Opening Day - Hope

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

For those who love the game, the excitement of a new baseball season is remarkable. It coincides, not coincidentally, with the rebirth that is spring. Temperatures warm, thoughts of summer abound and hope is renewed. Why does hope matter? Life is lost without it. Life without hope is mechanical, thoughtless drudgery. What one hopes for is entirely subjective; a day of good health, a winning lottery ticket, a call from a loved one, a base hit or a strike out. Maybe all of those things. Spring and baseball bring them forth for those who worship at the diamond. We hope.

Today we're gearing up for our road trip north to the Bay Area. We leave on Wednesday for Walnut Creek, the city where I grew up. I'm always renewed when I return. We will stay with my parents in the house where I grew up. I'll see many friends, now with families of their own, who I grew up with. A good friend's wife just gave birth to their first child. As parents in our 40's, this is at least somewhat remarkable. New life is new hope. We hope.

I will return to the spot where I shot the cover for "Boys of Summer". It's my favorite picture I've ever taken. It's one of the few times I've had something become, in reality, so clearly and accurately what I saw in my head. Dad and I will, once again, play catch. In between us, in addition to the ball, will be my son and daughter. This is second base - a hopeful base inasmuch as we've advanced. Still a long way from home, but better here than on the bench. We hope.

"Boys of Summer" is evolving. The tagline/metaphor for the project is: "Baseball is a vehicle". We will ride this beast wherever she roams. Just last week we solidified a relationship with our local APDA (American Parkinson's Disease Association) chapter. We have ongoing work with Superior Health Solutions (which is offering a progressive treatment pro-bono for my father) and the New York Stem Cell Foundation (which has taken my dad on as a volunteer to grow stem cells from his skin - we just have to make it back there). We hope baseball will be our vehicle - taking us back there for the games, giving us the opportunity to participate in an exciting study. We hope. 

I also received notification that I was wait-listed for Duke's MFA Documentary program. While this isn't the jump up and down moment I was hoping for, a la acceptance, it does give me hope. Duke's Neurology department does a great deal of work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Boys of Summer has a relationship with MJFF, as well. This would be a great opportunity to bring parties together via the medium of documentary in a way that serves all. We hope. 

The Boys of Summer - Second Base, sequel to the award-winning first documentary, began principal photography on March 13, 2014. We need your help. Please visit our kickstarter page and share it with your friends and family.

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #134

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

September 22, 2005 - Bob

Los Angeles, CA

We have been receiving phenomenal support. There have been some wonderful additions to the project. The Michael J Fox Foundation is now officially on board alongside the National Parkinson Foundation -- getting them to coexist is really something (see below). Though they represent the same illness, they have different approaches as to how to spend the money they receive. In a nutshell, Michael J Fox Foundation is 100% research-based in search of a cure. The National Parkinson Foundation divides it’s money in to research as well as care for those who now live with the disease. There is no right or wrong here and I greatly appreciate both groups willingness to stand by one another with this film.

Great, great, great stuff.

So...our thought is to continue on the marketing front for now -- seeking out individuals who will champion the cause. Hopefully a nice stack of letters will go a long way to helping us be seen where we need to be seen.

I was speaking to my dad a few weeks ago and he sounded very small and distant, as he gets when he is sad, angry or frustrated. They had just begun a massive kitchen remodeling project and right as it began, my mom went into a deep depression, meaning she is not available to manage the project she set up. My dad really hoped to do nothing more than sign the checks. Stress is particularly damaging to him now with Parkinson’s. This is one of the areas where the cognitive effects of his disease come into play. He can’t process things the way he’s used to and he’s aware of it. Then he gets frustrated by that and the vicious cycle continues to spin.

I drove up to see my parents and check things out firsthand. It was as if the house I grew up in was suddenly under a dark veil. The kitchen being torn out is a dramatic thing no matter what mental/spiritual state any house and its inhabitants are in. But because my mom and, therefore, my dad, were both in such a weakened state, the entire house felt as if it were nearly lifeless.

Mom had been down for several weeks already and it was really stressing my dad out. What I mean by mom being “down” is that she literally doesn’t get out of bed but for 15-30 minutes a day. She’ll get up, get a little something to eat, often say something about an upset stomach and that she needs to “go lie down for a moment” then be gone again for several hours. To be clear: she’s not making this illness up. She really does vomit and goes through all the physical pain she’s describing. So far as I can tell, there’s nothing anyone can do for her. My dad, on the other hand, is dealing on a daily basis and trying to avoid a depressed state himself. He could use the support. He really needs my mom, but she’s checked out.

After much soul searching, I knew I couldn’t be a whole lot of help from a distance. I asked my dad if he wanted me to move up to help out. My dad, as I’ve said before is a very proud man and has a very difficult time asking for anything. He said “yes” without hesitation.

