Well now that Easter is behind us so now it's time to focus on to the future and well, we're in the Baseball season so why not recommend a Baseball film for all of the Baseball fans watching both baseball and movies at the same time. And to be honest this was one of those movies that I never truly thought would strike me emotionally and psychologically. Fear Strikes Out is a movie former Cardinals/Mets player Keith Hernandez mentioned as a movie that had a big impact on him while watching Once Upon a Time in Queens on ESPN's 30 for 30, moreover was the movie that even Hernandez could relate to because he was putting up with a father who could never be pleased for which is the biggest theme with this film starring Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden.
Ever since Jimmy Piersall (Anthony Perkins) was a boy, his baseball-obsessed father (Karl Malden) has pushed the sport on him. Trying to live vicariously through his son, the elder Piersall makes Jimmy eat, sleep, and breathe baseball with destructive determination. But once Jimmy achieves his father's goal and makes it to the major leagues, he begins to unravel. After Jimmy suffers a breakdown, it is unclear whether he will be able to play the sport again.
In all fairness I've seen those one or few movies that left like that wtf scar on myself that I was just so worked up and couldn't sleep or really do anything movies like Promising Young Woman and Don't Bother to Knock are great examples of those kinds of films. Moreover, Don't Bother to Knock is another great example of an actor or actress like Marilyn Monroe is so tremendously great in the film and yet somewhere that career just disappears, only this is Anthony Perkins we're talking about the infamous great actor whose career was shot down after the success of Psycho. Fear Strikes Out is a movie based on the book by the real-life Jimmy Piersall who suffered through bipolar disorder as well as nervous exhaustion during his MLB career. Now all though the film focus less of his brilliant career in the major leagues and focus more of his struggle of bipolar disorder as well as mental health, and surprisingly this movie really hits home with me personally for many reasons because I work at a TV job where you have to work with overbearing people who think the world revolves around them and shows little appreciation and you don't know how to handle it because you fear either HR will help you or your supervisors will have you're back at all furthermore there were actual times where I wanted to scream so badly at those people but don't want to get in trouble for it. And to anyone who’s ever felt that experience or hasn't then, trust me when I say it, that it's not a pretty place to live with and through the course of his I've been starting to take anti-depressants either way mental health is a big struggle and I pray for anyone who’s ever had to deal with it or bipolar disorder. A side from Psycho this is another great film where Anthony Perkins delivers a tremendous performance and there is something about his movie performances where you most certainly relate to him even if he plays a serial killer in one movie, but most importantly when you look at Fear Strikes Out and Psycho they each share the insecurities and parenting dynamics and Anthony Perkins does a great job in portraying that in the movie and you defiantly feel for him through the course of the movie. And Karl Malden as well does a great job playing the over bearing father who doesn't seem to get how badly he's pushing his own son to the brink of a nervous breakdown moreover doesn't show any appreciation, especially in the first scene of the movie where he's playing catch with his son and he's throwing the ball so hard that I fear that he was going to hit him in the head it was just that intense. So, look I'd love to talk more about the movie but I really don't want to spoil any details about the film because this great baseball film needs to be seen because mental health or bipolar disorder is a serious issue and I'm sure there people who suffer from it and I just want any of you to know that you’re not alone when it comes to feeling like your never appreciated or feel like you’re always depressed and I just want to say that it's never too late to find the right help to discuss your problems and if you don't feel comfortable in wanting to talk I would highly recommend talking to your local priest because I spill my issues every time now and they've always been a great help. So, Keith Hernandez if you ever stumble upon my blog and this review of Fear Strikes Out, I just wanted to say thank you for mentioning this movie because it's a great and emotional movie that strike a core with you and keeps you feeling shit till the very end of the frame.
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