.

One final note: Although I don't think any of you will see this (other than Larst), I do feel the need to warn you. The violence isn't graphic, but there's a lot of sex. This isn't for everybody, but for the right, open-minded audience, this delivers.