I Love ESPN Original Entertainment.
Name one thing that they have ever done that wasn't spectacular. I dare you, you can't.
That Being said, A while ago I went to a press event at the Yogi Berra Museum in New Jersey for the premiere of "The Bronx is Burning." There I received the first three episodes on DVD and watched them with my father.
Up close, The story is a classic one of three larger than life personalities: Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner, Yankee Manager Billy Martin, and the first Black sports superstar Reggie Jackson. It's the story of the Yankees in the Summer of 1977 and the trials and tribulations of those three men.
The star of the show is no doubt John Turturro as Billy Martin. I met John at the event and John is a large man. Billy Martin was not. It doesn't make a difference. Billy in the show and Billy in real life are just clones of one another. Turturro does a fantastic job of capturing Martin, who was so obsessed with winning that it would lead him to cry after losses and drink himself into stupors routinely.
Oliver Platt does a respectable job as a young Steinbrenner. Never is this more obvious then in the first episode when Steinbrenner is told that the Shortstop he wanted in Free Agency signed with The Angels. Steinbrenner wanted Jackson all along, but now his Ego was bruised. "Get me Jackson!" Platt screamed and I swear, I thought it was George.
However, It's not all good. Daniel Sujata plays Jackson and is mediocre at best. He just doesn't seem to have Jackson's natural flair. The worst part is that when he Quotes Jackson (Like the "I'm like a storm when I Hit" speech.) it sounds forced.
But, It's when you back up and look at the while picture that series really becomes something special. The backdrop is that of New York itself in 1977. The Son of Sam, The Mayoral Race and the literally burning of buildings in the Bronx for Insurance money all are used as a canvas to paint the Yankees story on.
How accuarately does the story depict these events? My Father, who was recently married and 27 years old in 1977, responded to most of the show by saying: "Damn, I remember that."
I do have some problems with the show. The Son of Sam storyline seems like a movie more than real life. Between the awkward police scenes and the murders being so random (which I know is on purpose,) It just Seems kind of like a bothersome aside to the real story.
Overall, The Show is very good. I would recommend it to any sports fan, and I would call it a must see for any Yankee fan. Just throughly enjoy John Turturro and Oliver Platt tell an incredible story, and enjoy the authencity of a troubling, but uplifting time in the City's history.
Final Grade: B
It would be higher if not for Sunjata's mediocre performance as one of the shows most important characters.
1 comment:
Have to agree with you on most points. Turturro and Platt was awesome, but so was Sunjata in my opinion. But oh well, opinions abound and everyone has them. For me it took me back to a time when New York was a different place all together. Though I would definitely say its better now! Ha. There was so much crime. So much filth. I was a teen that summer and I remember my girlfriend cutting her hair cause of the Son of Sam killing spree (he liked long haired brunettes for some reason). It was terrible in many ways, but our beloved Yankees made it all better by bringin home the crown!!!!! But I digress...Sunjata brings all the flair of Reggie that I remember witnessing as a youth. The "storm when I hit" speech was not forced to me, but rather underplayed to great effect. And he totally inhabbits that Jackson swagger and the complexity of the arrogant yet insecure yet athleticly incomparable Regg. Obviously here we disagree but I really think he adds just as much to the overall impact of the show as any of the other actors. Having said that, I definitely DID have a problem with Turtturos fake ears and Sunjata's horrible afro. Not thier fault I guess, but someone needs to tell ESPN to hire better make up people cause that didn't help me get into the world they were trying to create. Instead I had to ignore it in order to really enjoy what I was watching. A small thing, but they say "God is in the details." Ha. Anyway, I enjoyed you review. Thanks for sharing.
FP
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