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KNUCKLEBALL!Movie Reviews
Documentary about Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey, the only Major League Baseball pitchers who continue to throw the unappreciated knuckleball. Cast:Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, Charlie Hough, Jim Bouton, Phil Niekro, Ben McGrath, Roger Angell, Dave Lennon, Tony MasserottiDirector:Annie Sundberg, Ricki SternRelease Date:September 21, 2012DVD Release:April 2, 2013From:Film BuffLength:1 hr 30 min
Knuckleball! played in limited release to very good reviews. • Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...a must for baseball fans in general and Red Sox fans in particular... concerns itself with the long game, and it finds an unexpected poetry in motion." • And Cynthia Fuchs wrote for Pop Matters, "...terrific..." More Reviews Below...
Knuckleball! has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a first-rate sports documentary... Maybe it's romanticizing things, but baseball wouldn't be half as beautiful without its mythology."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 09/20/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "With elements of 'Moneyball' and a twist of the narrative arm, this look at how Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey became knuckleball experts is a real kick."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 114 words, 09/21/12
Karina Longworth, Village Voice: GOOD "...admirably inside baseball... I could watch Phil Niekro reminisce about being owned by Bill Buckner for days. If you know what that means, you probably could, too."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 09/20/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a must for baseball fans in general and Red Sox fans in particular... concerns itself with the long game, and it finds an unexpected poetry in motion."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 09/21/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice: GOOD "...admirably inside baseball... I could watch Phil Niekro reminisce about being owned by Bill Buckner for days. If you know what that means, you probably could, too."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 09/20/12
Michael C. Walsh, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...packed with considerable drama.... a comprehensive look at Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dicky's path toward eventual big-league stardom."(See all of Michael C. Walsh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 175 words, 09/21/12
Noel Murray, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the knuckleball was never a hugely popular pitch... It's a hard pitch to learn and a harder one to control... it's all but impossible for the game's strategists to plan around."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 09/20/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT(cg) "...terrific... a story that's both utterly specific and enticingly elusive.... the knuckleball is something like the quintessence of baseball, the ineffable and the impossible..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 923 words, 09/19/12
Bill Weber, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a straightforward chronicle of a pair of the sport's dinosaurs... But the two central pitchers, both low-key family men off the mound, become compelling underdogs..."(See all of Bill Weber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 09/18/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a first-rate sports documentary... Maybe it's romanticizing things, but baseball wouldn't be half as beautiful without its mythology."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 09/20/12
Scott Tobias, NPR: GOOD "...considers one of baseball's greatest quirks with good humor and a glancing touch... its best when Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough stop by to tell stories..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 09/19/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...immensely entertaining, informative and even moving... immediately leaps near the top of the list of greatest baseball documentaries."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,882 words, 09/14/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: GOOD "Inevitably best suited to fans.... Game footage is excellent... Docu also benefits from interviews with articulate sportswriters..."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 187 words, 04/29/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "A quirky aspect of baseball lore gets the once-over... Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey come across as likeable guys... should please fans..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 09/18/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a first-rate sports documentary... Maybe it's romanticizing things, but baseball wouldn't be half as beautiful without its mythology."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 09/20/12
14.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Knuckleball!'s reviews are separated by an average 14.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Knuckleball! (12 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Knuckleball!'s reviews cover 13.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,352 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 529 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Knuckleball!'s reviews on average broke 6 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Knuckleball!'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Knuckleball! (12 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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