The League

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The League

PG

2023

1h 43m

Documentary

History

Sports

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

THE LEAGUE celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century. The story is told through previously unearthed archival footage and never-before-seen interviews with legendary players like Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil -- whose early careers paved the way for the Jackie Robinson era -- as well as celebrated Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron who started out in the Negro Leagues. From entrepreneurial titans Cumberland Posey and Gus Greenlee, whose intense rivalry fueled the rise of two of the best baseball teams ever to play the game, to Effa Manley, the activist owner of the Newark Eagles and the only woman ever admitted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, THE LEAGUE explores Black baseball as an economic and social pillar of Black communities and a stage for some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, while also examining the unintended consequences of integration.

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Critics Consensus

Exploring American history through the lens of the national pastime, The League is essential for sports fans and valuable viewing for audiences of all persuasions.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Both the history and the filmmaking here are extraordinary.

Jul 22, 2023

Full Review

Oliver Jones

Observer

By presenting this crucial cultural phenomenon in a staid documentary form and in the reverent tone of a hushed docent, The League has the unintentional impact of making Black baseball seem like ancient rather than living history.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 17, 2023

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Ultimately, Pollard’s film is equal parts tribute and lament, as complicated as this country.

Jul 14, 2023

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

It’s a superb baseball film because it places the game in the context of American social and economic history; it’s a sport film even for people who don’t like sports.

Apr 5, 2024

Full Review

Tynan Yanaga

Film Inquiry

I believe baseball holds a mirror to where our society has been and where it went across the expanse of the 20th century, The League is a crucial part of this story.

Dec 9, 2023

Full Review

Scott Hines

Decider

If you love baseball, you’re probably aching a little bit with the prospect of a long winter between us and spring training. The League is a great chance to scratch that itch while rounding out your knowledge of the national pastime.

Nov 10, 2023

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Kathy S

Covered more of the history of the Negro League than I have learned from other sources .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

Full Review

Megan e

Fantastic documentary! So important to watch this!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/18/23

Full Review

Vernon B

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I was brought up with the history of baseball, but little attention to the Negro Leagues. Of course,vthe shadow of racism is omnipresent.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Tim W

I am very interested on this subject. The question I had going in: will this cover the Negro Leagues better than Ken Burn's epic doc Baseball? The answer is, sadly, no. While much of the material is the same Baseball does a better job of; covering the key players (particularly Jackie Robinson), following the story over decades and integrating (sorry) the story of the Negro Leagues into the background of baseball writ large and american society.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/26/23

Full Review

Allen S

Fantastic film about legends who weren't allowed to compete because of discrimination. They forged their own league and excelled

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/23

Full Review

daniel s

Superbly moving doc that builds slowly and hits hard at the end. A testament to the courage of the black baseball players and families that preceded Jackie breaking the color barrier and all that that ultimately advanced

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

Full Review

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Sam Pollard

Director

Jakkar Thompson

Ruben Foster

Clayton B. Stevens

C.I Taylor

Robin Espinola

Producer

David Sirulnick

Producer

Jen Isaacson

Producer

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Synopsis

THE LEAGUE celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century. The story is told through previously unearthed archival footage and never-before-seen interviews with legendary players like Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil -- whose early careers paved the way for the Jackie Robinson era -- as well as celebrated Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron who started out in the Negro Leagues. From entrepreneurial titans Cumberland Posey and Gus Greenlee, whose intense rivalry fueled the rise of two of the best baseball teams ever to play the game, to Effa Manley, the activist owner of the Newark Eagles and the only woman ever admitted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, THE LEAGUE explores Black baseball as an economic and social pillar of Black communities and a stage for some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game, while also examining the unintended consequences of integration.

Director: Sam Pollard
Producer: Robin Espinola, David Sirulnick, Jen Isaacson, Byron Motley, Jon Kamen
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Play/Action Pictures, 2929 Productions, Two One Five Entertainment, RadicalMedia, Yabba Biri Productions
Rating: PG (Some Violent Images|A Racial Slur|Smoking|Racism|Thematic Content)
Genre: Documentary, History, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 14, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $69.2K
Runtime: 1h 43m

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