The year is 1986 and it's game six of the World Series where the Boston Red Sox are eager to beat the New York Mets and break the decades-long curse. It’s also opening night of Nicky Rogan’s latest play — one that many believe is the best work of his career. As a die-hard Red Sox fan, Nicky spends the day interacting with several key figures in his life and ultimately decides to watch the momentous game as opposed to watching his play, despite knowing a renowned, career-killing critic might destroy his chances of success.

Game 6, originally released in 2005, combines a historical event with a fictional narrative about a New York playwright. This lost classic stars Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine O’Hara, Griffin Dunne, and Bebe Neuwirth. It was written by acclaimed writer Don DeLillo and directed by Michael Hoffman. 

Game 6 had a long history from concept to 2021 re-release. What’s important to consider is the relevance this film holds even 35 years after the notorious Red Sox error and 16 years after its original release.

So, why now?

"The last two years have given us a taste of dystopia that we might not have experienced in an immediate way in 2005 when we originally released the movie," Hoffman said.

"The kind of lostness, disconnectedness, a lot of the stuff that ... Don DeLillo deals with becomes more and more relevant as the world gets stranger and stranger."

This includes the strange occurrences in the film, such as when a road is shut down to clear the air of asbestos. Themes creep up, such as toxicity in the air or the unlivable conditions of the city.

Adds Hoffman, "I guess all those issues feel more pointed and immediate now than when we made it."

Reflecting on DeLillo’s work, Hoffman says he appreciates the writer’s ability to access the mythic, the ironic, and the tragic, which gave the film a universal scope.

"I was drawn to this kind of black comedy with tragic proportions," he said. 

"You really felt Nicky had truly tragic dimension. That’s part of the poetry of what Don achieved and was certainly striving to achieve."

Tragedies, Hoffman believes, are set in a world of displacement, a place you’ve never been. DeLillo was trying to create a Manhattan that was a reflection of itself but also this mythical, dark space where success was impossible and defeat was inevitable.

The history of Game 6

DeLillo had written this story in 1991 and it found interest in Hollywood. Universal picked up the rights and began developing it as a mid-range, $8 million to $10 million piece. Hoffman had been involved with this project two different times, including when it was being conceived as a bigger movie.

A series of events killed the property at the studio, though. When Hoffman and partners opened Serenade Films, they were struck with the notion of making five movies for $3 million. Hoffman was more than happy to jump back on board and make the original $8 million film for less than one-tenth that cost.

"At that point, we were confronted with a movie that had a budget of $8 million to $9 million, and how to make it for a limited budget," Hoffman said.

He remembers asking himself whether it would be worth it and thinking, "What kind of compromises will we make even as we’re so in love with the script Don had written?"

Once they started looking at it and embracing the smaller kind of production, they realized it could be done without compromising the story. DeLillo was supportive of the idea and was invited on set every day to help along the production — he even brought his own lawn chair.

DeLillo was clear about the themes and his concerns. This was a story near and dear to him, so he and Hoffman worked closely to make the scope of the film fit inside an 18-day shoot.

Production choices limited the way they were shooting and the size of the movie, but what they most cared about — the script and the story — was preserved as much as possible.

On working with writers

"The thing that’s uniform is openness, respect, curiosity, and trying to make a fundamental agreement on what we’re setting out to tell," Hoffman said of his process of working with writers, whether as a partnership or if the writer is independent.

"It’s the same thing I do directing with actors and rehearsals."

Hoffman’s process starts with committing to the narrative. It’s crucial to define why the story is worth telling and that they’re invested in it. This approach takes the "personal" out of it because everything is about being the caretaker of the story. This way, the creators don’t necessarily need to be in sync with each other but rather the narrative.

Hoffman admits that this agreement has led to times when he and the partner, whether a producer, actor or writer, would see a project differently and Hoffman decided to step away from it.

"If it wasn’t a story that I could see myself fully investing in and they couldn’t invest in my notion of what the story might be, it was best at that point to let it go."

One thing never changes

Although independent films have changed over the course of the last 16 years since Game 6 was made, one thing has held true: a great script attracts top talent.

"This was a particularly unique and challenging model that we were experimenting with," Hoffman said regarding the production of Game 6.

"I never did anything like this where everyone was taking $100 a day, including Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. We were all working for nothing. Michael (Keaton) didn’t have a trailer, he had a stool — literally a three-legged stool he carried around with him and would sit on New York street corners."

People have often approached Hoffman and complimented his ability to cast well. 

"I can cast a script if the script is good and there are parts in it that actors see as challenging and are going to stretch them," he said.

"When a script is wonderful, your life becomes about 100 times easier."

Game 6 releases on VOD August 10th.