The Saint of Second Chances Review: The latest docufilm features the life of Mike Veeck, the son of Major League Baseball owner Bill Veeck, who did incredible things throughout his life and changed the game of baseball forever. Jeff Malmberg and Morgan Neville are the directors of the film. Caitrin Rogers, Greg Silverman and Fran Zeuli serve as the executive producers. Garth Neustadter and Daniel Wohl give the music, and Adam Beckman, Antonio Cisneros and Graham Willoughby are credited as the cinematographers.
The docufilm has an approximate runtime of 94 minutes and is available to stream in the English language with English subtitles.
-The Saint of Second Chances Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Starting the docufilm gets overwhelming instantly as a lot of information starts pouring out from the first minute itself. The introductions are done so hastily, which is somewhat ignorant of the creators to assume that everyone is well versed with baseball, but in fact, it is primarily an American sport that non-Americans have little to no idea about. That said, the attempt to show the incredible life of Mike Veecks has been successful at some points.
Mike Veecks, who had been living under the shadow of his father for most of his adult life, speaks very highly of the man. He constantly wanted to get away from his father’s achievements and make a name of his own, but at the same time, he appreciated every aspect of his father’s career. There is a continuous push and pull in their relationship. However, it mainly stemmed from his father being absent throughout his childhood. At one point, he even outright tells Bill Veeck that they do not know each other.
Wanting to receive recognition from his father, he started to over-compensate with over-the-top ideas that ultimately led to his doom. The audience will be able to relate extremely to his story and connect with him on a personal level. Moreover, how his past trauma led him to continue the cycle of being an irresponsible father can be especially moving to a certain section of the audience. Either way, he seeks redemption by being there for his daughter when he should have been.
One important aspect of the film is that the story is not about Mike alone. It is about his late father, who taught him the ways of life, about his wife, who stood by him through thick and thin and about his daughter, who was the light of his life. There are a lot of important life lessons given to the audience, but most of all, it is about second chances and how everyone deserves them.
However, the prominent unlikable thing about the film is the storytelling method. The story is so beautiful and incredible that the added dramatic effects were truly not necessary. The sudden appearance of another actor and the sudden outbursts break the flow and cause a major disconnect. Moreover, it takes away from the seriousness of the story and makes it come off as rather goofy.
Regardless, the story of Mike is one marvellous one and oftentimes comes off as fiction at the absurdity of the incidents. But most of all, the true essence of the story is how similar it is to our own in various ways. The ability to move the audience is the ultimate achievement for the creators and Mike himself.
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The Saint of Second Chances Review: Final Thoughts
Even if you are very unfamiliar with the game of baseball, you will enjoy the docufilm. The story contains a lot more about life than what happens on the field. Rising from the ashes of the phoenix, Mike Veeck has achieved some incredible things that some people can only dream of. Although the storytelling can be a bit extra at times, the core values of the story do not get lost. Mike narrates his own story most times, which adds substance and depth to the occurrences.
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