Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories

I do not need hundreds of words to describe this film. I loved this film so much I asked for a screening to be held in my hometown. People came out of the theater hugging me. They also came out in an array of tears and laughter while saying thank you.

People showed up wearing Clemente uniforms and Pirates hats. It was one of the most inspiring scenes I have ever seen.

There are not many movies that move people to want to change for the better. I have news for the world, this film is one of them that makes you want to do good things.

This movie is a must see.

Richard Rossi hits it of the park with his long-awaited passion project to bring his childhood hero to life. Richard grew up in Pittsburgh, playing hooky from school to sneak into the Pirates locker room and bask in the glory of his idol Roberto Clemente. He sat in the right field General Admission seats watching the Great One make magic. The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported that Rossi wrote about Clemente for so many writing assignments at Saint Athanasius School in the West View section of Pittsburgh that the nuns there chastised him for his Clemente obsession. Now, forty years later, we are the beneficiaries of his Clemente stories. Rossi also appears in a supporting role as "Birddog," the scout who recruited Clemente for the Pirates. Olympian athlete and actor Jamie Nieto is stellar in bringing Clemente's physical mannerisms, accent, and overall grace to the big screen. Project Runway winner Marilinda Rivera is absolutely beautiful and believable as the love of his life, his wife Vera Clemente. Isaac Bar-jonah as Sangy and Charles Hoyes as Murtaugh bring strong support. I was in the audience at one of the initial theatrical screenings. The lines were around the block. I hadn't seen that for a film since "Star Wars." And it was the first time I've been in a theater in which the audience erupted in a standing ovation. Every baseball fan needs to see this movie. And even for those who don't follow baseball, the love story and the message of sacrificial love is presented in such a substantive way that people of all faiths and backgrounds will find it one of the richest presentations of the deeper spiritual and universal truths we share as humans. I bought 50 copies on Amazon to share with others and everyone who has watched it was touched as deeply as I was. This film isn't just a movie...it's a movement!

I first saw the movie at the premier showing in Pittsburgh. I especially enjoyed the live performance of the Clemente Theme Song by director and awesome guitarist, Richard Rossi (song now on YouTube at http://youtu.be/vgfSM8-C7xA ). Die-hard baseball fans will enjoy this film. I was an avid baseball card collector and faithful Pirate fan back in the 60's yet I didn't know most of the historical facts that were presented in this film. It's no wonder the audience at the Strand Theater erupted spontaneously in applause when the movie was over. They did a great job considering the fact that this was a low budget film. This DVD is a must-have collectors item for those of us who loved Clemente.

The forty year wait since Clemente's death was more than worth it for this gem of a film. "Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories" is a labor of love from Writer/Director, Richard Rossi who like so many of us who love this film grew up watching Clemente play. The film plays out in 21 chapters, 21 being not only the uniform number Roberto wore but the number of letters in his three names: Roberto Walker Clemente. Understanding that chronology is important to following the film.

I loved every aspect of this masterful movie and I learned things I never knew about Clemente. The love Vera and Roberto shared was endless, like Romeo and Juliet, a great love that ends in tragedy. Olympian Jamie Nieto deftly portrays in an acting tour de force the adversities Roberto had playing the game not only from injuries sustained from a car accident but from racist reporters. The Pittsburgh Press were out to mock him and call him a "Puerto Rican hot dog." Fortunately, it made him more determined to prove he was the greatest right fielder of all time.

I cried watching this film, reliving the feelings I had when I found out as a fifth grader the plane went down. "Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories" is a film every Clemente fan needs to see, bringing the glory days of the Pirates back to life by the amazing performance from Nieto as Roberto. Nieto brought the same passion to the role that brought him to two Olympic games. The rest of the supporting cast did a stellar job.

The feeling Rossi conveyed to me was a nostalgia like I was in the living room again in 1971 re- experiencing it in front of our old TV screen. This film was made on a small budget and doesn't look like a studio film, and it is not a precise retelling of every historical aspect.

This is a film for lovers like Roberto, and this film made history as the first feature dramatic film on Clemente's life. It's important for the viewer to have the cerebration to grasp the genre and the style of the film, and the way that it was made and the reasons why it was shot the way it was and why it is not, thank God, an exact detail of everything that happened exactly in Clemente's life from start to finish. The film is far more moving and entertaining because of the choices Rossi and the cast and crew made.

It's about his life, not in a documentary form but more like a narrative that sucks you in. Compassion and passion were some of Clemente's strong traits. The fact that he cared about the poor just added meat to his persona. He was a fighter when the chips were down and that's what made him such a warrior. I am glad I spent the time to learn about his life.

The exposition was clear and colorful. The camera's Point Of View gave the audience the advantage. I have seen Jamie Nieto in "The Encounter" "Redline" "Jerusalem Countdown" and "Blood Brothers" and I feel he is a creative and disciplined actor who in public interviews carries a positive outlook on life in general.

I don't normally watch sports movies but this one I felt had substance. It was brave on Rossi's part to follow his dream to make this movie, overcoming financial obstacles. He gives hope to others who might also feel they have a story to tell.