When the night of October 16, 2004 came to a merciful end, the Curse of the Bambino was alive and well. The vaunted Yankee lineup, led by A-Rod, Jeter, and Sheffield, had just extended their ALCS lead to three games to none, pounding out 19 runs against their hated rivals. The next night, in Game 4, the Yankees took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, then turned the game over to Mariano Rivera, the best relief pitcher in postseason history, to secure yet another trip to the World Series. But after a walk and a hard-fought stolen base, the cold October winds of change began to blow. Over four consecutive days and nights, this unlikely group of Red Sox miraculously won four straight games to overcome the inevitability of their destiny.
I was there, I remember the Four Days in October. Growing up in Boston most of my life, I am a die hard Boston Red Sox fan. Many people from Boston say it is just in our blood: we are born Red Sox fans. I feel that the people of Boston exemplify what it means to be a Boston Red Sox, hardworking, blue collar, determined, and believers. This is what leads me to believe that the audience for the film is blue collar, determined, and believers. That is general audience of this ESPN 30 for 30 film. Not only does the audience encompass the people of Boston, and Red Sox fans, it reaches out far beyond and speaks to athletes, underdogs, and believers. This film has a message that everybody should hear. I think is can relate to our country pretty well. Americans never seem to give up we keep fighting even in the face of adversity; we always believe we can succeed. I believe that has a direct correlation with the genre. This film is the story of a true underdog, and the message it is trying to get across is to never give up, as Red Sox fans say keep the faith. So if I had to give this film a specific genre I would say it goes under inspirational. I think the genre is what really helps to give you the real sense of the story and sucks the audience in. As you watch it you catch yourself rooting for the Red Sox and really believing that they can win. This is a genre that i think is most fit for sports movies such as Rudy, Hoosiers, and Miracle. All movies leaving you with a feeling of belief and success.
The Red Sox miraculous achievement will always serve as the benchmark for future sports teams that find themselves in a similar predicament in postseason play. Any team down three-games-to-none can now always utter the words that became the Red Sox rallying cry, “Why Not Us?”
The Red Sox miraculous achievement will always serve as the benchmark for future sports teams that find themselves in a similar predicament in postseason play. Any team down three-games-to-none can now always utter the words that became the Red Sox rallying cry, “Why Not Us?”
