Premiered at Tribeca last year, "Reverse the Curse," originally named “Bucky F*cking Dent,” is a film adaptation of David Duchovny’s novel. Unfortunately, the film doesn't quite hit the mark. Touted as a tale about baseball and father-son dynamics, it falls short of properly understanding either theme, and instead uses fandom and a terminal illness in ways that feel manipulative rather than genuine. Duchovny’s directorial approach struggles to root the melodrama in tangible reality, thereby missing the essence of the era it depicts and the underpinning of its characters.
"Reverse the Curse" is set in 1978 and story revolves around Ted (Logan Marshall-Green), a writer supporting himself as a peanut vendor at Yankee Stadium, despite his father, Marty, who is played by Duchovny, being a devoted fan of the Yankees' rival, the Boston Red Sox. Given the Red Sox's notorious jinx after Babe Ruth's departure to the Yankees, the film aptly situates itself in this period of frustration for Red Sox fans.
Marty's adoration for his team starts affecting his deteriorating health after he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. To lift his father's spirits, Ted starts falsifying box scores to fake Red Sox victories and even enlists Marty’s friends to mimic rainstorms to excuse losses. While this deceitful endeavour unfolds, Ted starts grappling with his relationship with his dad and begins falling for a woman called Marianna (played by Stephanie Beatriz).
Despite Duchovny’s extensive investment in the project, both in writing the novel and screenplay and directing, his portrayal of Marty fails to convince. His youthful aura doesn't convey the gravitas needed for the character of a dying Red Sox aficionado. Moreover, Marshall-Green and Beatriz too seem misplaced in their roles. Beatriz, however, manages to offer some saving grace, providing the movie with a stable base.
"Reverse the Curse" disappoints in its superficial treatment of the themes of sports fandom and parental ties, leveraging them in manipulative ways rather than finding genuine truths about character and humanity. Missing the passion and raw emotion typically associated with fanatic sports fans and their heartfelt connections with their favorite teams, Duchovny's typically aloof style of storytelling falls short in effectively depicting the essence of decades-long sports heartbreak.
