Film director Sean Hanish may have moved away from Wisconsin, but he took with him his memories of growing up watching the Milwaukee Brewers and his love for the team. Growing up in Brookfield, Hanish was 14 years-old in the stands, 12 rows up at the old Milwaukee County Stadium, during the 1982 season when the Brewers won the American League pennant but fell short in the World Series.
His new documentary Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, which will debut at a sold-out premiere in Brookfield on Sept. 11 and will show in Marcus Theatres beginning Sept. 13, depicts a team full of colorful personalities, hard-scrabble play, a fan involvement unrivaled in today’s game and a personification of Milwaukee.
“It’s a love story,” Hanish said. “No love story ever really ends. This is baseball and nobody made a film about the 1982 Cardinals, who won the World Series.” He said he’d never have made the movie if the Brewers won.
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During production Hanish said he heard so many crazy stories, especially from player Gorman Thomas.
“I think it was the parade down Wisconsin Avenue that sold us on the project. They lined the streets cheering for a team that lost a heartbreaking series.” Hanish said this was just what Milwaukee needed with plants and breweries closing around that time. “I don’t think that kind of celebration after a loss has ever happened anywhere.”
As Hanish tells it, there’s more than winning; there is something greater, more profound than winning a trophy.
“There was so much community, togetherness, and joy,” he said. “It’s a feel good story, not unlike Hoosiers or Rudy. If you didn’t experience it, or if you were in another city looking on, I don’t think you’d get it.”
Under Bud Selig’s ownership the franchise was more of a mom-and-pop organization with a closeness that resembled franchises of the past. To accomplish this film and these emotions, Hanish and his team collected 45 hours of interviews, ranging from trades that made that postseason possible, to Cecil Cooper’s game winning hit to clinch the pennant.
“Players had often stopped by a tailgate party on their way to their car and shared a bratwurst,” Hanish said. “They had their haunts where they’d share a few beers.”
Hanish was surprised how a lot of players have held onto some of the pain of losing, disappointing their beloved fans. “Most got emotional in some way. Gorman Thomas did, so did Charlie Moore and even Robin Yount.”
Hanish said Tyler Barnes, current VP of communications for the team, was instrumental and helpful. “We couldn’t have done the film without Tyler,” Hanish said.
Hanish said another indispensable component of the film was John Adam, the longtime head trainer for that team. He said Yount invited him and his crew into their home, bought sandwiches for them. “He couldn’t have been more generous,” Hanish said. “He was the one who told me to talk with John Adam. John ultimately became the filmmaker’s voice, a through-line for the movie, a voice of all involved. Also, Ted Simmons made the film complete. He said ‘no’ a couple of times, but we finally got him.”
Hanish said Bob Uecker and Selig were also generous and indispensable. The film’s composer is not from Milwaukee and had no idea what the big deal could be about a baseball team losing the World Series. “Dondi Bastone scored the film and when he saw the cut of the film, he was in tears at the end.”
The film has helped Hanish relive the excitement he felt when he was a teenager. “I want to sit in that theater in Brookfield with the audience and witness their reactions. To collectively share the joy and love we had for this team.”
After the premiere on Sept. 11 at the Marcus’ Majestic Theatre in Brookfield, the documentary will show in 12 Marcus Theatres throughout the state, with several in Milwaukee, as well as Madison, Oshkosh and more. Find tickets here.
