On the Line: To be quite honest, I showed up so early that there was no line yet. However, my own personal anticipation for this film was quite high. Having lived in Japan for a number of years, I’m a big fan of Japanese Baseball. I was very curious to see how a couple of NYU students would capture the complexity of not only Bobby Valentine, but also the national sport and its die-hard fans.
In the Theater: Bobby Valentine is very clearly a national celebrity in Japan. The film portrays him as gracious with his fans, even when he doesn’t have time to shake every hand and take every photo.
His attitude toward Japanese baseball and the future of the sport was the most interesting aspect of the film. Valentine actively works to encourage top-tier Japanese players away from signing with teams in the Major Leagues to strengthen the caliber of the game in Japan. The film also shows his efforts to engage more talent by trying to start a minor league.
The filmmakers’ portrayal of the fans is spot-on. Some of the best-shot sequences are of the die-hard Chiba Lotte Marines getting ready for games and — win or lose — cheering their hearts out for their team. You’d think the enormous fan-made banner “Marines is my life” would say it all, except that actually seeing how completely serious they actually are makes you stop and reconsider your own fandom for baseball here at home.
The Verdict: You can probably tell that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. It’s a fascinating portrayal of Japanese baseball and its followers through the eyes of its most famous foreign coach. If you miss it at Tribeca, you can check it out on Tuesday, May 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball.
It's about the annual National High School Baseball Tournament in Japan.
Like the previous reviewer, I too would love for BV to return to the USA. We have some "snooze control" & dull boring managers & teams.
We need to import BV & some staff back to USA to liven things up on the field & in the stands.