Cannes 2024: ‘Eephus’ – A Baseball Film Like You’ve Never Seen Before
by Alex Billington
May 27, 2024
Within the sports movies subgenre, there have been tons of baseball movies made over the decades. It is America’s pastime, after all! There’s even an entire book published this month about baseball movies and their legacy. So it would seem as if we’ve seen it all – every kind of baseball movie has been made before by someone at some point; even Richard Linklater made a modern classic a few years ago (called Everybody Wants Some) and we featured a video edit of the best movies. Lo and behold, we have another classic that has just come up to bat. Carson Lund’s Eephus is a baseball movie we’ve never seen before. And it’s genius. It’s an “old dudes play ball” indie comedy and it’s hilarious. I laughed my ass off watching this, it’s more fun than actually going to a ball game, and there’s plenty to analyze about what’s happening beyond the who’s on first and who has the best pitch. Another Cannes 2024 gem that I’m glad I took the time to sit down with.
Eephus is directed by filmmaker Carson Lund, making his feature directorial debut after a few short films. The screenplay is written by Michael Basta, Nate Fisher, and Carson Lund, who put together a script full of quips and wise-cracks and banter that is not only exceptionally accurate but also humorous and surprisingly meaningful. The film is nothing but one long baseball game, but it’s not like any of the boring (or not boring baseball movies you’re familiar with. Instead of young athletes, two teams made up of older, grown men get together at a decrepit diamond called Soldier’s Field (which really exists), where they play their final game of the season. An “end of an era” moment, as their time is fading away like the game itself. It seems like this will be the last game for many who can’t even run or throw anymore. It’s perhaps also a poignant metaphor crafted with layered commentary going beyond just “here’s a batch of old guys playing baseball” and it’s shot so perfectly I couldn’t wait to see what would happen in the next shot. It’s also nerdy, full-on baseball – we’re watching them try to steal bases, or deal with errors, or anything else that can (and often does) happen in this strange game. It’s one of the most American films ever, not only the sport but all the men on the field.
As an American, I understand everything happening – I’ve been to plenty of baseball games in my time. But I am also fully aware this sport is so confusing and odd, that most non-American viewers may be completely confused by everything going on in Eephus. What is this guy trying to do, what are they talking about here, what just happened, why did this guy walk to the next base, why is he “out”? The funny thing is that, despite this rules-of-baseball confusion, there’s a great deal of engaging cinema happening inbetween all the game play. And it’s fascinating to watch this story roll on with the teams (Adler’s Paint vs. Riverdogs) and the various people. I love the old man character Howie (played by Lou Basta), the guy who quietly watches the game in the stands and has been watching games for decades. I was smiling every time he was on screen, his presence is so warm and so valuable to the overall story. He represents the fan side of this story, showing there is always someone who will love the game no matter what is happening on the field. The interactions and comedy between the various players, and other people who show up to either mess with them or briefly watch, are naturally amusing and delightful additions to this sports film. I was cracking up at so many jokes.
My biggest compliment goes to cinematographer Greg Tango, whose work here with director Carlos Lund is outstanding. His framing and the way each shot is clear and concise and properly lit, yet also specific in its focus, is absolutely astonishing. I loved watching every shot play out. When someone is trying to steal a base, they move out of the frame. The person talking is not always in the shot because the reactions from the people in the frame are more interesting than whatever else is going on. It’s some of the most dynamic and compelling baseball cinematography I’ve seen in a long time, something fresh and new that also comes from an innate understanding of baseball. Once again, if you know (and love) the sport, it’s quite exciting to see this cinematography framed in a whole new way. At some point I started to wonder if this film is meant to be a cinematic metaphor for something more grand – the downfall of America and/or the end of the era for older generations. Whether or not that’s really the case doesn’t matter, the film is still so rich and gratifying anyway. I could watch them for hours! I doubt everyone will agree, but this is how much I enjoyed Eephus.
Lund’s new film is one of the best discoveries in the Directors’ Fortnight line-up at Cannes 2024. I’m glad I took the time to sit down and watch this one – and hopefully other baseball fans will feel the same way. It’s invigorating to know that there are still filmmakers out there who can shake-up and refresh an entire genre of cinema, making baseball exciting to watch again. More of this, please. Don’t forget to bring beer and dogs.
Alex’s Cannes 2024 Rating: 9 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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