Starring John Cusack and the Spirit of Yosh Kawano
Next to me is Mari Goround, probably the only Asian in the audience. We’re in the balcony, the “cheap seats” that cost us a hundred and six bucks. We wish we’d bought drinks. And eaten. Below us are couples and groups of middle-aged Caucasians. Some pink hair, some green hair, some went-to-my-stylist-this afternoon-hair, grey hair, no hair. To my right, a guy in a tee shirt that says: I can’t keep calm. I’m from Toledo.
Soon, Grosse Pointe Blank will start. Afterwards, John Cusack, the movie’s star and producer, will answer questions. We’re hoping John will autograph a book called Ernie Banks, Home Run Slugger. It was the only Chicago Cubs book we could find. Only yesterday did we learn that John would be here.
My hands are still cold; I just checked the backstage door again, hoping John would be there, and in a good mood. A long shot, I know. All I saw was
the Ohio Turnpike and an empty, long white empty bus in a parking lot full of nothing but dirty snow and black ice. The wind was freezing.
With that autographed book, Mari hopes to crowdfund a film about Yosh Kawano. Yosh took care of the Chicago Cubs for six decades.
Inside the Ernie Banks book is a paper describing Mari’s documentary idea. It has four images: Yosh’s famous white fishing hat, now in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Then, a baseball card of the 1958 Cubs, with a yellow circle around Yosh. Next, Yosh’s smiling face in front of the American flag — his obituary photo. The last photo: the Manzanar internment camp. Yosh was one of the over 100,000 Americans interned during World War II. Anyone 1/16th Japanese or more was given six days to pack and get on a train, with no destination given. Yosh was released so he go fight in New Guinea and the Philippines. He won combat medals.
Grosse Point Blank is over and John, seated and wearing a black baseball cap, is answering questions. He’s talked about music, about politics, about the movie business. “They were open to ideas then… Like, we could talk about Dan Akroyd’s character wearing a woman’s Kabuki costume. Wild things like that. Now, committees plan everything. They film different endings and take surveys to decide who gets a happy ending or dies or falls in love or whatever. It’s discouraging. Great art can’t be predicted.”
Next, a woman suggests that John should marry her daughter. Then he’s asked about his most challenging role. “Max”, he answers. An attractive woman asks John if he’d like to meet her and her friends afterwards, in a karaoke bar. The moderator moves things on, points to a man at the mike on the other side of the room.
“John, what about the World Series? I’m a Cleveland fan “.
Even from here we see John’s eyes flash. “Biblical! Grampa Rossy got hit in the face with a bal, comes back with a solo homer! Seventeen minute rain delay before the tenth… it was like Moby Dick!” John starts describing the wild ups and downs of the “ most greatest world series ever.” A baseball has 108 stitches. Last time the Cubs won the series was 108 years ago. Coincidence? I think not.”
Mari looks at me. Soon, we will sneak her into one of the lines of people who paid a hundred and twenty five dollars to be photographed next to John. I will then go outside, by the backstage door, and wait.
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Hi , I am Stephen Black and I’d like to thank you for reading this. First, Mari Goround is a fictional character. The idea of crowdfunding a movie about Yosh Kawano is a good one, but I do not know of anyone doing that.
I would be happy to develop the ideas above into a script. For now, I am hoping to write more, as well as develop my ideas about AR software and Augmented Reality movies. I’m also planning to be in Austin for the SXSW festival next month. If you can help keep the balls in the air, or just want to wear an attractive, unusual (and comfortable) tee shirt, click here. THANK YOU!
PS. The story above is was extracted from a longer version, half of which is posted here.
PSS> I just discovered Ansel Adams photographed a baseball game at Manzanar! I do not know if Yosh was at Manzanar; I read a newspaper article that a family from Washington State was sent there. As Yosh was born in Washington, perhaps he was sent on a train down there also.
Originally published at www.blacksteps.tv on February 16, 2019.
