As an imminent construction project looms over their beloved small-town baseball field, a pair of New England rec-league teams face off for the last time. Tensions flare up and ceremonial laughs are shared as an era of camaraderie and escapism fades into an uncertain future.
A bittersweet elegy for America’s favorite pastime, the film is also a lighthearted and frequently hilarious ode to the camaraderie between its characters, all men of a certain age who mourn the end of a cherished tradition by making it last, if just once more. Lund, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nate Fisher and Michael Basta, drafts a garrulous ensemble of 18 players to cover the bases, and part of the great joy of “Eephus” is in watching them interact, telling bad jokes and busting each other’s chops, even as the daylight fades away.
While baseball is central to Eephus, the film also uses the game to tap into larger themes. With this being the last game the two teams will ever play on this field, there is a persistent melancholy throughout the film. Much of the conversation the players are having is about what's to come, what they are doing next, or simply reminiscing on the past.
