Review: Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Reviews

Game Six

Keaton, Downey, Jr, Yo La Tengo, Don DeLillo revisit '86 World Series

By MIKE MILIARD | March 7, 2006

2.5 Stars

GAME 6: Thankfully, recent October memories have put this one to rest.

Michael Hoffman’s look at one man’s reaction to the ’86 World Series has some bona fides: a screenplay by novelist Don DeLillo, strong turns from Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Keaton, a soundtrack by Yo La Tengo. Disappointing, then, that it ends up flying to left instead of leaving the park. Keaton’s Nicky Rogan is a playwright and lifelong Sox fan whose latest work is about to premiere. Downey is Steven Schwimmer, Broadway’s most feared critic. Nicky opts to skip his play’s opening to watch the epochal game, setting up a confrontation between author and critic that’s too cute by half. DeLillo has some things to say about failure and redemption, but his screenplay seems unsure what tone to strike. It also can’t avoid the standard truisms about the Olde Towne Team. The Red Sox have a “rich history of really fascinating ways to lose crucial games.” Fortunately, the events of October ’04 have rendered such clichés passé.

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Watch the trailer for Game 6 (QuickTime)

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