The Curse of the Bambino (2003) (TV)

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)
Ben Mondor	...	Himself (Owner, Pawtucket Red Sox)
Harvey Robbins	...	Himself (Chelmsford, MA)
Richard Hanson	...	Himself (Nashua, NH)
Jeffrey Lyons	...	Himself (Film / Theater Critic)
Eddie Andelman	...	Himself (WWZN Sports Radio, Boston)
Kieran Meagher	...	Himself (Reading, MA)
Art Martone	...	Himself (Providence Journal)
Sean McAdam	...	Himself (Providence Journal)
Jerry Thornton	...	Himself (Hanover, MA)
Mark Leccese	...	Himself (Boston, MA)
Cheri Giffin	...	Herself (Randolph, MA)
Mike Barnicle	...	Himself (96.9 FM Talk, Boston)
Bob McGarry	...	Himself (West Warwick, RI)
Lenny Clarke	...	Himself (Cambridge, MA)
Bucky Dent	...	Himself
Dave Kruh	...	Himself (Playwright, The Curse of the Bambino)
Paul Giorgio	...	Himself (Auburn, MA)
Michael Wisseman	...	Himself (Sunderland, MA)
Kevin Kennedy	...	Himself (Restoration Project, Acton, MA)
Robert B. Parker	...	Himself (Cambridge, MA)
Richard A. Johnson	...	Himself (Curator, Sports Museum of New England)
Clark Booth	...	Himself (Boston Journalist)
Bud Collins	...	Himself (Boston Globe)
Edward Cossette	...	Himself (Rochester, NH)
Will McDonough	...	Himself (1935-2003)
Ted Sarandis	...	Himself (WEEI Sports Radio, Boston)
Howard Bryant	...	Himself (Author, Shut Out: The Story Race and Baseball in Boston)
Ouisie Shapiro	...	Herself (Newton, MA)
John McKeon	...	Himself (Grafton, MA)
Ben Birnbaum	...	Himself (Brookline, MA)
Jackie MacMullan	...	Herself (Boston Globe)
Paul Francis Sullivan	...	Himself (Weston, MA) (as Paul Sullivan)
John Tobin	...	Himself (West Roxbury, MA)
Scott Cordischi	...	Himself (WSKO Sports Radio, Providence)
Luke Salisbury	...	Himself (Chelsea, MA)
David Preziosi	...	Young Babe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Aparicio	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wally Backman	...	Himself (archive footage)
Marty Barrett	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bill Buckner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bernie Carbo	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gary Carter	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tony Conigliaro	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dwight Evans	...	Himself (archive footage)
Carlton Fisk	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jimmie Foxx	...	Himself (archive footage)
Denny Galehouse	...	Himself (archive footage)
Nomar Garciaparra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tommy Harper	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ray Knight	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bill Lee	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jim Lonborg	...	Himself (archive footage)
Willie Mays	...	Himself (archive footage)
John McNamara	...	Himself (archive footage)
Kevin Mitchell	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tony Perez	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lou Piniella	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jim Rice	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jackie Robinson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Babe Ruth	...	Himself (archive footage)
Calvin Schiraldi	...	Himself (archive footage)
Vin Scully	...	Himself (archive sound)
Enos Slaughter	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bob Stanley	...	Himself (archive footage)
George M. Steinbrenner III	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dick Stuart	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mike Torrez	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mookie Wilson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tom Yawkey	...	Himself (archive footage)

Directed by
George Roy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steven Hilliard Stern		writer (as Steven Stern)

Produced by
Rick Bernstein	....	executive producer
Bob Bodziner	....	associate producer (as Robert Bodziner)
Jacinda A. Davis	....	associate producer
Ross Greenburg	....	executive producer
Brian Hyland	....	coordinating producer
Erik Kesten	....	associate producer
George Roy	....	producer
John Stone	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Brian Keane

Cinematography by
Jim Grieco

Film Editing by
George Roy

Production Management
Lauren McDonald	....	production manager
Holly Peterman	....	production manager

Art Department
Brian Lockhart	....	graphics director

Sound Department
Jason Fox	....	sound designer

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Allman	....	camera operator
Jon Hoffman	....	camera operator
Rob Newman	....	camera operator
Thom Stukas	....	camera operator: opening sequence
David Vottero	....	camera operator
David Zapatka	....	camera operator (as Dave Zapatka)

Editorial Department
Charles Marsella	....	on-line editor
Gary Scarpulla	....	telecine colorist (segments)

Music Department
Michael Halatyn	....	footage and music clearance
Mary Healy	....	footage and music clearance
Max Segal	....	footage and music clearance

Other crew
Vinnie Cintolo	....	production secretary
Frank Ferrigno	....	motion control: Frame Runner
Terri Finaro	....	infinit
Dan Shaughnessy	....	consultant
Florence Zissler	....	production secretary

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (2003) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

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:

[On being black and going to Fenway Park]
Howard Bryant: My father used to tell me - why go to Fenway and get myself beaten up?

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.