Introducing Film/Study

Well, here we are. It’s supposed to be Opening Day, but Covid-19 has become a global pandemic, countries are declaring States of Emergency in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, and all sporting activity has been shutdown. Isn’t the future great?

The university where I work has cancelled all classes, and although I’m supposed to be working on a book I’m struggling to find the motivation at the moment. With nothing else to occupy my mind, I figured what better way to pass the time than re-watch old baseball movies and write about them with the same academic perspective I apply to the films I watch for my day job?

So that’s what I’ve done. Welcome to Film/Study, a new series here on Uncertain Baseball where I watch baseball movies and then write about them with an academic, Department of Film Studies approach. Inspired by the Film/Philosophy-style analysis that defines much of contemporary film studies, I will incorporate the ideas of theorists and philosophers into my articles, with the express intention of making those concepts easier to understand by presenting them in a baseball context. A link to the dedicated Film/Study page can be found above, or just click here.

The series begins with a look at how Deleuze and Guattari’s writings about the traditional family structure help us to understand the Tom Selleck vehicle Mr. Baseball. Why am I starting with Mr. Baseball? Because it’s my favourite baseball movie of all time, and I wanted to write about it. I recognise that many people wouldn’t consider it one of the best baseball movies ever — that distinction usually goes to either Bull Durham or Major League — but Mr. Baseball is actually criminally underrated, as I hope my article will explain. Furthermore, the film introduced me to the alternate universe that is Japanese baseball and I’ve been following NPB ever since, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Anyway, that’s probably enough of an introduction. Thanks for reading.

Click here to read the first article of the series: “On Hierarchy in Mr. Baseball.”