The Calling (2005) User Reviews

What you never knew

[tdnst4 · 10/10 · 8 December 2005]

In this movie, Zimmerman visits the origins of the NCAA, with the first sponsored intercollegiate sporting event, a rowing competition between Yale and Harvard. His hands-off documentary style lets his touch be seen as a director and creator of scenes rather than as the interlocutor or interviewer of the films' content. Redick as the narrator is excellent, well paced and easy to listen to. The film continues and ties the sport's origins to the modern competitions and athletes. He examines both how the sport has changed, as well as what it truly means to be an athlete at the college level who does not make it onto ESPN. Lacking the sponsorships and audience, but with at least as much physical training and power required, it is a labor of love, or in fact a Calling to a dedicated purpose. Learning both factual history and insight into the drive and emotions of the modern athlete is well balanced in this polished film.

An intriguing film about a topic I would otherwise find boring.

[apartment31 · 9/10 · 24 January 2006]

If someone was to tell me that I would be enthralled by a half hour documentary on rowing, I would call them crazy. My wife and I found "The Calling" entertaining, educational, thoughtful and easy to watch. For this aspiring filmmaker I found the camera-work, especially in the opening scene and the action rowing shots, to be inspiring. Zimmerman crafted the interviews in such a way that the audience could identify with the various coaches and rowers. You do not have to be a sports fan or a documentary buff to find this film engaging. Now all Zimmerman has to make is a documentary on Philosophy so that I could possibly appreciate a topic I still have no interest or excitement for.

Nationally Televised!

[smariewilliams · 10/10 · 11 December 2005]

The Calling received national attention when it was distributed to public television stations through NETA during the 2005 - 2006 season. The Calling also received its film festival premiere at the new Hampshire Film Expo in late 2005. On hand at the showing in Portsmouth were executive producer Chris Choma and line producer Logen Zimmerman, which I also happened to attend. Questions abounded concerning the state of intercollegiate sports, the history of our nation's sporting events and current media considerations regarding sporting in general. Though the director, Justin Zimmerman, was not there, his crew did a wonderful job of expanding on what makes the film so compelling -- the fact that the current crop of rowers participate in the sport not because they believe it will yield them money or fame, but because they love the pureness of the sport. The fact that the documentary delves into the roots of this "ultimate amateur" sport -- that the 1852 Harvard and Yale rowers started the competition out of pure fun but wound up fighting against each other in the Civil War -- made the film, and the questions, that much more compelling.