‘Eephus’ Review: A Wry and Lovely Baseball Movie That Pitches Slowballs of Quiet Wisdom

variety.com:

Jessica Kiang Yogi Berra, perhaps the greatest catcher in history, is quoted in Carson Lund‘s “Eephus,” a movie about players who, unlike Berra, are never going to trouble the Baseball Hall of Fame’s induction committee.

To homage so lofty a legend in so humble a film is a pretty big swing. But one likes to think Berra would be tickled by the shout-out in this lovely little sundowner movie, during which a bunch of middle-aged casual players use the excuse of the last game of their season — and perhaps ever — to valiantly fight the dying of the light.

After all, wasn’t he the guy who coined “The future ain’t what it used to be”? The future sure looks different, suddenly, for the Adler’s Paint and Riverdogs adult-league teams who have played regularly at Soldier’s Field, the public pitch serving their small New England town, for years.

This late October game will be the last they can hold here, as the grounds are due for imminent demolition. In another, more obvious movie, this would introduce a bad guy, some faceless corporation that wants to build luxury apartments or a big-box store on the site.