Monday Meandering 1/23/23 – Bull Durham’s Church of Baseball
Another week in the books, kids. How did the world treat you?
No complaints on my end. In fact, things finally started to feel like they were falling into a groove in the new year.
With that being said, let’s take a look at my pop culture consumption from last week, shall we?
THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL
Since it came out in 1988, Bull Durham has ranked at the top of my list of favorite movies, often hitting the top of the list. The story of life, sex and baseball really resonates with me. When I heard screenwriter, Ron Shelton, had finally written a behind the scenes account of the movie, from conception to legacy, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. In The Church of Baseball, Shelton gives some amazing insight into his creative process and his battles with studio to keep his stars and, perhaps most importantly, the mound visit scene. Trust me. If you are a fan of Bull Durham in any way, shape or fashion, read this book.
GEORGE AND TAMMY
The family and I started the award-winning bio series this weekend and I’ve got to say, I’m not disappointed. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain truly inhabit the skin of the titular characters. The series was produced by their only child and, surprisingly, it’s a warts and all account of her parents’ combustible relationship. Chastain has already won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Tammy Wynette and I think more gold is in her future. Shannon’s portrayal of George Jones as a man beholden to the bottle and afraid of what the music industry is going to do to his marriage is heartbreaking. The series is streaming now on Showtime.
WEDNESDAY
I got a couple more episodes into this one this week. I’m still having some trouble with the Riverdale-meets-Hogwarts vibe, but I’m enjoying the mystery. Can someone tell me how Thing sees? Seriously. That concern aside, the world of Wednesday is pretty impressively realized. I’m anxious to get back to the series and see how it resolves itself.
