I caught up recently with Carson Lund, the director and co-writer of the independent film Eephus, and a New England native who grew up in New Hampshire.  Carson, a cinematographer and film editor, holds a BA in Film Production from Emerson College in Boston.  In an impromptu chat at the Dedham Community Theatre in Dedham, Massachusetts, I quickly learned that an “eephus” is a pitch rarely used in baseball but carries a significant metaphorical meaning in the 98-minute film.  Eephus is Lund’s first major film project; it premiered in 2024 at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, a testament to its high-quality emotional impact.  The film was released in the United States on March 7th, 2025.

Set in the 1990s, Eephus is a comedy-drama about an amateur New England baseball league in a small town in central Massachusetts (it was filmed at Soldier Field in Douglas, MA).  The Adler’s Paint baseball team faces the Riverdogs in one last game before their ballfield is demolished to make room for a new school.  The film stars Keith William Richards (“Phil” in the 2019’s Uncut Gems) in his first lead role.  Boston Red Sox pitching legend Bill “Spaceman” Lee appears as Lee.

Eephus has garnered rave reviews:  100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic, and 7.9 on IMDB.com.  You don’t need to be a baseball fan to love this cinematic gem, as the real star of the film is the nostalgic and humorous portrayal of an essential part of small-town life in bygone New England.