Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie

First, let me say that I am a die-hard Yankee fan, season ticket holder, the whole deal. I hate the Red Sox as much as most of the people posting on this board hate my team. That being said, I really did enjoy this documentary. It reminds me of the good ol' days when the Red Sox fulfilled that role of the poor, sympathetic team that lost when it mattered yet the crazy passionate fans still supported them. And I have to say, Yankee fan or Red Sox fan, there were certain moments in the film where I could imagine a Yankee fan acting in a similarly fervent way. Because when you get down to it, no matter which of the two teams you root for, the real fans care the same amount: More than anything.

Wow. This movie is very enjoyable. I'm not sure that it will have universal appeal, but if you are a Red Sox fan, Boston native, or fan of sports in general, you should like this movie. The filmmaking was not the greatest and seemed amateurish at times, but overall the film really captured the flavor of Boston and what it is like to be a fan of a team that continually breaks your heart. I enjoyed the various characters that we met throughout the film (though some of them seemed like not the brightest bulbs on the tree, I don't think they gave the city of Boston a bad name like the other reviewer suggests), and struggled with them as they raised their hopes for the 2003 Red Sox, only to see the team inevitably fail (which, as a Sox fan, was hard to watch again). Anyone planning on moving to Boston should watch this film to get a sense of this cursed town with its proud, pained fans.

Because I'm a huge Red Sox fan, I was wicked excited when I saw this movie in my local theater. Of course, Red Sox Nation knows how it ends, and that's the part I couldn't watch again, especially since Sportscenter played it about 30 times a day for a week straight. Other than that, the movie carried a great balance of interviews with the players, executive meeting sessions, including the frenzy that went on with the July 31st trade deadline, the backstage antics of our favorite players (including David Ortiz, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millar, and Pedro Martinez), and the centerpiece of the movie - following different groups of fans throughout the season from Spring Training to the ALCS with the Yankees. Every high and low point is captured here, and even if you hate baseball, you will be not disappointed with this flick. 5 out of 5 stars.

There is a moment in BACK TO THE FUTURE II (1989) when Charles Fleischer says to an incredulous, time traveling Michael J. Fox, who has recently arrived in 2015 and just read (on a holographic billboard) of a miraculous Chicago Cubs World Series victory, "I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season and put some money on the Cubbies." The fact that the Boston Red Sox have not won a World Series since 1918 might prove hands-down that time travel is not possible, otherwise, by now, someone would have prevented George Steinbrenner's parents from conceiving him or sited a garbage dump where Yankee Stadium stands. Still, close to a century of losing has not deterred the likes of the eight super-fans profiled in the engaging documentary, STILL, WE BELIEVE: THE BOSTON RED SOX MOVIE [PG].

Originally, director and Emmy winner Paul Doyle set out (with unprecedented access) to clinically dissect the 2003 season, unaware of the nail-biting championship run the season would be. He was also unaware from whence would come the *real* drama and the *real* struggle -- the fans. Once he realized this, he wisely set out to cast this ultimately colorful bunch of masochists.

Hilariously opinionated WEEI radio regular Paul "Angry Bill" Constine comes off as the most quotable (and funniest), and Fenway fixtures/Boston chicks extraordinaire Jessamy Finet and Erin Nanstad perfectly typify the all-weather hopeful. The inclusion of California transplant Jim Connors, who proudly operates Santa Monica's Boston sports bar Sonny McLean's, is a nice touch, but the most touching fan tale is that of Dan Cummings, the Hyde Park native who was paralyzed from the chest down in a boating accident. His brass ring quest to walk again is inspiring, though it would seem that New England sports fans used up their collective synchronicity credit by winning two Superbowls with a kick in the final seconds.

It seems best that Doyle shifted the focus onto the fans, because while the behind-the- scenes footage does provide context and counterbalance, it is fairly mundane stuff. Predictably, first baseman Kevin Millar is the chattiest and most colorful of the bunch, and, as we expect, elusive superstars Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra barely register. Despite being a celebrated wunderkind, GM Theo Epstein is criminally boring on camera, so perhaps it was out of necessity that Doyle shifted his focus toward the comparatively dynamic battalion of the faithful. They not only make for some innately entertaining comedy and tragedy, but they demonstrate -- and please forgive the waxing grandiose here -- the grand struggle that is this human life. Besides, as Angry Bill so aptly puts it, "If they won, I wouldn't know what to do." Score: 3.5/5

Hmm, the above review states a) Fenway ticket prices are expensive, and b) the Red Sox did not win the World Series. What a surprise. Fenway tickets are expensive due to a small stadium and high demand. This sounds rather like the comments of a Yankees fan who didn't bother to actually watch the film, as opposed to a genuine critique.

Anyway, this movie shows the season through the eyes of the fans, which is what makes it so good; otherwise, it would be just a bunch of instant replays. The producers did a great job selecting the people they were going to follow - they're passionate, dedicated, and engaging, and there's a diversity in age, in attitude, even in location (a Bostonian transplanted to California, and so on), and they're what make the film a drama. The action could be better, especially in the coverage of Game 7 of the ALCS; I felt as though the drama didn't build as well as it could have. Also, I was upset at the lack of footage of Kevin Millar singing "Born in the USA." But all in all, a very good (though PAINFUL!!!) look back at a terrific season and a terrific team.