Facing Nolan

I started "Facing Nolan" thinking "this will probably be dumb or boring, but I gotta check it out. It's Nolan Ryan." I did not regret it. It was fun, interesting, and I actually learned several things I never knew.

If you're thinking about checking this movie out, just do it.

I have been telling people for years that Fastball is the best documentary of all time. Not the best sport doc, but the best doc!

Fastball is compelling, informative and the reveal in the final scenes pretty much set up this doc. Watching this documentary, I had one continuous gripe with this film. Instead of it being a love letter from fans, it comes off as a love letter from his family. Sorry, I get it, your dad, husband and grandfather are a legend, but family praise never comes off as genuine as fan or peer praise.

I got way too much of his son which became so clear when the credit roll and you see he is the main producer, Family praise makes up at least 20% of this film and that is about twice as much that was acceptable. There is a touching scene with the whole family at one point, but that should have truly been the majority of the family involvement. Dave Winfield, George Brett and Pete Rose add amazing color. I would have loved Bo Jackson's take, but I suspect Bo doesn't like being on film, despite having the best 30 for 30 of all time.

I learned a lot here and Hall of Fame players added great perspective and had they stuck with that formula, this would be an absolute 10. I still recommend this movie, just think that it unfortunately got bastardized by too much family involvement.

If you even like baseball and you haven't seen it, you don't know what you are missing.

Those who have been around a while will appreciate the wonderful history that keeps coming. From Tom Seaver to Bo Jackson and every where in between. The longevity of this man is an anomaly at the least. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to see in person this "anomaly" we were witness to as good as it gets along with the personal character we all hope we can have and instill into our own children. I personally am proud to say I have met Mr. Ryan, and he is just as you see.

Facing Nolan: It's worth every God-damn second of your time!

Nolan Ryan might be one of the most oddly-perceived star baseball players of all-time. On one hand, he was clearly dominant: 27 seasons (parts of four decades), strikeout record by a mile, 7 no-hitters, etc. His career arc (Texas native starring for both TX major league teams) also propelled him to almost mythic status. At the same time, however, he set some ignominious records-walks allowed, wild pitches, etc.-and his overall numbers (besides the big ones) don't look as "clean" as others. A fascinating figure, to be sure, and all of that-plus some great glimpses into his current/family life-is bandied about here in "Facing Nolan".

At heart, this doc is a pretty standard biography of Ryan. Director Bradley Jackson begins with Nolan's Alvin, TX upbringing and then chronicles early-career stints with the Mets & Angels. Then, of course, comes the dominating return to Texas-Astros-and finally his last few seasons with the Rangers, where his legend grew to mythic status. Along the way, Jackson gathers input from Nolan's wife, sons, and daughter to flesh out who Ryan was when not at the ballpark.

In fact, "Facing Nolan" has a very "family" feel to it, what with his sons-Reid & Reese-listed as executive producers. While some might say that could provide an overly-sympathetic look at Ryan's career/life, I never got those vibes here. In all actuality, I found the material on Nolan's wife to be some of the best of the entire doc. Scenes from modern-day Nolan working his cattle ranch and hanging out with his grandchildren were also quite touching and highly enjoyable in seeing where this momentous figure's life has taken him.

Aside from the archival footage and familial input, interviews with Ryan himself and his contemporaries (George Brett, Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Ivan Rodriguez, George W. Bush, and many others) populate "Facing Nolan" and are always engaging. In a bit of an odd quirk, I actually found Nolan's direct input a bit boring at first, only to come to understand (over the course of the doc) that his laconic style is simply his personality and always has been.

Despite my top-shelf 10 star rating, "Facing Nolan" isn't a perfect documentary. The narration can be a bit over-the-top (perhaps even corny) and there are certain themes introduced that aren't carried over throughout. But for whatever reason, the entire effort seemed to "hit" at the right time and elicit real emotion from this viewer. I learned that Nolan Ryan's baseball impact can't be measured by the pure numbers so often used to evaluate the players of today, and I smiled at his post-career journey to find purpose in his ranching and family life. In short, I had such a good time-and experienced so many different emotions-watching "Facing Nolan" that I couldn't give it anything less than the full 10 stars.

I've never written a review, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to say what a fabulous documentary this is. Ryan is a legend and this captures it so perfectly. Hearing/seeing his story through the lens and voices of his wife, Ruth, his children and grandchildren, his former teammates....it was just amazing. An inspirational reminder of why I love this game so dang much!