Movies

He remembers a different kind of baseball, relaxed and chatty. ‘Eephus’ gets it on film

BBG News

In a somewhat contentious move, introducing a pitch clock in 2023 significantly altered the way major league baseball is played and watched. This innovation challenged the pitcher’s control over the pace of each inning, ultimately reducing the length of games by ensuring a more efficient flow.

Currently, it’s worth noting that Carson Lund, a filmmaker and avid ballplayer, highlights how America’s favorite pastime has transformed into yet another scheduled activity – something quickly accomplished before moving on. Originally a relaxing pursuit, this sport now conforms to the fast-paced nature of our contemporary culture.

Lund, aged 33, shares with me, as we relax at a picnic table in Elysian Park overlooking a baseball field where young lads are practicing, “I perceive it as quite pessimistic.” He adds, reminiscing about the game’s traditional essence, “Baseball, for more than a century, was a sport that could stretch on endlessly if necessary. It established its own rhythm of time and in theory could continue indefinitely.

Lund’s eagerness to capture baseball’s captivating charm drove him to co-write and direct his first film, “Eephus” (now playing in theaters), a charming and well-acted dramedy from the 1990s. It follows two adult recreational teams from suburban Massachusetts as they play their final game on a field that’s about to be destroyed and turned into a school.

As the day transitions into night, they continue to play, struggling to convey their collective grief over the loss. This mixes humor with emotion. Although their bonds may be limited to baseball, Lund views these camaraderie arising from the team as genuine, albeit fragile.

In simpler terms, Lund explains that people express their emotions using the medium of games and friendly rivalry. The dialogue in the movie reflects a specific region, New England, where sports play such a significant role in everyday life that they’ve blended into the local dialect.

Lund expresses his disinterest in baseball films, stating that he believes all such productions fail to capture the authentic rhythm of the game. He argues that, like a pitch clock, these movies ultimately prioritize the needs of Hollywood storytelling over the game’s natural flow.

According to Lund, the game depicted is frequently symbolic of personal transformation. He aimed to plunge you into a single day’s events on one playing field and generate a shared experience through a large cast dealing with similar issues – specifically, letting go of a tradition and a part of themselves tied to that field.

In a distinctive style reminiscent of European art films or slow cinema from Asia, Lund’s interpretation delved into an American theme by employing rhythm and stylistic decisions. This approach aimed to echo the sense of longing evoked in Tsai Ming-liang’s 2003 film, “Goodbye, Dragon Inn,” which tells the story of the final screening at a Taiwanese movie theater on its last day of operation.

According to Lund, there was a somber, mournful mood in Tsai’s movie that he found captivating. He prefers films that offer a certain level of ambiguity or subtlety, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the film’s overall ambiance.

Enthusiastic movie lover, Lund, frequently sports a wide grin, has been captivated by the works of Stanley Kubrick and Ingmar Bergman since his youth, thanks to his father’s suggestions. When it comes to baseball, he exudes self-assurance in conversation. Lund discovered the perfect location for “Eephus” in the compact city of Douglas, Massachusetts, following visits to over a hundred ball fields across New England. As he puts it, “I sought a field that seemed weathered by time with worn wood, peeling paint, and an air of history.

Because his cast consists mainly of older men who are past their prime athletically, playing in a league with minimal competition, Lund instead emphasized the sense of camaraderie by allowing for some disorder and portraying the action using broad, sweeping shots.

He clarifies, “I was eager to observe the dance of various entities moving about and the space separating each one. Baseball possesses aspects unlike any other significant sport; it’s truly one-of-a-kind.

Raised in a family passionate about the Boston Red Sox, Lund was born and nurtured in Nashua, NH. As a shortstop, he played in a traveling league during his upbringing. His father, who had been playing until a knee issue halted him recently, fostered their love for the sport, not as a duty but out of genuine affection.

Lund was often placed at the valuable infield spot due to his admiration for Nomar Garciaparra, a well-known Red Sox player from the late ’90s and the beginning of the 2000s.

Despite his dream of reaching the majors, Lund eventually found the intense competition among aspiring young men with similar ambitions to be detrimental and toxic. He explained that he eventually gave up, causing his father great distress. However, Lund’s interest lay more in pursuing creative outlets. A part-time job at his local library further fueled Lund’s passion for international cinema.

Relocating to vibrant Los Angeles, a city filled with Dodgers enthusiasm, sparked Lund’s passion for sports once more. For nearly a decade, he’s been playing baseball casually as part of the Soldiers team, which is affiliated with the Pacific Coast Baseball League. Some of his fellow long-term Soldiers teammates knew he was producing a baseball film, and they all turned up at the AFI Fest screening of “Eephus” in Hollywood back in October.

