MAYBE NEXT YEAR
This insightful documentary captures the lead-up to the Eagles’ historic Super Bowl victory, following the devoted fans who cheered for them every step of the way.
As one commentator notes early in Maybe Next Year: “The national perception of the Philadelphia sports fan is that they are lunatics, almost pathologically negative.” By following an array of devoted Eagles fans over the course of the fateful 2017 season, this honest, funny, and moving doc demonstrates that this negative stereotype is (mostly) a myth, though the intense passion of Eagles fans is very real. Director Kyle Thrash spotlights four fans in particular: Shirley, who teaches a football lingo workshop for women unable to relate to the Eagles-obsessed men in their lives; Barry, whose doctor advises him to keep nitroglycerin pills on hand on game days to avoid another cardiac episode; Jesse, who proudly boasts that his baby son came home from the hospital in an Eagles onesie; and YouTuber Bryant, whose hilariously hotheaded videos are an outlet for his Eagles-related frustrations. Two years later, it’s thrilling to relive each of the glorious wins and heartbreaking defeats of that fateful season, as well as the hard-won euphoria of victory. A tribute both to the team and its supporters, Maybe Next Year proves that Eagles fans are a reflection of the scrappy, underdog spirit of Philadelphia itself.
In Competition: Pinkenson Award
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