If anybody in the last half century of baseball deserves a bio film, it’s Nolan Ryan, the hard throwing Texan pitcher, who racked up dozens of records in a 27 year career, including seven perfect games, and 5,714 career strikeouts — which is more than 800 more than the next person.
That the taciturn Hall of Famer is still around as a kindly old grandfather and willing to talk a little more freely about his career and accomplishments helps make Bradley Jackson’s “Facing Nolan” the kind of high quality documentary you’d expect on ESPN’s “30 for 30.”
Not only does an array of famous players he faced attest to how intimidating he was on the mound, but a past President of the United States stops in to marvel at his accomplishments as well. Then again, George W. Bush was also once part owner of the Texas Rangers, where Ryan pitched from 1989 to 1993. Still, Bush seems much more happy to be talking baseball than politics.
Jackson has a lot of high points to cover, but switches them around a bit for drama, starting with the late-career final strike out in his second-to-last game, and holding off the celebrations for his seventh no-hitter in 1991. These are explained by an overly-folksy narrator (Mike MacRae) who thankfully doesn’t step in too often.
There is a wealth of clips for Jackson to employ, and when there isn’t, the bio has a similarly lanky right-hander firing to a catcher in an empty stadium two illustrate. Part of Ryan’s success, we learn early on, is his family, and his charming, ever-patient wife Ruth is a main character from the start.
His children also play a role as interview subjects before the camera, and two are behind it — sons Reese Ryan and Reid Ryan are listed as executive producers. Grandchildren give glowing testimonials at the end.