Deford Lauded As ESPN Debuts Its Fifth EOE Movie Tonight

Deford Receives Praise For Screen Adaption Of His "Four Minutes" Book

ESPN Original Entertainment tonight at 7:00pm ET on ESPN2 debuts its fifth feature film, “Four Minutes,” which tells the story of Roger Bannister and his quest to run a sub-four minute mile. SI’s Frank Deford, who penned the screen adaptation of his book by the same name, said of the challenges of bringing the story to the small screen, “You’re only talking about four minutes. That’s it, and races are not the most exciting thing in the world.” Deford added, “What was really important was making people understand the whole context of the time — what England was going through; and they also had to like Roger Bannister and they had to root for Roger Bannister — which really is a very easy thing to do. But I, as a writer, had to bring that out so that you wanted Roger Bannister to do this. After all, anybody seeing the movie knows he’s done it, so there’s no mystery to it” (ESPNews, 10/5).

BEHIND THE SCENES: DAILY VARIETY’s John Dempsey noted the movie was filmed in Toronto rather than England. EOE Senior Dir Ron Wechsler said that the movie’s $4.6M budget allowed the network “to capture the period with ‘authenticity.’” “Four Minutes” co-Exec Producer Gerald Abrams “lauded ESPN for taking the risk of greenlighting a movie almost totally devoid of American characters.” Filmmaker Bud Greenspan serves as co-Exec Producer (DAILY VARIETY, 9/30). In Philadelphia, Michael Schaffer writes while he “didn’t tinker with Bannister’s character, Deford did take a few liberties with the characters around Bannister.” But Deford “kept scrupulously to fact when it came to the running.” Deford said Bannister’s portrayal on the track is “totally literal” (PHILA. INQUIRER, 10/6).

"Four Minutes" Budget Allows EOE To Capture Authenticity Of Period

THUMBS UP: NEWSDAY’s Verne Gay writes Deford, Abrams and Greenspan “have mounted a taut and well-paced story.” The filmmakers “neatly avert cliche, and for just an instant, Bannister's victory seems as beautiful and timeless as it must have feel all those years ago” (NEWSDAY, 10/6). In Palm Beach, Hal Habib writes Deford “deftly tells a tale that hinges on the journey, not the obvious end. ... The film is a classy and remarkably accurate account of the events” (PALM BEACH POST, 10/6). In Boston, Bill Griffith wrote the film “breaks the mold of ESPN’s four other made-for-TV movies; you feel this one belongs on the big screen. Past initiatives looked to the darker side of sports. ... ‘Four Minutes’ has a ‘Seabiscuit’ feel to it” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/2). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Ray Richmond writes the film “is a superb piece of work that draws favorable comparisons to ‘Chariots of Fire.’ ... The elements that turn ‘Four Minutes’ into a great sports movie surround the attention to detail” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/6). In N.Y., Ned Martel: “The story would seem suspiciously sanitized except that, in all likelihood, no one really had a dark side to hide, and misbehavior had no place in this achievement. ... The story is well suited to ESPN’s revised outlook after its pro-football series, ‘Playmakers,’ offered a ruthless take on the sporting life” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/6).

THUMBS DOWN: In Orlando, Jerry Greene wrote, “The first two-thirds of the film have an emotional range from mildly exciting to deathly dull. Nothing happens.” But the cast “is solid and likable,” the music “is simple and terrific” and the final 30 minutes “are excellent” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/5). In Boston, Matthew Gilbert writes the film “moves a little too slowly for its own good. ... [It] has an inappropriately low-key, almost grim tone, as Bannister balances his professional ambitions with his rigorous training” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/6).