Susan Granger’s review of “Batkid Begins” (New Line Cinema/Warner Bros.)
No, it’s not a prequel. “Batkid Begins” is an unabashedly emotional, uplifting documentary about that memorable November day in 2013 when San Francisco transformed itself into Gotham City to help make a young cancer survivor’s Make-A-Wish come true.
How did this happen? And why did thousands of people spontaneously respond to support this child?
Scripted by Kurt Kuenne and director/producer Dana Nachman, it begins with then-five year-old Miles Scott’s wish: “I want to be the real Batman.”
During his leukemia treatment, Miles’ dad, Nick Scott, introduced him to reruns of the 1960s TV series “Batman.” While he loved dressing up in superhero pajamas, Miles became enthralled with Batman.
Patricia Wilson, CEO of Make-A-Wish, Greater Bay Area, notes: “Our organization, which serves young people who are coping with life-threatening illnesses, comes into a child’s life when they need it most: after diagnosis, when they’re in treatment, or at the end of treatment….I’m happy to say that over 80% of the children go on to survive and thrive.”
Responding to Miles’s request, Ms. Wilson and her staff reached out not only to San Francisco’s Mayor Ed Lee and Chief of Police Greg Suhr but, most importantly, to Eric Johnson (“EJ”) who took on the role of the Caped Crusader with Miles as his ‘Mini Me’…a.k.a. Batkid. A former stuntman, Johnson is an inventor and acrobat who’s amazing with children.
Every superhero needs a nemesis, so volunteers became the Riddler and the Penguin, while Johnson’s wife Sue enacted a Damsel in Distress, tied up in the path of one of San Francisco’s cable cars.
But it was social media that catapulted the local Batkid event into a worldwide phenomenon, capturing the hearts of millions of well-wishers, including many of the actors who have portrayed the Caped Crusader (Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck) – and President Obama.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Batkid Begins” is a sweet, heartwarming, uplifting 7. The best news is that Miles’ leukemia is in remission and, reportedly, Julia Roberts bought the screen rights.
