Eight Men Out
Directed by John Sayles. US. 1988. PG. 119 min.
- Sun, Apr 11, 2:00 pm
“John Sayles’ Eight Men Out is rich in specificity and purpose, sorting through the murky backroom deals, mixed motivations, and emotional tumult behind the blackest mark in pre-Steroids Era baseball history. The White Sox conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds is one of those “end of innocence” moments, but Sayles, working from Eliot Asinof’s book, extends sympathy to many of the players, who weren’t getting a living wage from tight-fisted owner Charles Comiskey. Sayles’ expertise in writing for ensembles pays off in an exceptionally fair, nuanced look at everyone involved and not involved, and the toxic mood of a clubhouse where winners are cajoled into losing. The film’s love for baseball isn’t blindness.” (Scott Tobias, The Onion A.V. Club)
This film will be shown on DVD.