Hey, La-La Land! Boston more than just its teams
David Ortiz made the final in “Patriots Day.”
Late Boston police officer Dennis Simmonds Jr. did not.
If you’ve been paying attention the past few weeks, you are aware of the anger, angst and dismay the glaring and inexcusable omission from this film has caused Simmonds’ friends, family and many in the Boston law enforcement community.
It will forever blemish “Patriots Day.”
In “Patriots Day,” we do see unedited video of Big Papi’s infamous “(bleeping) city” speech and a scene shot for the film of him walking down the corridor toward the field at Fenway Park.
The inclusion of Ortiz in “Patriots Day” is an honest, if not gratuitous, part of this story.
But what accounts for the need to include the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and/or Patriots in nearly every movie set in Boston?
Ben Affleck robbed Fenway Park in the “The Town.” His brother Casey watches both the Celtics and Bruins in “Manchester by the Sea.” In “Ted,” the bear given voice by Rhode Island School of Design grad Seth MacFarlane nearly dies after a fall from the Green Monster. In “Ted 2,” the bear and his BFF John, played by Dorchester homey Mark Wahlberg, try unsuccessfully to make Tom Brady a baby daddy. Even the late Robin Williams delivered a stunning recap of Carlton Fisk’s Game 6 1975 World Series home run in “Good Will Hunting.” If we’re to believe Hollywood, every child in Boston is born wearing a Tom Brady jersey and a Red Sox hat while flipping off the obstetrician. Winning will do that. As will having major players like Wahlberg, Matt Damon and the Affleck brothers showing off their local roots. It wasn’t always this way. In 1970’s “Love Story,” Oliver didn’t need a Red Sox hat to prove his New England bonafides. Nor did he drop 42 f-bombs while playing hockey at Harvard. No one made Jenny speak with a grating, fake accent, either. A few decades later, Hollywood has paid us back with interest. Thank you, “Fever Pitch.” Not every movie set in Boston includes an ode to the Olde Towne Team. Although the newspaper that brought us “Spotlight” is run by the same guy who owns the Red Sox. Casey Affleck’s Emmy-worthy performance on “SNL” a few weeks ago as an overzealous loyal Dunkin’ Donuts customer named Donny wearing a Bruins hat is pretty much the world’s view of New Englanders these days. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, save for those vanilla nut taps. It means Boston and those who love it continue to be underestimated.
This is all big fun while Boston is in the waning days of a dynastic sports run that has produced nine titles since 2001 across all four major-league sports. (Save the Major League Soccer emails, I will not read them.)
But what happens when all the winning stops?
The Pink Hats won’t be crowding the Green Line heading to Fenway and commuter rail heading to Foxboro. Most will continue to root, root, root for the home team, or at least give a damn. The past 15 years have assured us of that. Some may choose to walk away from the NFL after its failed attempt to shaft the Patriots via Deflategate. That, too, is understandable.
The underlying passions will not disappear when the Duck Boat parades end, even if we stop seeing 27 Red Sox caps and Celtics shirts in every film with the word “Boston” in its script.
Boston was strong long before Patriots Day 2013, or even Tom Brady’s arrival in Foxboro.
One of many examples: “Patriots Day” shows us that Boston is a city blessed with a bounty of amazing hospitals and brilliant medical personnel. That the bombings took place on a holiday when few elective surgeries were scheduled — and within walking distance of hundreds of first-responders — was a glorious coincidence that saved countless lives.
Had this attack happened anywhere else on planet Earth that April day, there is zero doubt the body count would have been significantly and catastrophically higher.
That beats the hell out of any championship — or any movie celebrating Boston sports teams.