Game 6

Directed by Michael Hoffman

Kindred Media Group





BY ALLEGRA M. RICHARDS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER



When I think of Oct. 25, 1986—Game 6 of the Mets-Red Sox World Series—I think of crushing disappointment, intense rivalries, and die hard fans. However, this image is quite different from what “Game 6” screenwriter Don DeLillo, author of the novels “White Noise” and “Underworld” had in mind.

Instead of being a docudrama about the tense near-win for the Red Sox that slipped right through Bill Buckner’s hands, the film follows an afternoon in the life of New York playwright, yet devoted Sox fan, Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton, “Batman”) as he hops from cab to cab on a sunny day in 1986.

The plot unfolds on the day Rogan’s new show is set to open. Unfortunately, the afternoon takes a turn for the worse: his marriage begins to disintegrate, his mistress (Bebe Neuwirth) tells him that the lead actor in the show has lost his memory because of a brain parasite, and he is haunted by the presence of cutthroat theater critic Steven Schwimmer (Robert Downey Jr., “Good Night, and Good Luck”).

We follow Rogan’s travels around New York City as he makes his way to Shea Stadium.

Despite his chance meetings with cliché character types along the way (a sour wife bent on divorce, a rebellious teenage daughter, an old friend offering sound advice), Keaton sustains the movie’s tension when he has to choose between attending opening night of his play or Game 6 of the Series.

All of this promise and fast pace fades into the background as the movie turns into one big motivational speech about staying hopeful. This isn’t a film that leaves you feeling empowered, ready to leave the movie theatre and conquer the world. It’s more of a down to earth exploration of what it means to stay optimistic, especially in the face of disappointment.

But in order to figure this out, Rogan has to hop in and out of a heck of a lot of cabs and undergo many brief, and seemingly pointless, encounters. It was admittedly difficulty for me to remain interested in the film because of the lack of explanation or resolution of the various subplots throughout DeLillo’s hyper-real storyline.

On one of his missions, Rogan runs into an old friend out of nowhere. He encounters a waitress/aspiring actress at a restaurant and, for a minute, sparks seem to fly between the two of them, but result in nothing. Not to mention Rogan’s various conversations with taxi drivers all over the city.

Despite a star cast of Keaton, Downey Jr., Bebe Neuwirth, and Catherine O’Hara, by the end of the movie, my reaction was that this was an experience I hope never to have on game day in New York.

Overall, I’d say that “Game 6” is quite a step up since Keaton’s horrific turns in the Lindsay Lohan vehicle “Herbie Fully Loaded” and the Katie Holmes flop “First Daughter.” At least he’s making an effort to restore his career to the prominence of his Tim Burton days, and rise from the ashes of Disney spin-offs and chick-flicks.

Bottom Line: Don’t expect an intense sports drama focused on the World Series—unless you consider Keaton’s inexplicable New York cab-hopping an athletic feat.