From the first shot of High and Outside, Director Evald Johnson draws us in to the unglamorous world of minor league baseball. There are no huge crowds, no swelling music to guide our feelings, no Hollywood crescendo. The first (and only) baseball sequence has a documentary-like quality; we forget we are watching a movie and feel as if we are one of the spectators in the barely populated stands. Johnson is the son of former big league manager and player Tim Johnson. His intimate knowledge of the ups and downs of being a baseball player adds to the realism of the film.
We then follow Phil Harding (played by Phil Donlon) on his self-destructive odyssey of meaningless sex, strip clubs, drugs and alcohol. All these vices serve as temporary panaceas; masking the gnawing realization that his best years have passed him by and his desire to be a great ballplayer will never come to fruition.
HIGH AND OUTSIDE Depicts a Turbulent Father and Son Relationship
The heart of this film is the relationship between Harding and his father, Len Harding, a once great major league baseball player who is dealing with his own set of demons - his own mortality. The great character actor, Geoffrey Lewis in what sadly was to be his last film, plays Len.
Lewis is able to deeply impact us by doing very little. We feel his regret and disappointment as his eyes lock on his troubled son. We grasp Len’s horror as he is being wheeled down the corridor of an assisted living facility. Len is a far cry from a model father and his disapproval of his son’s lifestyle and unfulfilled career are at the core of his son’s behavior. What makes their relationship so complex and interesting however, is that we also sense that Len cares deeply about his son and perhaps is trying to make amends for his past behavior and Phil, though still bitter about the way his father treated him in the past, is still the little boy trying to please his father. The father and son scenes affected this reviewer the most.
Johnson is able to achieve an improvisatory quality to many of the scenes (some of the scenes might well have been improvised). In this reviewer’s opinion many of the scenes could have been cut allowing more of an impact, but the strength of the performances, particularly by the supporting cast, elevates the writing. Ernie Hudson has a nice turn as the baseball manager who fires Harding. Lindsey Haun is terrific as Harding’s wife, from whom he is now separated. Her frustration and anguish are palpable as she struggles with her lingering feelings of love for Phil but ultimately she must protect herself and their child from being casualties of his ruinous behavior. Eddie Jemison offers a complex portrayal as Len’s nurse, a man who has his own agenda and whose actions are ethically questionable who nonetheless cares and can be very nurturing towards Len.
High and Outside, directed by Evald Johnson with the screenplay by Dan O’Dair, is a dark, incisive drama centering on Phil Harding‘s desperation to hang on to his dreams of becoming a major league baseball player. Though this film centers on baseball, it is hardly a “sports film” in the traditional sense. There is no buildup to that one game that will change lives forever. Rather, it is an exploration of what we do to ourselves and to those we love in order to keep our dreams alive, no matter what the cost.
This film is more akin to “The Wrestler” than “The Natural” and despite its flaws, is definitely worth the ride.
Director Evald Johnson
Screenplay Dan O'Dair
Producers Caprice Conley | John Cook | Ellen Philips
Cinematographer Gabriel Mann
Premiering at the Gene Siskel Theatre on Friday, September 7th, Saturday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 12th.
For more information visit the High and Outside film website.
Photos courtesy of HIGH AND OUTSIDE Film
About the Author:
Rachel Errington is a New York-based actor, producer and writer, originally from Los Angeles. She recently produced and performed in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” a short film headed for the festival circuit. Rachel graduated from Northwestern with a degree in Theatre. Favorite roles include Beatrice from “A View from the Bridge,” and the title roles in “Medea” and “Miss Julie.” You can learn more about Rachel at www.rachelerrington.com.
