2023
PG
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 43 m

2023
PG
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 43 m

Summary 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 th...

Directed By: Sam Pollard

Written By: Bob Motley, Byron Motley

2023
PG
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 43 m

2023
PG
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 43 m

The League

Name: The League
Genre: Documentary, Sport
Released: 2023-07-07
Duration: 1 min 43 s
Rating: 77
Cast: Hank Aaron, Monte Irvin, Sam Pollard, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

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Where to Watch

Directed By: Sam Pollard

Written By: Bob Motley, Byron Motley

Where to Watch

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews

90% Positive
9 Reviews

10% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 10 Critic Reviews

90% Positive
9 Reviews

10% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

IndieWire

Jul 7, 2023

As a living record of the history of the Negro Leagues — it’s role in shaping America, in the prospects of upward mobility, in providing a playing field for Black folks to express themselves — Pollard’s The League is a rich, engrossing, and necessary tribute to a critical early wave in the Civil Rights movement.

By Robert Daniels FULL REVIEW

Austin Chronicle

Jul 17, 2023

Anyone who wants to better understand the cultural conditions leading up to the civil rights movement would do well to check out The League. But for those baseball fans who are used to charting the history of America alongside iconic moments in sports history, this one is a real treat.

By Matthew Monagle FULL REVIEW

Paste Magazine

Jul 6, 2023

What Pollard pulls from his subjects is ease of storytelling; even at an hour and forty minutes, the film keeps a lively pace, and for all of the work’s academic value, it’s endlessly, almost effortlessly engaging.

By Andrew Crump FULL REVIEW

RogerEbert.com

Jul 7, 2023

There’s too much story to tell in a feature runtime, so parts of The League feel like they’re just skimming the surface. But what a fantastic surface it is.

By Brian Tallerico FULL REVIEW

Movie Nation

The League is an entertaining survey of Negro Leagues history with special attention paid to their place within the African American life of their day.

By Roger Moore FULL REVIEW

Slant Magazine

Jun 30, 2023

At its most engrossing, the film vibrantly sketches out the historical roots of the Negro baseball leagues.

By Chris Barsanti FULL REVIEW

Observer

Jul 17, 2023

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.

By Oliver Jones FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company 2929 Productions, Outpost Digital, Play/Action Pictures, RadicalMedia, Two One Five Entertainment, Yabba Biri Productions

Release Date Jul 7, 2023

Duration 1 h 43 m

Rating PG

Genres

Tagline The negro leagues: Changing the game, transforming America.

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Awards

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

• 3 Nominations

The League

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Top Cast

Hank Aaron

Self - Baseball Hall of Famer, Indianapolis Clowns

Monte Irvin

Self - Baseball Hall of Famer, Newark Eagles

Sam Pollard

Bob Motley

Ernie Banks

Self

Willie Mays

Self

Jackie Robinson

Self

James Brunson III

Self - Historian

Andrea Williams

Self - Journalist

Gerald Early

Self - Cultural Critic

Lawrence D. Hogan

Self - Historian

Junius Gaten

Self - Employee, Chicago American Giants, Assistant to Rube Foster

Maya Angelou

Self - Writer

Donald Spivey

Self - Historian

Rob Ruck

Self - Historian

Bob Kendrick

Self - President: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Larry Lester

Self - Negro Leagues Scholar

Marcus Garvey

Self

Shakeia Taylor

Self - Journalist

Babe Ruth

Self

Phil Dixon

Self - Negro Leagues Scholar

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

Details

Awards

Awards

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