The Curse of the Bambino (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

George Roy

Writer:

Steven Hilliard Stern (writer)

Release Date:

16 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Sport

Plot Keywords:

Fenway Park | Baseball | Boston Red Sox | New England

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Ben Affleck	...	Narrator
Glen Ordway	...	Himself (WEEI Sports Radio, Boston) (as Glenn Ordway)
Steven Wright	...	Himself (Burlington, MA)
Michael Chiklis	...	Himself (Andover, MA)
Thomas Boswell	...	Himself (Washington Post, Sports Columnist)
Leigh Montville	...	Himself (Boston Globe)
Shaun Kelly	...	Himself (Wellesly, MA)
Jeffrey Sirkman	...	Himself (Haverhill, MA) (as Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman)
Mike O'Malley	...	Himself (Boston, MA)
Matt Wilson	...	Himself (Wakefield, MA)
Denis Leary	...	Himself (Worcester, MA)
Glenn Stout	...	Himself (Author, Red Sox Century)
Robert W. Creamer	...	Himself (Babe Ruth Biographer) (as Robert Creamer)
Dan Shaughnessy	...	Himself (Author, The Curse of the Bambino)
Peter Casey	...	Himself (Worcester, MA, Saw Ruth Play for Red Sox)

Runtime:

USA:59 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Trivia:

The very next year after this was aired, the Red Sox "reversed the curse" and won their first World Series in 86 years.

Quotes:

[about wandering the streets of Newton, MA after the Red Sox lost Game 6 of the 1986 World Series]
Shaun Kelly: ...And I ran across an old guy walking his dog and he looked at me with my Red Sox hat tilted aimlessly on my head and he said, "Son, this is the dahhkest day in this town since Jack Kennedy was schaught."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Whose Curse Is Worse?: Red Sox and Cubs on Trial (2004) (TV)

Solid, Cohesive Documentary

Great presentation of a fascinating subject. Having seen this documentary several times on HBO, I've managed to get even non-sports fans to sit and watch.

As a fan of baseball, but not a Boston or Yankees devotee, this documentary did a wonderful job of explaining to me the true depth of the rivalry. Everyone knows the Red Sox hate the Yankees and vice versa -- but I had no idea of the extent of it, or the real histories behind the teams.

Those who say this documentary is about curses and silly superstitions, didn't pay close enough attention. It's about the two cultures, two communities clashing, exposing their strengths and weaknesses, about how competition and hope are an inherent part of the human condition and last, like baseball, unchanged across the years.

Enjoyed Affleck's narration and the organized and balanced structure of the final show. Very funny. Great editing on the game recaps, too -- well done.