GOING FOR HOME is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look. Here’s my spoiler-free take:
I felt like I was going home while watching GOING FOR HOME. Heading into the film, I knew that it was about the Eaton Canyon Fire, but I didn’t know it focused so much on Farnsworth Park in Altadena. In the early 2000s, I used to play a ton of basketball out at Farnsworth, so seeing the little league kids there felt like a homecoming of sorts for me. That’s enough about me since GOING FOR HOME is really about two themes:
- Baseball is a metaphor for returning home and how it unites a community
- What happens when “everything you had loved and cherished is gone?”
Those themes are played out around the baseball field in Eric Simonson’s homerun-worthy documentary – GOING FOR HOME. The film is divided into two compelling parts. First, audiences get the backstory on the Eaton Canyon Fire and what was lost within the #AltadenaStrong community. Those bits are made even more powerful, thanks to the passionate, baseball-loving kids interviewed. The second part swings into a sports documentary, focusing on the kids, coaches, and community as the Little League team competes for the title. What makes GOING FOR HOME work so well is how Simonson constructed the narrative. The first half sets up audiences for the empathetic journey they are about to go on, and the second half is the payoff, with the “big-game” moments.
Final Thought: GOING FOR HOME covers its bases by being a film for all audiences. Those interested in learning about Altadena and the Eaton Canyon Fire, and those simply looking for a feel-good sports story. Both work, making it highly watchable.
GOING FOR HOME’s world premiere is at SBIFF on Sunday, February 8, at 3:00PM PST