According to Lund, this league doesn’t have any rivalry. He found it quite peaceful and enjoyable. Since it’s a game, there’s still effort involved, but the contemplative aspects of baseball became increasingly apparent to him. These are the characteristics that you can observe in the movie.

Filmmaking has always been a collaborative endeavor for Lund. The script for “Eephus” was developed through collaboration with his childhood friend Michael Basta, who is a part of the independent film group Omnes Films along with Lund, and Nate Fisher, whom Lund met during screenings at the Harvard Film Archive.

The writing process initiated on Zoom during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as they discussed what elements should be present in a baseball match. They also pondered about which character types were essential. This led to the creation of a box score and a visual layout of the fictional game, which would progressively unfold throughout the movie.

According to Basta over Zoom, “Carson understood the serious side of the game, while Nate is knowledgeable about the quirky, amusing aspects of baseball, and I handled the non-field related matters.” This combination made for an interesting blend of perspectives on baseball.

Initially, the three of them pieced together the sequence of events on a per-inning basis. After establishing this framework, their task was to strategize about when and how to focus on each character, ensuring equal attention for all without favoring any particular one.

According to Lund, the game of baseball is essentially a constant struggle between swift movement and stillness. In other words, it’s about enduring long stretches without much action followed by sudden bursts of activity. Lund aimed to emphasize these quiet moments in the game and demonstrate that even during those seemingly idle periods, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface.

Fisher consented to join the project under the condition that he could portray a character resembling his favorite player, Zack Greinke, who is renowned for his dry wit and distinctive personality. Notably, Greinke occasionally uses the old-fashioned “eephus” pitch in the movie, which gives it its title.

Fisher explains during an interview, “We were looking for someone to summarize the entire movie’s plot in just three minutes or less from the sidelines.” Since it’s straightforward to perform when you write your own dialogue, he assigned that task to himself. He hopes Greinke gets a chance to watch this film.

In Merritt’s own words, reminiscent of when Greinke wore number 21 for Fisher’s cherished team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, an eephus pitch is a peculiar kind of curveball that moves so slowly it perplexes the batter, causing him to lose track of time.

As a movie reviewer, I must highlight the remarkable performance of the venerable documentarian Frederick Wiseman, renowned for masterpieces like “Titicut Follies” and “Central Park,” who lends his distinctive voice to the role of a radio announcer in this production. Originally, Lund had envisioned Wiseman appearing on screen, but his advanced age (at 95 years old) posed challenges for his participation. Nevertheless, it’s a dream of Lund’s to witness the seasoned nonfiction narrator create one of his celebrated observational films centered around baseball.

In speaking about contacting Wiseman, Lund mentions, “It wasn’t merely his voice I admired, but I felt that including him in the film would signal to viewers that this production is more anthropological than typical narrative storytelling. It served as a subtle hint or clue.

Review

In ‘Eephus,’ a day of baseball comes to life in all its loose-limbed, adult-league glory

Under Carson Lund’s direction in his first full-length film, this independent production carries a casual ambiance and subtly values traditional customs without being overtly ostentatious about it.

Fans of the Red Sox will additionally enjoy a surprise appearance by Bill Lee, affectionately known as “Spaceman,” an unconventional baseball icon who is well-known for pitching an unusual eephus pitch to throw off opponents. As Lund recollects, having his name associated with ours helped us secure the necessary funding.

In the captivating short film “Eephus”, the character of Lund, though not explicitly embodying my likeness as a top-notch shortstop, cleverly found a way to subtly infuse himself into the narrative. A pivotal scene unfolds midway through the game when a young boy and his father arrive for practice, only to discover the field is already in use. This fleeting moment held a profound resonance for me, making it feel as if I were part of the story.

As I reminisce with a grin, I recall an intriguing twist: “In this movie, it’s my old man who plays the dad, and the kid wears my New Hampshire Grizzlies jersey from when I was in my traveling league.” My supportive father was there to witness the film’s debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Through the lens of cinema, baseball appears to serve as a silent expression of heartfelt affection for Lund. Sharing time on that field is an invaluable treasure. As a diehard Red Sox fan, you won’t find him supporting the Dodgers, but he’s grown fond of Los Angeles nonetheless. He describes Dodger Stadium as a place where one can watch the sunset over the mountains, creating a breathtaking moment. It’s truly an extraordinary experience.

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2025-03-14 23:01

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