The Longest Game – Documentary highlights the game and friendship

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Camille Thoman didn’t go to Dorset, Vermont expecting to make a movie about platform tennis, but when she and her mother stepped into the paddle hut at the Dorset Field Club, she found a group of senior players that she found irresistible.

“We walked in, and there were these old men there making fun of each other, bantering and sharing laughs around the sport,” Thoman said. “My mother said, ‘You should make your next film about these guys,’ and to be honest, I was charmed to my tippy toes by them.”

Thoman, an acclaimed director, who has worked with talent such as Tony nominee Mireille Enos, Oscar nominee Melissa Leo and Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, as well as produced her own one-woman theater pieces, flew with producer Elizabeth Yng-Wong to Vermont thinking they would be filming a short. They quickly found that they had something bigger on their hands.

“These are special people, inspiring people to be more active in their old age,” Thoman said. “These guys are incredibly inspiring. Because platform tennis is such a social sport, because of the smaller court set up for four, there’s so much laughter and banter in the sport. It works very well in our film.”

Currently in post-production, The Longest Game is expected to be completed sometime in 2012. [Update:The film is expected to debut in the Fall of 2013]

Thoman is hopeful about the prospect of a theatrical release – a feat not common for documentaries. However, the unique flavor of the film has people talking about it and wanting to see more. Because of its appeal, the filmmakers are also optimistic about its distribution potential, on television and in new media markets.

“Paddle is the glue, but it’s a film about memory age and time, and the perspective of being 87 years old, which isn’t always valued enough in today’s society,” Thoman said. “There’s this dark spot around old age. People seem to disappear from the media around 70. Everybody wants to see this movie and we’d be very interested in showing it around the country in paddle venues. We really feel strongly that these guys are the gold standard of how good life can be in their 80s, showing a whole generation of people to be more active in their old age.”

Charlie Ams, one of the subjects of the film, said The Longest Game isn’t his first foray into cinema, but being featured on camera was surprising.

“They did a piece on us for the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, so we weren’t too surprised to see Camille here,” Ams said. “But, then again, a bunch of old fellas playing, it’s always surprising when someone’s interested in you.”

Ams has been playing at Dorset for about 15 years, and while the film portrays great friends and camaraderie, all of that stems from the game of platform tennis itself.

“It’s the game, for sure. We don’t all see each other socially, or play cards, it’s the game itself,” Ams said. “When you get here, and stay here all winter long, there’s a great deal going on. It’s a place to play and we have all sorts of people here.”

Ams said that his children and grandchildren, as well as the people at the club are all excited to see the finished film.

“[Camille] sent us a teaser on YouTube, and that passed around quite a bit,” he said. “My grandchildren and family are interested in seeing it, and the people in club, who want to see what we old fellas are doing why we’re still moving around.”

Thoman said it’s obvious that the game has brought them all together in a very special way.

“Chemistry is a big part of it with each other and the filmmakers. I think this particular group of people is extremely funny and eloquent. On the other hand, I do think because paddle is a sport that seniors play a lot of, and it’s a social sport, it does lend itself well to banter and humor as they play it, which is very cinematic and good on camera.”

Source: Mark Berton, Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 12, Issue 1, September, 2010