Montclair, NJ – Moviegoers, many who are also baseball fans, packed The Clairidge Thursday to watch a special preview of “It Ain’t Over,” a documentary following the life and career of baseball legend, iconic Yankee and beloved Montclair resident Lawerence “Yogi” Berra.
Award-winning director Sean Mullin and Lindsey Berra, the film’s executive director and granddaughter of the legendary baseball player, were joined by Yogi Berra’s sons, Dale and Larry Berra, and sports journalist Claire Smith, for a Q&A session after the movie.
For 98 minutes, the audience experienced a range of emotions from boisterous laughter to poignant insights into the gentle nature of a man who was larger than life.
The film starts with the 2015 All-Star Game, where four baseball players were honored for being the “Greatest Living Players,” Surprisingly, Yogi Berra was not one of them. Lindsay Berra retells the story of watching it with her grandfather and inquiring why he wasn’t there. Throughout the film, the audience sees moments, whether through archival tape or interviews, where Yogi Berra, the baseball player doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, despite his record-breaking numbers.
Yogi Berra became well known for his many cultural references, including his Yoo-hoo and Aflac commercials, but Mullin and Lindsay Berra prioritize showing the audience the incredible baseball career of the man who won 10 World Series championships — a feat that has yet to be done again by any other Major League Baseball player.
“He was the most overlooked superstar in the history of baseball,” says Billy Crystal in the film.
The film includes appearances from Derek Jeter, Bobby Richardson, Willie Randolph, and Tony Kubek, as well as team managers, sports journalists, and friends of Yogi Berra.
“I get that my dad’s play was very under-appreciated because of all this folklore and all that stuff,” Dale Berra, who also played for the New York Yankees, said to the crowd. “But I can tell you, every manager, every coach, every front office executive were my dad’s contemporaries, and they made it known to me every single day just how great my dad was.”
The film takes audience members through nearly every aspect of the baseball legend’s life, including his time in World War II, where he served in the United States Navy, to the love story he and his wife, Carmen Berra, shared.
“It Ain’t Over” relives Yogi Berra’s epic baseball moments, such as when he argued with an umpire at the 1955 World Series game over Jackie Robinson stealing the home base or Berra jumping into Don Larsen’s arms in the 1956 World Series.
However, alongside an expansive baseball career, Yogi Berra was also known for his “Yogi-isms,” which drew laughter from the crowd every time they were displayed on the screen.
“Dad was the most quoted man who never said anything,” Dale Berra said.
According to Lindsey Berra, The Clairidge was Yogi and Carmen Berra’s favorite movie theater. “It Ain’t Over” is currently showing at The Claridge, through May 18.
Lindsay Berra also encouraged moviegoers to join her on June 6 at Yankee Stadium as they honor D-Day and celebrate Yogi Berra Day. A portion of the ticket proceeds will go to the education programs at the museum and learning center. To purchase tickets, visit yogiberramuseum.org
The preview was in partnership with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center.