Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie

Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie (2004)

*** (out of 4)

Good documentary that covers the 2003 Red Sox season with their fans as well as some behind the scenes footage. Overall, it was a fun documentary but the filmmakers spend way too much time with the regular season stuff when more time should have been given to the playoffs since these playoffs were probably the greatest in the history of the sport with that classic (and legendary) game 7 between the Sox and Yanks. A lot of media attention goes to the Red Sox fans but even Angry Bill isn't nearly as bad as Kentucky Wildcats fans.

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.

When I first saw this documentary in the theater, the wounds of '03 were still fresh. I didn't really want to relive it all. I also, wasn't sure what to expect. I completely disagree with that last reviewer who said he was disappointed. I was delighted. I think rabid fans of any team (except maybe Yankee fans who can't get past the Red Sox being the highlight of the feature, which would work vice versa if the subject were the Yankees) will appreciate this film.

It showcases several fans and their annual ritual of subjecting themselves to the pain and torture that was being a Sox fan. Watching the fans go through the season was like reliving it all over again. I felt their joy during exciting games, anxiety when the Yankees would make a come back. The hope that leaped up into my heart when it looked like '03 was the year, only to be horrifically smashed into a thousand pieces in the last game of the playoffs. The girls having to switch jersey's mid game to change their luck and the hand wringing and frustration of watching the red sox blow yet another game, are things we can all relate to. If you have passion for any sport or team, you can and will relate to these fans. (And hey, if you're a Yankee fan you can reminisce about the good old days, before your humiliating loss in '04)

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.

First, this movie is definitely for seasoned Red Sox fans, who will swear they've said the same lines used by fans in this film, or felt the same "code-blue" emotional highs and lows. If you hate the Sox, of course you won't bother with "Still We Believe"; but it might just spur on a newcomer to enter the madness with the rest of us, who feel weird when the Team appears on the very brink of finally entering Valhalla, only to have our worst, worst fears played out before the rest of baseball fandom.

The movie follows the entire 2003 Red Sox season in what I felt was a very interesting and engaging way. True, I think more highlights of the games would've helped, but we learn more about the "terminal" disorder of being a Sox fan from the expressions on the faces of the people chosen to "star" in this documentary than we would from images already etched in our collective memory. A great effort nonetheless, and worth watching. 7/10