Sports Doc ‘Facing Nolan’ Trailer About the MLB Pitcher Nolan Ryan
by Alex Billington
April 14, 2022
Source: YouTube
“Without a doubt, he was the most intimidating pitcher in the history of the game.” Utopia has revealed an official trailer for a sports biopic documentary titled Facing Nolan, profiling the baseball legend Nolan Ryan. This already premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival last month, and will show in theaters on May 24th for a special event. In the world of Major League Baseball no one has created a mythology like Nolan Ryan. Told from the point of view of the hitters who faced him (which is a great setup for a doc about him) and the teammates who revered him, Facing Nolan is the definitive documentary film about a Texas legend. Directed by Bradley Jackson the film features new interviews with Nolan Ryan, President George W. Bush, Craig Biggio, Steve Buechele, George Brett, Rod Carew, Roger Clemens, Tom Grieve, Tom House, Randy Johnson, Pete Rose, Ivan Rodriguez, Bobby Valentine, Dave Winfield, Bobby Witt and many others. “Facing Nolan is a movie that transcends beyond baseball fandom and one that everyone will enjoy.” It looks great.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Bradley Jackson’s doc Facing Nolan, direct from YouTube:
Nolan Ryan’s numbers tell a story, but numbers do not capture his essence. Flashpoints have emblazoned him onto our subconscious: like pitching with his jersey covered in blood. Running a cattle ranch during the off-season. The iconic brawl where Ryan walloped the 20 years younger Robin Ventura. Despite mythical moments and statistical brilliance, Ryan’s career is a study in extremes. Not only does he hold the record for most walks and most wild pitches, but he has also given up the most grand-slams and the most stolen bases. Many of today’s baseball analysts do not consider him to be among the greats, but with all this in mind, where does Ryan fit in the ever-evolving game of baseball? Facing Nolan is directed by producer / filmmaker Bradley Jackson, making his feature directorial debut after directing a few short films and other projects, plus lots of comedy producing. This originally premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. Utopia will debut Jackson’s Facing Nolan documentary in theaters nationwide with a special one-night Fathom Events screening on May 24th, 2022 this summer. Who wants to watch?