Tomorrow’s Game
My grandfather loved the Dodgers. I’m sure that our close proximity to Los Angelas was part of it, and maybe he loved them long before 1980, but for literally as long as I can remember “the Dodgers” was synonymous with “Fernando Valenzuela.”
Grandpa Joe had Fernando posters, baseball cards, and bobble heads proudly on display in his room, and he never missed an opportunity to see “El Toro” pitch on TV. Whenever possible, he would gather my dad and my uncles for a trip to Dodgers Stadium to watch the action live. They would come home talking about impressive pitches, home runs, bad calls, and Dodger dogs. Every once in awhile, I got to go too, and I could see why they were so excited – extra long hot dogs, cracker jacks, and fireworks. What’s not to love?
It wasn’t until I was older that I really understood what it meant for my Mexican-American grandfather to watch someone who looked like him take the mound. As a WWII veteran, and someone who deeply loved a country that didn’t always love him back, seeing El Toro out there on the field must have felt like acceptance.
These are the thoughts and memories that came flooding back as I watched Tomorrow’s Game as part of the jury for the Hobnobben Film Festival.
For several years, I’ve been honored to be a part of this exceptional film fest. And each year, I’m blown away by the submissions. I get to view stories I wouldn’t normally find on my own, and there is always one that stands out more than the others. This year, for me, it was Tomorrow’s game, and even though I recognize that many of the reasons it resonated with me are deeply personal, there’s a universality to baseball that others will appreciate too. The story is important., and powerful, and it’s also fun!
Tomorrow’s game is a family-friendly film that asks the question: what would happen if one game were called differently? It’s not about a ref calling a strike that should have been a ball, but how the story of baseball has been impacted by the announcers. It’s something I’d never considered before, how something as seemingly benign as a baseball announcer can impact how we come to see the world – or at least, how we see the players and the game.
Communicating stories that unite audiences is what CPU is all about. So, when we were asked to sponsor a film this year, Tomorrow’s Game was at the top of our list. But rather than just come see a great film, we wanted the audience to get a little taste of the magic of a baseball game. Importing Dodger dogs was not an option, so thankfully, Fort Wayne has Coney dogs! Equally good (though not as long).
While it’s not a high-budget blockbuster (as some of the special effects may betray) it’s a very good story and a perfect film to take the kids to. It’s also a film for anyone who has ever known the joy of singing “buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks” with thousands of other folks all hopped up on cotton candy and Americana. It’s a story I loved, and Grandpa Joe would have loved it too.
If you’re in Fort Wayne, go see it and enjoy a Coney Dog on us.
