Remember when you were a kid, time seemed to move a lot slower. Like a summer break in between school years playing with your friends, felt like a lifetime. Eephus is that feeling but with middle aged men.
Eephus tells the story of the last game to be played at a local baseball diamond before it is destroyed and the land is redeveloped. Two men's league teams who have been playing together for years spend the day playing one last game together and try to keep the memory of the good old days alive.
Anyone who has played any men's league knows it is always a mixed bag of people — different generations and living different ways of life — but all coming together for the love of the sport. Part of the humor in the film is the interaction between all of these characters. Who is complaining about back pain, who has to leave the game early because he has kids — it's all part of the fact that the league is for fun, and the film captures it all perfectly. Some of the best bits are the bickering and passive aggressive behaviour because let's be honest, men are creatures of habit and sometimes will do things strictly to pass time even if it annoys them sometimes.
A major part of the dialogue is constantly talking about the inevitable end of the game. Nobody wants it to happen, but they all know the clock is ticking. It is all part of the beauty of letting go, enjoying the little things, and realizing that all good things come to an end. This all ties into the pacing of the film which takes its time and moves nice and slow. The film and the game are in no rush to end and like its characters, are living in the moment. Maybe it is something we should all remember to do once in a while.
Eephus is available to rent today.
Rating: ★★★★
Review by: Stefano Bove