The following press release was sent to the Bloomingtonian this week:
New Film Highlights Indiana Baseball Legend
Special Olympics Indiana hosting “The Best We’ve Got: The Carl Erskine Story” screening Dec. 1
BLOOMINGTON — The story of Carl Erskine, the man legendary broadcaster Vin Scully said is “living a perfect game,” is coming to the big screen in Bloomington, with a showing of “The Best We’ve Got: The Carl Erskine Story.” Erskine has been a pivotal figure in Special Olympics Indiana’s history, and the organization has partnered with Ted Green Films to spread Erskine’s messages of friendship, inclusion, servant leadership and respect
The movie screening will be held on Dec. 1 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the show to follow at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online through the theater’s website and at the door on the night of the show, while supplies last.
“The Best We’ve Got,” premiered on the big screen Aug. 11 at the Paramount Theatre in Erskine’s hometown of Anderson. Produced by renowned filmmaker Ted Green, the film takes a deep dive into Erskine’s upbringing and his legendary career in Major League Baseball with Jackie Robinson, the first African American to break the color barrier in a sport that was segregated for more than 50 years. That is only a fraction of Erskine’s impact. The film takes viewers on Erskine’s most proud adventure, when he and wife, Betty, had their son Jimmy, who was born with Down syndrome. The documentary also shares the impact the Erskines have made on Special Olympics as well as the social change they have influenced across the country.
Erskine has been referred to in many ways. In the classic baseball novel “The Boys of Summer”, he was called a philosopher, a poet and an “existential man.” Dennis Schmidt, former Special Olympics Indiana CEO, said Erskine is the most decent man he’s ever met. In giving Erskine the state’s highest honor, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said simply, “He’s the best we’ve got.”
Green has dedicated many laborious hours through the years to inform the world about the life of one of the best humanity has to offer. “The Best We’ve Got” includes powerful and inspirational interviews from some of the most respected figures in sports. Charley Steiner, winner of multiple national Emmys at ESPN and the lead radio voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, narrates the documentary. The late Scully, who spent 67 seasons calling games for the L.A. Dodgers, is featured in the film. Other notable figures include Daniels, Bob Costas, and Dr. Tim Shriver, son of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver and current chairperson of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.
In addition to the film, Special Olympics Indiana is proud to partner with Green in developing the Erskine Personal Impact Curriculum presented by Duke Energy. EPIC is a set of educational materials for elementary, middle and high school students that was released at the start of the 2022-23 school year in conjunction with the film. More than 70,000 books have been ordered and shipped to 300 schools across the state of Indiana. The classroom materials promote social and emotional learning for every age level, using stories and experiences from Erskine’s life to create lessons and activities with themes including empowerment, friendship, inclusion and servant leadership. Educators can visit the Special Olympics website to order a preview packet.
The Carl Erskine film website includes additional information about the MLB great and the film project as well as a link to view the trailer.
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About Special Olympics Indiana
Special Olympics Indiana is a nonprofit organization that is part of the global Special Olympics movement, created by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the benefit of persons with intellectual disabilities. Its vision is an inclusive world, driven by the power of sport, through which people with intellectual disabilities live active, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
About Ted Green Films
In 2010, Ted Green switched to filmmaking after 20 years as a newspaper journalist. Since then he has produced and directed eight documentaries that have won 21 regional Emmys (including Best Documentary for his past four), and a national Gabriel Award in the category of Human Dignity. His most recent film, “The Best We’ve Got: The Carl Erskine Story,” chronicles the inspirational life of the last of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ fabled “Boys of Summer” and one of the great human-rights champions of our time. Previous titles include “Eva: A-7063,” “Attucks: The School that Opened a City,” “Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard: Heart of a Hoosier,” “Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story,” and “Naptown to Super City.” Ted holds a BA from Princeton University and a Master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
