Chasing October
($24.95 ***)
Now that long-suffering Red Sox and White Sox fans have realized the dream of seeing their team win the World Series, the greater baseball community needs only to pity Cubs fans. Each season since 1908, the Lovable Losers have led the league in broken hearts and unanswered prayers. Chasing October is Matt Liston’s homage to the millions of fans who truly, deeply, madly believe they’ll live long enough to experience postseason glory. Most years, Liston could be found sitting among the smiling loonies who forked over good money to Tribune Co. so it could evict the Bleacher Bums, gentrify the ballpark, overcharge for food and drink and tax the owners of buildings whose roofs overlook the stadium, without also fielding a pennant-winner. Before the 2003 campaign, however, Liston says he was paid a visit by the ghost of Harry Caray, who came to him in a dream and demanded he become the Cubs’ cheerleader-in-chief. Chasing October is a highly entertaining “docu-comedy” spawned by Liston’s frequent visits to Wrigley Field and countless chats with friends, family, fellow fans, players, coaches, owners and the nutballs who paint themselves blue on game day. It was the season in which the Cubs made it to the playoffs and probably would have gone on to the World Series if it weren’t for the overanxious fan who obstructed Moises Alou’s ability to catch a foul ball in Game 6. In a heartbeat, it seemed as if all the various Cubs curses had returned like a tsunami and fans began their annual countdown to next year. Even though Chasing October clearly is a labor of love, and made on a tight budget, it doesn’t look at all amateurish. Liston, who served as an assistant on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, clearly was influenced by Larry David. This means his tongue was planted firmly in cheek throughout. Even so, I came to feel more sorry for his long-suffering fiance—a redheaded beauty who split in midseason—than any of the fans, who should have known better. At the moment, Chasing October is available only at www.cubsmovie.com. There are enough Cub-centric bonus features to satisfy fans and psychiatrists investigating mass psychosis.