61* AKA the Passion of the Crystal

Billy Crystal is a fanatical Yankees fan. It's impressive to hear him talk about them and his experiences. It's clear he's an autorhity on the subject. 61* follows the magical 1961 season where Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle pursue the sacred home run record of 60 in a single season by the almighty Babe Ruth. It's a portrait driven by Crystal's passion and knowledge, but also his talks with Mickey Mantle about that sacred time. He pulls from that incredible source and all the other sources of history, etc, to really give an amazing look at what was really going on throughout that amazing race to 60. I was impressed when I first saw the film, but the making of featurette took it to another level. Passion projects normally are flawed and overzealous, but somehow this one works out beautifully. Billy's insane love translates beautifully to the screen and the authenticity bleeds out of it. They actually look and play like, not only competent baseball players, but like Maris & Mantle. I was very pleased I sat down to soak this one in again and can't recommend it enough. Looks no further than the future successes Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane enjoyed after their great turns at Maris & Mantle respectively. Bottom line: 8.9 out of 10. Quality is everywhere in this film and it's worth a watch, especially for a history/sports buff. Watch the feature to really get a true appreciation for Billy Crystal's passion for this project.