Eephus Explained

Director:Carson Lund[1]
Cinematography:Greg Tango
Editing:Carson Lund
Runtime:98 minutes

Eephus is a 2024 sports film directed by Carson Lund about the final game of an amateur New England baseball league before their stadium is demolished. The film debuted at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was eligible for the Caméra d'Or award.

Premise

In a small Massachusetts town in the 1990s, the Adler's Paint baseball team, led by Ed Mortainian, face the Riverdogs, led by Graham Morris, in one last game before their stadium is demolished to make room for a new school.[2]

Production

Eephus was filmed on location at Soldiers Field in Douglas, Massachusetts. While the film's story centers on this real-life baseball field, the plot concerning the demolition of the field and the construction of a school was fictional. Lund cited Goodbye, Dragon Inn as an influence on the film's story.

Lund co-wrote the screenplay for Eephus with Michael Basta and Nate Fisher. Due to his experience as a director of photography, Lund had hoped to serve as cinematographer on the film, but chose Greg Tango for the role when this proved impractical.[3]

Release

Eephus premiered on 9 May 2024 during the Director's Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film also screened during Filmfest München and was selected for the Main Slate of the 2024 New York Film Festival.[4]

Reception

Critical reception

[5]

In a review for IndieWire, critic Christian Zilko praised how Eephus approached social relationships between men. He lauded the filmmakers' choice to make a school the cause of the stadium's demolition, arguing this decision takes the focus off of a potential villain eroding social space and keeps the emphasis on the passage of time. Echoing these sentiments, Jessica Kiang of Variety characterized Eephus as an "adorably existential, off-kilter take on the sports movie."

Accolades

AwardCeremony dateCategoryRecipientRef.
Cannes Film Festival25 May 2024Camera d'OrEephus
Filmfest München06 July 2024Cinevision Competition

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eephus . Quinzaine des cinéastes . 6 August 2024.
  2. Web site: Zilko . Christian . 'Eephus' Review: Not Even Beer League Baseball Is Spared the Cruel Passage of Time . Indiewire . 6 August 2024.
  3. Web site: Goi . Leonardo . "I've Always Been Interested in Making My Own Version of Goodbye Dragon Inn: Director Carson Lund on His Cannes-Premiering Eephus . Filmmaker Magazine . 6 August 2024.
  4. Web site: Lattanzio . Ryan . NYFF Reveals Main Slate: Sean Baker, Mike Leigh, Brady Corbet Join Lineup . Indiewire . 6 August 2024.
  5. Web site: Eephus . Rotten Tomatoes . 6 August 2024.