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Fastpitch

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Fastpitch (2000)

N/A
Reviews Counted: 4 Fresh: 3  Rotten:1 Average Rating: N/A
 
Consensus: At age 35, former Yale Art major and NY based conceptual artist, Jeremy Spear, "craving the thrill of competition," joins the New Jersey Gators, one of America's major fastpitch softball teams. Chasing an old athletic dream, his journey into the little known sport of fastpitch softball brings him deeper than he first thought it would, into the heart of small-town America.

Later he is recruited by the Ashland Abbott Labs of Ohio. On a journey that brings him from the rural midwest to the Northern Ojibway territory, he meets with fans and players who have witnessed the decline of this sport that once rivaled the popularity of baseball.

He encounters a very eclectic mix of people. There are memorable figures, such as New Zealand outfielder, Shane Hunuhunu, who, despite hearing his name being massacred by native Ashlanders, finds among them a level of warmth and open-heartedness that breaks the stereotype one might have about rural America. Spear meets the financially-creative coach of the Ashland Abbott Labs, Nick McCurry, who has learned to stretch the fastpitch dollar a little more every year. He encounters Florida tycoon, Peter Porcelli, whose financial superiority has created controversy and rivalry among the other teams and who is obsessed with winning the World Fastpitch Championship, at any cost. The filmmaker finds himself face to face with the unrivaled Native American legend from the Toronto Gators, Darren Zack, who has found in fastpitch the fulfillment of a long-lasting dream to represent his people at a national level in the United States.

Spear records the daily survival of an amateur sport which lack of popularity has drawn sponsors away from, condemning it to a level of precariousness only inversely proportionate to the passion it still revives in players and supporters alike.

Some may find in it, just a pastime, some, a vehicle to carry out their fight against alcohol and drug addiction in their community, for others it remains the purest form of competitive sport.

The film details vanishing Americana, the line between hobby and obsession, and a pride in identity that transcends racial or regional affiliation.

Whatever the motivation, the involvement goes so deep that it is impossible not to share the passion for fastpitch. -- © Artistic License Films

 

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The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 90 mins

Synopsis: A 35 year-old New York artist, director Jeremy Spear longs for the athletic days of his college years. He finds the solution in joining a fastpitch softball league in Ashland, Ohio and the result is this spirited, humorous, human documentary about a once-mighty sport which is now only... A 35 year-old New York artist, director Jeremy Spear longs for the athletic days of his college years. He finds the solution in joining a fastpitch softball league in Ashland, Ohio and the result is this spirited, humorous, human documentary about a once-mighty sport which is now only followed by diehard fans. Over the course of the turbulent 1996 season Spear's camera captures the adventures of his Ohio teammates as they make their way to the finals in Wisconsin and face millionaire manager Peter Porcelli and his flashy Tampa Smokers team. A good portion of the film is devoted to Shane Hunuhunu, a goodhearted and charismatic Maori fastpitch superstar who travels from New Zealand to the U.S. each year to play the game he loves. Also among the interesting characters the camera encounters are Canadian Indian Darren Zack, the game's best player, and the North Americans, a team made up of Native Americans who pride themselves on being drug and alcohol free. Spear's witty narration does a fine job of tying together what was undoubtedly many hours of footage into an entertaining, evenly-paced look at a little-known offshoot of America's pastime and the smalltown fans who keep the game alive. [More]

Genre: Sports/Recreation

Starring: Jeremy Spear, Shane Hunuhun, Peter Porcelli, Ken Billingsley

Director: Jeremy Spear
Screenwriter: Fred Kaufman, Jeremy Spear

DVD Info

Release:

Feb 6, 2003

[DVD Details]

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3/5

It's not a great story, and it's not great footage, but it also won't leave you wanting to shove hot coals in your eyes, which ranks the film above reality TV, at least.

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12/06/04
Oz
eFilmCritic.com
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3.5/5

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06/26/01
Lawrence Van Gelder
New York Times
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3.5/5

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03/10/03
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle
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3/5

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07/24/01
Jeremy Kleinman
DVDTalk.com
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2/5

No review available.

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08/14/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

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10/08/01
Charles Aliaga
DVD Angle

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02/24/02
Fusion3600
DVD Authority.com

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06/26/01
E! Online
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