Earlier this year, my wife and I were invited to the world premier of this movie. It ended up winning an award in a San Francisco film festival.
American Pastime depicts a Japanese American family in Los Angeles who had their lives, their dreams and aspirations, as well as their family disrupted by the internment during WWII.
One of the sons, at that time, was a rising baseball player/pitcher who had just accepted a baseball scholarship.
The focus of the movie is how this family adapts and struggles with the impact of the internment, especially the young pitcher. One son ends up volunteering for military service and becomes a member of one of the most decorated units in the US Military. The pitcher encounters a number of emotional responses before the impact of some harassment and other actions leads him back to baseball.
For me, it is a moving, emotional and captivating movie with baseball as a very important element.
It is even more important to me because of my family.
My wife, Mrs. infielddad is Japanese American who, along with all her other talents and beauty, provided our son with those baseball genes.
Her Father who we just visited in Japan, is truly an inspiration. During our visit, Don showed me a photo, obtained from the UC Berkeley library. It shows him as a high school senior and student body president, passing out awards to his high school class... while interned.
From there, he attended the University of Texas, the only school following the war which would admit him to its architecture school. Following graduation, he joined and ultimately rose to the highest of civilian positions in the US Army Corp of Engineers. His career was capped by being awarded the highest civilian award which can be given by the United States Army.
When I see the beauty of the family and career my Father-in-Law created from the depths of his internment, American Pastime is even more meaningful. Were it not for the courageous, contagious spirit of Don Sameshima, Mr. and Mrs. infielddad would have missed so much, including all the joys that our son's life in baseball has provided
Amongst those involved in the production of the movie was a true baseball fan, Kerry Nakagawa. Kerry is well known locally and has also been involved in a tremendously stunning book about the history of Japanese baseball in America. It is a keeper if you have never seen it.
I would commend American Pastime to you as it is now in stores and elsewhere on DVD. It is a wonderful story about courageous, proud, caring and kind people, like my wonderful Father-in-Law and the impact and importance of baseball in their lives.
Here is a link to the movie on Amazon, with some initial reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Pastime-Chris-Beames/dp/B000NTPG7A
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