Join award-winning film director / author Ron Shelton for an event celebrating the publication of his new book THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit. Taking place at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre on Friday, July 29th at 7:00 PM, the event will feature a rare big-screen viewing of 1988 baseball romantic-comedy, Bull Durham, a discussion and Q&A with director Ron Shelton, and a book signing.
Former minor leaguer Ron Shelton hit a grand slam with his directorial debut, one of the most revered sports movies of all time. Durham Bulls devotee Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon)—who every year takes a new player under her wing (and into her bed)—has singled out the loose-cannon pitching prospect Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), a big-league talent with a rock-bottom maturity level. But she’s unable to shake Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), the veteran catcher brought in to give Nuke some on-the-field seasoning. A breakthrough film for all three of its stars and an Oscar nominee for Shelton’s highly quotable screenplay, Bull Durham is a freewheeling hymn to wisdom, experience, and America’s pastime, tipping its cap to all those who grind it out for love of the game. (1988, US, 108min., R, English | Dir. Ron Shelton)
Bull Durham is now widely beloved. But back in 1987, Ron Shelton was a first-time director and no one was willing to finance a movie about baseball—especially a story set in the minors. The jury was still out on Kevin Costner’s leading-man potential, while Susan Sarandon was starting to be considered a has-been. There were doubts. But something miraculous happened, and The Church of Baseball attempts to capture why.
From organizing a baseball camp for the actors and rewriting key scenes while on set, to dealing with a short production schedule and overcoming the challenge of filming the sport, Shelton brings to life the making of this beloved American movie. Shelton explains the rarely revealed ins and outs of moviemaking, from a film’s inception and financing, screenwriting, casting, the nuts and bolts of directing, the postproduction process, and even through its release. But this is also a book about baseball and its singular romance in the world of sports. Shelton spent six years in the minor leagues before making this film, and his experiences resonate throughout this book.
Full of wry humor and insight, The Church of Baseball tells the remarkable story behind an iconic film.
Ron Shelton is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and former minor league baseball infielder. His screenplay for Bull Durham earned nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, National Society of Film Critics, and the Writers Guild of America. This book offers his complete, unrestrained story behind the film including all the entertaining drama. Bull Durham launched a writing-directing career that includes White Men Can't Jump, Blaze, Cobb, and Tin Cup, among other films. He also directed Jordan Rides the Bus, a documentary about Michael Jordan's year in the minor leagues. A former professional baseball player, he holds degrees from Westmont College and the University of Arizona.
Event Information:
Date: Friday, July 29th at 7:00 PM
Location: Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743
Fees:
Book & Film: Public $38 | Cinema Arts Centre Members $33
Film-Only: Public $20 | Cinema Arts Centre Members $15
Tickets: https://bit.ly/BULLDURHAMcac