There are some movies, that when you go to see them, you have little to no idea what to expect from them. For me, “Game 6” was one of those films. Prior to setting foot in the theatre to watch this film, I had only seen an ad for it in the paper and skimmed over a critique of the film. So why did I go see it? I’m not sure, but something about it compelled me. Maybe it was the fact that Michael Keaton was in it (always a favorite actor of mine, though I was saddened to see him taking roles in schlocky Disney flicks). Maybe it was the fact that all the praise surrounding the film revealed next to nothing about the story (thus giving it an air of mystery). Maybe it was the fact that it had been months since I last went to the theatre. Maybe it was all of the above. Regardless of the reasons, I’m glad that I went. The film was excellent.
I won’t leave you all in the dark as to the narrative of the film (much like I was). But I’d almost recommend you go see it first before reading any further. Now for those of you that haven’t left and are still curious about the story, here it is: The film follows playwright Nicky Rogan (Keaton) over the course of a day. But it’s not just any day. It’s the day that his latest play is opening. Not only that, but it’s also the same day as Game Six of the 1986 World Series between Nick’s beloved Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets. And that’s all you’re getting out of me. Go see the film if you want to know more.
The film features an impressive and accomplished supporting cast of actors. From Harris Yulin to Bebe Neuwirth to Roger Rees (among several others). In the course of this single, bewildering, aggravating, and enlightening day, Nicky encounters a wide variety of characters. Some are “normal” and some are not. But each of them has a different effect on him. Some characters are only onscreen for a few minutes (like his soon-to-be ex-wife played in such a calm manner by Catherine O’Hara), some for much longer (as in the case of Nicky’s buddy Elliott, a formerly successful playwright who is eerily off-kilter and played by Griffin Dunne). But none of the other characters is onscreen for too long (with the possible exception of a cabbie named Toyota Moseby (played by Lillias White) and her grandson, but they still serve their purpose). In fact most of the time, the other characters left me wanting to see more of them (just like when you run into an old friend and you only have a minute to chat before you have to get going). One character in particular whose appearances I enjoyed was “Lone Eagle”, the local traffic reporter on the radio (voiced by David Guion). Every time his voice came on to talk about the congestion on the roads and streets of New York City I was chuckling. Primarily because of his comments about using drugs and medications to get through his day. And his mood also seemed to reflect the outlook of Nick each time that he came on. It was very entertaining. The movie does have its slower moments (like most of Robert Downey Jr.’s expository scenes), but thankfully they don’t last very long.
This is quite possibly the greatest performance of Michael Keaton’s entire career. And that’s saying a lot. After all, this is the man who brought to life characters such as: Bruce Wayne (in “Batman”), Jack Butler (a.k.a. “Mr. Mom”), Daryl Poynter (in “Clean and Sober”), Dogberry (in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”), Billy Caufield (from “The Dream Team”) and Johnny Kelly (a.k.a. “Johnny Dangerously”), to name a few. His portrayal of Nicky Rogan in “Game 6” was nothing short of amazing. When I watched this film, I didn’t see Keaton on the screen, I saw Nicky. His flaws, his strengths, his angst, his charm, everything. You saw it all. I can honestly say that I hope to see Keaton in many more roles of this caliber. He deserves them.
One aspect of the film that I found interesting was how much Nicky came to obsess over Steven Schwimmer’s (Downey) review of his play. In the beginning, he wasn’t worried about it. He knew he’d written a great play and he was ready for it to debut. But as the film went on, you saw Nicky becoming more and more insecure about it and more than a little stressed about getting a positive review from Schwimmer. In the end, he had nothing to worry about. It was a great play and Schwimmer thought so as well. Now, I got the feeling that there may have been a message there. And I understood the message to be thus: if you choose to put something that’s a part of yourself out there for the world to see, you can’t be worried that it will be ripped to shreds or that you’ll be told you’re not good enough. You just have to give it your best and let the chips fall where they may. Maybe some of you might think that idea is a little too “After School Special”, but that’s what I got out of it. Of course, I could have completely misinterpreted the message. It’s happened before.
I also saw this film as a bit of a morality tale. Everything in Nicky’s world seems to be falling apart. And yet, there are bright spots. And some of those are enough to make his day all worth while. Yeah, he’s got a divorce on his hands and his beloved Red Sox lost game six and eventually the World Series, but his daughter still loves him and he’s written a wonderful play. Tomorrow will still come and he’ll need to deal with all of those things. Both the good and the bad. I found that message to be honest, optimistic, and downright refreshing.
Will I buy this film when it’s released on DVD? I’m honestly not sure. I loved it, but part of me loved the fact that, at any give time, I had no idea what was going to happen next. That mystery gets lost once you’ve seen it. So at this point, I don’t know if I’ll pick it up, but I am leaning towards “yes”. Either way, you should check it out.
