Director Carson Lund’s feature debut laces a triple down the line. 

Much like the comedy genre, sports films are becoming fewer and far between in the theatrical space. But when they strike (and in this case make good contact, it’s impactful), they make for some of the most memorable experiences moviegoers endure; and in some cases, they even add a level of replay ability as well. There certainly needs to be a balance of these types of films being made and released. However, times are now different than they were back as early as the 2000s when Disney was waltzing out a new sports film based on true stories as often as their Marvel movies. Regardless, there is an audience for these types of films, no matter the scale or subject matter revolving around the sport. And that’s where Eephus, a film centered on baseball, comes to the plate. There’s nothing inspirational about this film, nor anything deep that dives into with its characters on the diamond. But it tells its 90-minute story the same way any baseball game is played: a delightful time of hanging out and playing the sport everyone loves. Reminiscence ensues, as do moments of laughter. But it’s also takes an authentic look at those who gather round just get away from whatever they do off the field. 

Eephus takes place sometime in the 90s in a small town in Massachusetts on a weekend in October. However, this pickup game between two sandlot teams is the last game at Soldier’s Field, which is set to be torn down to make way for a new school to be built on the land. Players range from those in community college to those in their 50s, who will attempt to pitch a complete nine inning game. And spectators range from kids who think the game is boring, or don’t understand the game, to a scorekeeper who is the first to arrive at the field and the last to leave.

Like some who consider the sport of baseball to be boring, some viewers might find themselves initially disinterested with Eephus, and I can understand their reasoning. The film never leaves the ballpark and literally plays out like an entire game of baseball. You see and hear the sights and sounds of baseball; the crack of the bat, a baseball hitting a player’s glove, and so on. And though we get to see the players around the field and the dugouts chat amongst each other, we never get to really know any of the characters on either team. Sure, we get to know their names and positions, but we only scratch the surface of who these people are, along with the spectators who just so happen to watch the game or stop by on their way to somewhere else. In fact, one of the players on the field is even blamed for the field being torn down, but we don’t know exactly why. 

So, I get it. Some people might not enjoy this film, thinking it only has a depth on the level of the surface of a baseball field. At one point during the film, the daughter of one of the players asks a boy around her age in the stands, “Why do they care so much?” And Carson Lund’s film answers the question in this endearing look into small town America, where we watch folks cling to something they clearly care enough about to continue to put on uniforms and lace up cleats to play. There’s a bit of melancholy to this whole game, with plenty of moments of hilarity, between the chatter on the field or watching players injure themselves performing the simplest of actions or movements. It’s a hangout of sorts, yes. But the conversations and actions its characters play out are never stale and have a level of authenticity that anyone viewing the film can relate to. In fact, the third act of the film takes a surprising turn that I appreciated, even if it adds more melancholy to the whole film. 

As far as indie films go, Eephus is a prime example of this area of the film world. You likely won’t recognize any of the actors in the film unless you are a film nerd and noticed a couple of them from 2019’s Uncut Gems (Keith William Richards, Wayne Diamond) or even a baseball historian who notices Bill Lee, a former left-handed Major League pitcher who’s in the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, who makes a brief appearance in the film and explains the Eephus pitch, a type of pitch he helped create many decades ago that gives this film its name. Like the pitch itself, the film might appear slow. However, it’ll also catch you off guard in its genuineness that ultimately turns into a crowd pleaser by the time the final run is scored in the game.

RATING: ★★★★

(out of five stars)