It was a relief and quite scary at the same time.

The next big call was to Annamaria. How was she going to take this? She was just getting into a relatively new job she’d been working as a massage therapist. She was making good money and finally enjoying Los Angeles (no small feat for her). When I asked her what she thought, she didn’t hesitate either: “Let’s move up there”. I’d loved her for nearly three years at that point -- but never had I loved her more than when she answered so selflessly and supportively.

This is a big change and very sudden, but one I am very honored to have the ability to make.

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #128

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

Mar 21, 2005 - Bob
Walnut Creek, CA

Well...a rough cut was made, though yours truly was the chief architect/editor. Mike is a great guy and an excellent editor -- his time is just not available right now as he's getting married. In all fairness, doubling his rate would have left him with the same amount, so I can understand where his loyalties may be.

I sloughed through it and REALLY enjoyed what I came out with. I showed it to my mom, dad and Annamaria in the Bay Area and got some excellent feedback. There were some blank looks and questions from time to time, but that’s okay (when I say rough, I mean it; for instance there were whole five-minute long sections with no audio. In my mind, I hear the dialogue, the voiceover, the score and the background in perfect harmony. Mom, dad and Annamaria are left with my descriptions of such things).

I am now recutting and moving forward. Mike may do some work after he gets back from his honeymoon, but that's a solid month away. In the meantime, I'll be adding, subtracting and keeping an eye on upcoming festival possibilities.

We received a fee waiver from the Seattle Film Fest. It takes place in late May/Early June. They need my cut at the end of the week. They said it’s okay if it’s rough. Okay...

Next up on the docket is an A's game in Oakland (for the final scene/denouement) -- this will wrap the movie, so dad can talk about his Parkinson’s, the progression of it and the incredible need to do things when the time is available rather than the ubiquitous "tomorrow". Our wrap-up game was scheduled for April 17th vs. the despised Angels of "Los Angeles/Anaheim" (Booooooooooo...), but, because of the Beverly Hills Film Fest (which Annamaria and I are very happy to be part of with “Luckey Quarter”), we'll be down in L.A..

As a matter of fact, Annamaria and I are loading up the trucks and moving to...well, not Beverly Hills, but Mar Vista (near Venice/West L.A.) at the end of this month. We’ve both lived in L.A. previously (before we knew each other). I have found the Vegas market has simply dried up when it comes to what I’m trying to accomplish film-wise. I need the challenge and the opportunities L.A. has to offer.

As for our wrap-up game for “Boys of Summer”, we’re now looking at May first versus the Mariners. Fingers crossed that all works out. It’s a wonder I don’t have arthritis with all this finger crossing.

After that we’re hoping for a Bay Area friends and family screening at the Parkway Theatre in Oakland. They’ve screened several other films of mine and one of their programmers, Will Viharo, has always been kind to me. I know we'll pack the house.

Boys of Summer Book - Entry #110

You can see the complete film "Boys of Summer" for free by clicking here. 

100% proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation. 

September 16, 2004 - Bob
Las Vegas, NV

Near disaster. Panic. Overwhelmed. I’m not sure if what I’m doing makes sense anymore. I’m going to make a call tomorrow and find out.

Basically, I’m pushing myself like a madman to get this documentary ready for the Sundance deadline (next Thursday, due next Friday). In the interim, I’m going to be back up in the Bay Area Friday through Sunday for my grandfather’s birthday. That leaves me five days to cut the rest of this thing. I must be insane. I...I just really want this film to debut at Sundance this January. What happens if I don’t make the deadline? Is the film hurt? No. Could I hurt myself by trying to edit this way? Yes. I already have in many ways. So why do this? Because it’s what I sometimes do  when I get in too deep.

Tonight, as I was clearing storage space on the external hard drive, the folder with my project files disappeared -- a solid 24 hours of work with no time to make it up. I about cried. I just had a breakthrough today where I finally felt like I began to edit the project with a bit of rhythm.

Then I get a call (it’s 12:30 p.m. and nobody calls with good news at 12:30 p.m., right?). On top of that, I’m worried because Annamaria’s Grandma is in the hospital after major surgery today...

Turns out to be someone just interested in Las Vegas Link, our casting breakdown service. Whew...and kind of weird. She said she thought she’d just get a recording. I wish I would have let the call go through so she would have.

At any rate, my heart’s a bit calmer now as I found that folder and all my files. I’m not going to edit anymore tonight -- just log in some more footage then go to bed.

I need a deep breath and a reevaluation of what I’m doing here...

Oakland 5, Texas 4 (salvaging a split of their 4-game series)
WP: R. Harden (10-6)   LP: K. Rogers (16-8)

I take a breath and remind myself: this too shall pass...