The Worst Film Ever

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The knuckleball is an enigma in the sport of baseball. Only a handful of pitchers in the 100+ year history of the game have thrown it well enough to make a career out of it. This documentary focuses on two knuckleballers in particular (Tim Wakefield & R.A. Dickey) in trying to shed some light on both the physical and mental side of being a baseball oddity.There are basically two distinct themes running through this doc:1. A history of the pitch, so to speak, in which former knucklers like Charlie Hough, Wilbur Wood, Tom Candiotti, and Phil Niekro are interview regarding their thoughts on their bread-and-butter pitch.2. A narrower focus on Wakefield & Dickey, delving into more the psychological toughness needed to soldier on despite being label a baseball "freak", of sorts.This is a great little documentary for all baseball fans (especially those who vividly remember Wakefield's long career or Dickey's magical run with the Mets) and is about as unique as the fluttering pitch itself (I can't remember any other documentary covering similar material). It is lighthearted, emotional, informative, and serious all at the same time.The only reason I can't give it the full five stars? I wish it would have focused on the personal stories of Wakefield/Dickey even a bit more. Their interactions with the "old gang" of knuckleballers is great, don't get me wrong, but there are WAY too many slo-mo shoots of fluttering knucklers used simply to fill time/space. The personal stories would have been compelling enough to explore even more fully.Overall, though, this is a fun little baseball documentary that is very professionally produced and doesn't try to "ruffle feathers" by making outrageous statements for publicity's sake. It is clear that the filmmakers were truly interested in and inspired by their creation and that fact shows in the final product.

This is an interesting documentary for baseball fans. Much of the iconic attributions to baseball's knuckle-ballers has been made before by sportscasters during games, but this is fun to watch nonetheless. The movie focuses on two pitchers in 2011, Tim Wakefield, and R.A. Dickey. I believe Dickey is still pitching in 2013 for the Blue Jays.There is a tendency in documentary filmmaking to include too much footage, and "Knuckleball" is no different. The documentary jumps back and forth in time rather than follow a chronological order. The same crowd shots are used multiple times. There is footage of the pitchers driving around in cars. There is a lot of game footage of the two pitchers which becomes tiresome after an hour. Just when you think there is going to be some breakthrough or change of pace in the film, it lapses back into footage from the mid 2000's. There is excessive coverage of the Red Sox-Yankees series.This movie would be good for people who aren't familiar with pitching styles or the history of the famous knuckle-ballers in baseball.There are entertaining interviews with Niekro, Hough, and Wilbur Wood.In short, this documentary is about 15 minutes too long. It is a good bet for serious baseball fans.

Was lucky enough to catch this at the world premier free screening at the Tribeca Film Festival last Saturday.Really enjoyed its interesting and heart warming story telling about the rare baseball bread of the knuckleball pitcher. Both looking back and looking forward the film brought the story of this select band of pitchers beautifully to the screen.R.A Dickey... such a class guy and there is something quite touching that he is the only knuckleballer left in the MLB. And you couldn't wish for a better champion of the 'freak' pitch.Would happily watch it again. Congrats to all those involved.

Knuckleball tells the story of baseball pitchers Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox and R.A. Dickey of the Mets as they go through the travails of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. In the process, viewers gain insight into the mechanics, the lore, and the history of the fluxiest of baseball pitches.Wakefield in particular comes across as a likable straight-shooter who developed this pitch to salvage his hopes of making it to and staying in the Bigs. Dickey follows in the footsteps of Wake, and seems poised to carry the torch for knucklers into the 21st century. With great interviews and insights from Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro, and Jim Bouton, we learn that knuckleball pitchers are a small, proud fraternity who pass their wisdom down the line to keep the art of the knuckleball alive in an age of flamethrowers and the need for speed.The art and chaos of the pitch itself lends itself well to the big screen, and for baseball fans and for anyone who loves to root for the underdog, Knuckleball definitely delivers.