Ray Pride

Two pieces of "inside baseball": the title of James Ponsoldt's sturdy first feature, the comedy-drama "Off the Black," refers to a pitch barely off home plate--a ball instead of a strike. And, anytime a movie reviewer opens a critique with "you've seen this before," remember you've seen them saying that before, and that over-familiarity with form and storytelling devices and film history and seeing eight or ten movies a week means that you will see them saying that again and again, and again and again they will overlook the virtues of a movie like this. (Familiarity doesn't breed contempt; only light-blinded movie crickets.) Nick Nolte invests himself fully, boozily (and in one bold scene, literally nakedly) into another valuable, leonine role, as Ray Cook, a high school baseball umpire in his sixties who gets a second chance at fatherhood with a symbolic son, 17-year-old pitcher Dave (Trevor Morgan). Their eccentric interplay after he calls a pitch that causes Dave's hometown team to lose is carefully detailed, and the combination of anger and hope is compelling. (The culmination, where Ray convinces Dave to attend his fortieth high-school reunion in the guise of his son, works in wondrous ways.) Ponsoldt's bittersweet layers of father-and-son conflict never stoop to melodrama; the confidence and richness of the story's telling is matched by the beautiful cinematography by Tim Orr ("All the Real Girls," "Raising Victor Vargas"). With Timothy Hutton, Sally Kirkland, Michael Higgins. 90m.

"Off the Black" opens Friday at Landmark Century.

"Crickets" is intentional usage.

(2006-12-12)

Also by Ray Pride

Sentence Life
Since Richard Ford's 1986 "The Sportswriter," a slyly witty Frank Bascombe novel has followed at intervals of a decade, with 1995's "Independence Day" and now "The Lay of the Land"
(2006-12-05)

Gone Green Again
Gibson, like George Lucas, is the most independent of filmmakers, self-financing to the tune of "it's my dime, give me your dollars."
(2006-12-05)

Tip of the Week
In the midst of a welter of holiday advance screenings, the boldest breath of fresh air for me these weeks may be Chris Hefner's truly memorable "Birdcatcher," a super-8 originated collation of images that make Hefner Chicago's own cinematic apocryphalist after the style of Winnipegger Guy Maddin
(2006-12-05)

One Long Movie
"I've been making one long movie," is one of the nice lines Robert Altman had in his quiver to keep from telling journalistic outsiders about just what it was that he did as a filmmaker
(2006-11-28)

Tip of the Week
(2006-11-28)

School of Cock
(2006-11-20)

Tip of the Week
(2006-11-20)

Children Afraid of the Night
(2006-11-14)

Craig, Daniel Craig
(2006-11-14)

Tip of the Week
(2006-11-14)

A Chicago Like No Other
(2006-11-07)

Tip of the Week
(2006-11-07)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment