Trama

Set against the enchanting backdrop of 1960's Brooklyn, Extra Innings tell the story of a young man who is caught between pursuing his dream and staying devoted to his Syrian Jewish family that is afflicted with mental illness.

Brooklyn, 1960s - At 12 years old, David Sabah feels trapped. The youngest of four in a traditional and devout Syrian Jewish family, his parents Esther and Eli hold him to extremely high standards, hoping to raise him into an ideal member of the New York Jewish business community. His oldest brother, Morris, diagnosed with schizophrenia, is locked away upstairs as a family secret, while his oldest sister, Vivian, was estranged long ago for her rejection of traditional Jewish values. Only his sister Rita remains in the good graces of the family, devoted to her role. Fearful of becoming a black-sheep like Morris and Vivian, he struggles to balance his pursuit of happiness and his filial duty as tensions rise amidst his family in light of a tragic loss. David finds peace through his love for baseball, and even more surprisingly, a natural aptitude for it. When David is offered a scholarship to play baseball for a college in California, all the way across the country, his family couldn't be more furious. Encouraged by Vivian to follow his dreams, he must decide whether carving his own future is worth cutting ties with everything he's ever known. But no matter what he decides to do, the greatest challenge he will ultimately confront will be his grief. Based on the life story of writer and director Albert Dabah, Extra Innings is a powerfully sentimental glimpse at the true human impact of mental illness on a family, and the complex condition that guides us all: Hope.—Albert Dabah

Set against the enchanting backdrop of 1960's Brooklyn, Extra Innings tells the story of David Sabah, a young man who is caught between pursuing his dream of playing baseball and staying devoted to his Syrian Jewish family that is afflicted with mental illness, but a tragic loss makes reconciling the two worlds impossible. Based on the true story of writer/director Albert Dabah.

At 12 years old, David Sabah's life was changed forever. When David's love for baseball first comes into bloom, so too does his parents' contempt for it. The overbearing Eli and Esther have just returned from Israel after getting psychiatric treatment for their schizophrenic son Morris. In light of Morris' continued solitude, signified by the classical music echoing from his bedroom, Eli and Esther act to ensure that another child doesn't leave them, like David's manic-depressive older sister Vivian already has. But in tightening their grips around the lives of their children, save for their loyal daughter Rita, they only drive David and Morris further away. This may inspire a newfound independence in David, but for Morris, who still suffers in silence, it only contributes to his worsening condition. When his brother's music comes to an end, David's only escape is baseball.

With the support of his friends and Coach Nicki Giambi, David finds a balance between his stable home life and Baseball dream, but at age 17 he reaches a daunting crossroads. He meets Natalie, an Italian girl five years his senior, and begins to appreciate the extent of his talent and family's oppression. This new romance, as well as the support of his sister Vivian, makes David reflect on the past he and his family have locked away. When David is given the opportunity to live with his sister Vivian and play baseball in California, he must choose whether to stay faithful to his family or embrace the life he's always dreamed of.

But no matter where he decides to go, the greatest challenge he will ultimately confront will be his grief. Is he willing to forgive himself for moving on from the past in order to discover true freedom now?