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dschwartzweitz
Reviews
Extra Innings (2019)
A Must See & Share
Through the writing,acting and directing of "Extra Innings", Al Dabah has shown each of us how courageous one need be in this life,
as we all carry emotional baggage to varying degrees.
Despite the devotion to religious education and tradition, Al, "David", the youngest sibling was born into a family incapable of protecting or directing their children in emotionally healthy ways. He was then seemingly abandoned in the most important and supportive of ways toward understanding of how to cope with the severities of each of the tragedies that unfolded in his life, as portrayed.
Though the film was autobiographical the rigors of baseball are a great metaphor from which to draw many positive examples for building relationships and coping with life itself.
One may have a deep attachment and love for the sport, but baseball is a demanding self-discipline replete with the responsibilities of daily practice, schedules, team loyalty, training, knowing your opponent and your own strengths and weaknesses and especially of building the kind of character that can accept defeat, as well as winning. In those respects, it is not unlike being part of a family.
The dichotomy of the relationships experienced by young David growing up within his orthodox Syrian family and of those of being an active baseball team member, played the major theme of his childhood. Though deeply loved, he carries more than just the expectations of his parents' hopes and dreams for their son ... for in addition he bore those they had for both his brother and sister. And unlike where in baseball you'd eventually be thrown off the team for any lackadaisical performances, young Al had no "out", as his parents demanded he tow the line while his very passion and spirit were being suppressed, albeit denied.
The very unconditional love, bonding, acceptance, inspiration and encouragement he so desperately needed came from those very siblings, his big brother and sister, which compounded to the weight of their loss, leaving him further bereft.
It is quite admirable that Albert Dabah had the insight to know he must seek outside professional help in understanding how and why the sequence of his childhood's events evolved into such tragedies, how to deal with each and all, and how to proceed into the future when feeling so confused, afraid and alone.
Reaching into the depths of that pain and the process of writing itself is courageous. Untangling the history and psychology of each family member and the relationships they'd developed with one another, and then finding oneself and a reason and way to go on and help others, is likened to writing your own Bible.
I applaud Al Dabah for a movie whose script was well written, characters and acting so genuine and believable, scenery, dress, music and lighting spot on and moreso a film debut at this very time in which individuals are so in need of the assistance of therapy and suicide prevention.