ESPN Films 30 for 30: Catching Hell, Director: Alex Gibney, 1 hour 42 minutes
Steve Bartman never set foot on a major league baseball field, but his symbolic role in Chicago Cubs history cannot be understated. Bartman was a spectator who drew the ire of fellow Cubs fans when he interfered with a potentially catchable foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. When the Marlins subsequently rallied to avoid elimination and then clinched the pennant the following night, Bartman was thrust into the national spotlight as the subject of almost universal disdain. The blame unduly placed on Bartman for the Cubs’ demise is explored in Alex Gibney’s terrific 2011 documentary Catching Hell.
The Bartman Incident and Scapegoating
An installment in ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary series, Catching Hell examines the Bartman incident as a sociological case study. At its core, the film is a probing analysis of mob mentality and the desire to heap blame on a single person. In his retelling of the infamous Bartman incident, Gibney demonstrates how skewed media coverage and classless fan behavior turned an unassuming fan into a pariah. Gibney’s empathy toward Bartman is apparent in the final product, which effectively argues that Bartman was a victim of scapegoating.
One of the more impressive aspects of Catching Hell is how director Gibney is able to provide fresh perspectives on an oft-told story. Most baseball fans are intimately familiar with the Bartman play, from Bartman’s memorably dorky appearance to outfielder Moises Alou’s irate reaction at failing to catch the ball. The film looks at the play from every imaginable angle, and features interviews with a wide range of subjects. The fans who sat next to Bartman that night address whether they would have reached for the ball, and broadcaster Steve Lyons recalls how his reaction to the play on live TV may have influenced public perception. Even Alou is asked to reconsider the role he played in Bartman’s ostracism. Each firsthand account reinforces Gibney’s central argument that most of the vitriol Bartman received was both undeserved and irrational.
The most provocative images in Catching Hell are not of Bartman’s interference, but of surrounding spectators in the aftermath of the play. Fans spilled beer on Bartman and made threats against his life, directing anger toward him in a grossly irresponsible manner. As shown by Gibney, there were several factors that had a greater impact on the Cubs’ postseason collapse than Bartman’s accidental involvement. Nevertheless, fans and media alike were eager to gang up on an individual who made an honest mistake at the worst possible moment. Sports can inspire cooperation and unity, but the film reminds us that fans sometimes succumb to their ugliest impulses.
Comparisons with Buckner Play
Catching Hell compares Bartman’s ordeal with that of another famous baseball scapegoat, former Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Cubs fans may be annoyed that Gibney dedicates so much time to this comparison, but it’s a savvy artistic choice on the director’s part. There are several parallels between Bartman and Buckner’s plights, specifically the way their lives were upended by a single play.
The film only drags when it offers a second-by-second breakdown of the play to determine whether Alou would have made the catch without interference. While Gibney’s ambition is admirable, recreating the event in such a precise manner distracts from the film’s overarching message about the perils of scapegoating. The director also provides the film’s narration, which varies from insightful to heavy-handed. Despite these minor flaws, Catching Hell is on par with acclaimed Gibney efforts like Going Clear and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
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