Former Pres. Obama is going to bat for a baseball-themed documentary.
The ex-POTUS sent an Instagram message to his 36 million+ followers on the social media platform, urging them to check out The Turnaround, a short film in Oscar contention directed by Kyle Thrash and co-directed and produced by Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot. Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama serve as executive producers of the documentary.
“Sports have the power to bring us together – helping change attitudes and culture in ways that may seem subtle, but that ultimately makes us think differently about ourselves,” Obama writes. “The Turnaround follows the story of a devoted baseball fan determined to inspire his city while navigating his own private struggles. Check it out on Netflix.”
The city – Philadelphia. The fan – Jon McCann.
The Turnaround dials back to McCann’s upbringing, as a son born to teen parents (mom 14, dad 15) in tight economic circumstances. People always perceived McCann as a positive guy, yet that masked mental health challenges that left him suicidal at one point in his life. Through thick and thin, a constant for McCann was his ardor for the Phillies, a club that has been in existence for over 140 years, winning a grand total — during that span — of two world championships.
“I can’t swing a bat, but I can use my voice to help the Phillies win,” McCann says in the film.
It was looking like the 2023 season might bring the Phillips a third World Series championship. After all, they had signed a star shortstop in Trea Turner, in a $300 million, 11-year deal. Baseball pundits predicted great things from Turner and the team, but the first few months of season found Turner sinking deeper into a slump and booting balls in the field.
Baseball commentators and fans hurled abuse. “He is the least valuable baseball player on the planet,” one of them excoriated over the airwaves. Another noted sadly, “Trea Turner is broken mentally.”
It’s at roughly midpoint in the film – like the 4th or 5th inning of a baseball game, you might say – that The Turnaround pivots. McCann, a man who knew personal difficulties and setbacks himself, recorded a video urging his fellow Phillies fans not to boo Turner, but to lift him up.
“My boy, he is in his head, and he needs some love. Not tough love,” McCann said. “He needs love love. So let’s love Trea Turner this weekend and give him a standing ovation every time my man comes to bat.”
It was early August 2023 when McCann recorded his plea, and it went viral. The fans came through when Turner came to the plate, adding some truth to Philadelphia’s nickname as “the city of brotherly love.”
What happened to Turner’s fortunes from that point on? Best to watch the film to see.
“Jon’s is an American story for our time,” Thrash and Proudfoot said earlier this year when Higher Ground, the Obamas’ production company, announced it would board the documentary in partnership with Proudfoot’s Breakwater Studios, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, and Major League Baseball. “We all have a choice of how we want to approach the world around us and all its challenges. Do you boo? Or do you give all the love you can give? Jon’s answer inspired us to make this film.”
The Turnaround, clocking in at 25 minutes, earned two nominations for the recent Critics Choice Documentary Awards, including Best Short Documentary and Best Sports Documentary. It’s one of a trio films Proudfoot has in awards competition now, including The Final Copy of Ilon Spect (about the woman who came up with Revon’s iconic “Because I’m worth it” ad campaign), and a documentary he executive produced, the ESPN 30 For 30 film Motorcycle Mary, about female motorsports legend Mary McGee.
The Turnaround is produced by Proudfoot, Josh Rosenberg, and Nicholas Ruff. Executive producers are the Obamas, Jack Bloch, and Ethan Lewis. Cinematography is by David Bolen; the film was edited by Dillon Hayes. Ari Balouzian composed the original score.
English (US) ·