Facing Nolan

Facing Nolan is a fairly standard bio-doc, but the familiar elements are so masterfully assembled by director Bradley Jackson that its basic nature quickly becomes a non-factor.

The deep dive into the life and career of baseball legend Nolan Ryan paints the Hall of Fame pitcher as an immensely likable person and a singular talent that, as multiple colleagues note in the film’s home stretch, essentially made him a folk hero.

Stressing early and often the importance of Nolan’s wife Ruth in his life and career, the film tracks his professional journey across four major league teams and four decades in thrilling. highlight-reel fashion, bolstered by plentiful anecdotes from a wealth of all-star interviewees and the Ryans themselves.

Though such a celebration could easily go to many people’s heads, Nolan’s farm-boy honesty consistently grounds his reflections of momentous events, none better than the stories of pre-game aches and troubles heading into each of his record seven no-hitters, rendering the remarkable end results even more incredible.

Hokey, country-fried voiceover narration threatens to disrupt this winning flow whenever it’s included, yet imaginative elements such as slo-mo dramatizations of Nolan on the mound — carried out by an actor who convincingly resembles the man of the hour —and some playfulness with sequencing keep the proceedings fresh.

It’s a laudable celebration of baseball and the art of pitching — and makes one wonder which beloved player will next be immortalized in such a fashion.

Grade: B-plus. Playing May 24 at Carolina Cinemark and Regal Biltmore Grande

(Photo: Utopia Distribution)