Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie

First, this film is about the fans, not about the players or even the season. Yes, it was an incredible season with a horrifying finish, but the film is about the fans' reactions, not the games themselves. And it really is for Sox fans, or relatives of Sox fans! Nearly unwatchable before the 2004 World Series, it's now an absolute MUST for those in the Nation who have become arrogant and nasty. The Nation ain't what it was, which is fine, because who doesn't like winning better than losing? On the other hand, something important was lost, something that was tattooed on our souls and which we passed on generation to generation. I miss it, and I love this film!

When I first saw this documentary in the theater, the wounds of '03 were still fresh. I didn't really want to relive it all. I also, wasn't sure what to expect. I completely disagree with that last reviewer who said he was disappointed. I was delighted. I think rabid fans of any team (except maybe Yankee fans who can't get past the Red Sox being the highlight of the feature, which would work vice versa if the subject were the Yankees) will appreciate this film.

It showcases several fans and their annual ritual of subjecting themselves to the pain and torture that was being a Sox fan. Watching the fans go through the season was like reliving it all over again. I felt their joy during exciting games, anxiety when the Yankees would make a come back. The hope that leaped up into my heart when it looked like '03 was the year, only to be horrifically smashed into a thousand pieces in the last game of the playoffs. The girls having to switch jersey's mid game to change their luck and the hand wringing and frustration of watching the red sox blow yet another game, are things we can all relate to. If you have passion for any sport or team, you can and will relate to these fans. (And hey, if you're a Yankee fan you can reminisce about the good old days, before your humiliating loss in '04)

Ok, fine, if you're not a Red Sox fan there is little chance of you enjoying this movie. BUT I get the feeling that this movie isn't made for you non-Red Sox fans (we refer to you as "special" here in Boston) but is actually made for people like me, the faithful.

In terms of ground breaking documentaries, this is not among them, but is instead a fun way to spend some time in a movie theater. The film focuses on the 2003 baseball season, which was a wicked sweet one, up until that last game, which hurt like nothing has hurt before. Spending it's time split between the antics of the team and the relationship between the fans. Well made, as far as pop documentaries go, and HIGHLY recommended to anyone who loves baseball.

8/10

There is a moment in BACK TO THE FUTURE II (1989) when Charles Fleischer says to an incredulous, time traveling Michael J. Fox, who has recently arrived in 2015 and just read (on a holographic billboard) of a miraculous Chicago Cubs World Series victory, "I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season and put some money on the Cubbies." The fact that the Boston Red Sox have not won a World Series since 1918 might prove hands-down that time travel is not possible, otherwise, by now, someone would have prevented George Steinbrenner's parents from conceiving him or sited a garbage dump where Yankee Stadium stands. Still, close to a century of losing has not deterred the likes of the eight super-fans profiled in the engaging documentary, STILL, WE BELIEVE: THE BOSTON RED SOX MOVIE [PG].

Originally, director and Emmy winner Paul Doyle set out (with unprecedented access) to clinically dissect the 2003 season, unaware of the nail-biting championship run the season would be. He was also unaware from whence would come the *real* drama and the *real* struggle -- the fans. Once he realized this, he wisely set out to cast this ultimately colorful bunch of masochists.

Hilariously opinionated WEEI radio regular Paul "Angry Bill" Constine comes off as the most quotable (and funniest), and Fenway fixtures/Boston chicks extraordinaire Jessamy Finet and Erin Nanstad perfectly typify the all-weather hopeful. The inclusion of California transplant Jim Connors, who proudly operates Santa Monica's Boston sports bar Sonny McLean's, is a nice touch, but the most touching fan tale is that of Dan Cummings, the Hyde Park native who was paralyzed from the chest down in a boating accident. His brass ring quest to walk again is inspiring, though it would seem that New England sports fans used up their collective synchronicity credit by winning two Superbowls with a kick in the final seconds.

It seems best that Doyle shifted the focus onto the fans, because while the behind-the- scenes footage does provide context and counterbalance, it is fairly mundane stuff. Predictably, first baseman Kevin Millar is the chattiest and most colorful of the bunch, and, as we expect, elusive superstars Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra barely register. Despite being a celebrated wunderkind, GM Theo Epstein is criminally boring on camera, so perhaps it was out of necessity that Doyle shifted his focus toward the comparatively dynamic battalion of the faithful. They not only make for some innately entertaining comedy and tragedy, but they demonstrate -- and please forgive the waxing grandiose here -- the grand struggle that is this human life. Besides, as Angry Bill so aptly puts it, "If they won, I wouldn't know what to do." Score: 3.5/5

Because I'm a huge Red Sox fan, I was wicked excited when I saw this movie in my local theater. Of course, Red Sox Nation knows how it ends, and that's the part I couldn't watch again, especially since Sportscenter played it about 30 times a day for a week straight. Other than that, the movie carried a great balance of interviews with the players, executive meeting sessions, including the frenzy that went on with the July 31st trade deadline, the backstage antics of our favorite players (including David Ortiz, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millar, and Pedro Martinez), and the centerpiece of the movie - following different groups of fans throughout the season from Spring Training to the ALCS with the Yankees. Every high and low point is captured here, and even if you hate baseball, you will be not disappointed with this flick. 5 out of 5 stars.