RI Native, Nate Fisher, Pulls Adler's Into his Latest Movie: ‘Eephus’ is a Home Run

‍‍Another Adler's story that expands our already far-reaching roots.

Like all great stories, brief human connections can mean so much.

Adler’s recently had a moment in the spotlight thanks to Rhode Island native filmmaker Nate Fischer and his latest movie “Eephus”.  This film, with local roots brings a piece of Adler’s into its world highlighting not only a business, but a local legacy connected to the community. 

Fisher shared “Yes! I chose Adler’s because it was the oldest business in Providence I could think of, and a staple of the East Side. He wanted to give the impression that everyone and everything involved had been there for an extremely long time “it was important to evoke something that even if people hadn't heard of it, they could feel that everyone else had and the name was evocative.  I've never heard of anything else called Adler’s and it looks good on a jersey”

Fisher’s words are a proud reminder of how strongly Adler’s is woven into Rhode Island’s creative and cultural fabric.  Being featured in Eephus isn’t just about appearing on screen-it’s about representing over a century of relationships, and local pride.

The movie Eephus follows 2 recreational baseball teams, The River Dogs and Adler’s Paint who have been meeting on the same New England field on Sunday afternoons for longer than anyone can remember.   Set in the 1990s they play their final game as their field is about to be demolished to make way for a new school.   The film's title refers to the Eephus pitch, a slow high arching throw that disrupts a batter's timing through its unpredictability.   Fisher even appears on screen as Merritt Nettles a player on the Adler’s Paint team who explains the pitch to the uninitiated. 

Eephus has high praise from critics with The Associated Press calling it the best baseball movie since Moneyball.  The New Yorker describing it as a “grand and sentimental drama"  and Variety  dubbed it  “a rye and lovely baseball movie that pitches slow balls of quiet wisdom”  The Daily Beast called it a “charmingly poignant portrait of the expiration of a unique and cherished world”  while the Washington Post described it as a “tiny but nearly perfect baseball movie that captures what the game has meant, and still means in small towns among average people.”

Well, Nate Fisher, we love these stories. At 107 years and counting we never get tired of hearing how Adler’s connects with so many people! 

From historic homes to the big screen, Adler’s continues to play a small but meaningful part in the stories that define our region.