From the Tennis Court to New York: Exploring John McEnroe’s Life

08/09/23 • 37 min

John McEnroe’s volcanic temper on the tennis court is legendary. But there was always more to him than just the explosive outbursts.

In McEnroe, a documentary now available to watch on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW, John McEnroe takes a night time journey through his home town of New York, reflecting on, discussing, and interrogating his life on and off the court.

Joining Matthew Sherwood is the film’s director Barney Douglas. He shares how McEnroe has changed from his wilder, younger self, the triggers that still make him a challenging person to be with, and how McEnroe sees himself in relation to today’s tennis super stars.

Barney also discusses McEnroe’s ‘New Yorker perspective’ as a tennis player, his relationship with his father, and how it influences his relationship with his children.

The picture that Barney builds of John McEnroe is of a complex individual, one for whom connection and communication is important, who was an entertainer as well as a highly strung sportsman, and who is a thinker, not just a slave to his emotions.

In addition to discussing John McEnroe, Barney pulls back the veil on how he made his film: inevitably, Covid looms large, but so do exorbitant fees for archive footage; he had to make sure he asked McEnroe the right questions, and then, there is the use of animations inspired by Tron of all films.

McEnroe is a film that is built different, just like its star. In his short career, Barney Douglas has already made two other accomplished sporting documentaries – Warriors and The Edge – thus showing himself to be the right man to help John McEnroe tell his story.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“[He is] very authentic... there’s nothing Machiavellian about McEnroe. For good or bad, you know he will be very true to how he feels, and that's actually... a very endearing quality.” – Barney Douglas

John McEnroe’s volcanic temper on the tennis court is legendary. But there was always more to him than just the explosive outbursts.

Barney also discusses McEnroe’s ‘New Yorker perspective’ as a tennis player, his relationship with his father, and how it influences his relationship with his children.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

Previous Episode

Mining Appalachia: Preserving the Story of King Coal

For 200 years, the people of central Appalachia in the US have lived off the industry of coal. Now, though, times are changing, and the coal industry is dying. One day, it will become no more than a memory.

Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon describes King Coal as “part documentary, part fable”, and the film aims to not only tell the story of Appalachia and its coal, but also to preserve Appalachians’ memory of it.

And that is not all. Through Lanie and Gabby, two young Appalachian girls, Elaine looks to the future, to the new world that is now coming into being. In doing so, she is able to say truthfully that far from now ending, Appalachia’s story is just beginning.

In the course of their conversation, Elaine discusses her own intimate connection to Appalachia, the surprising origin of one mark of deep respect given to miners, and how she broke her filmmaking rules in order to make the documentary.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“... if this was just a story about facts and figures, it would make no sense. But this film is really about the psyche and soul... I think that King Coal dominates a time when work, and pride in work, of belonging was a huge part of our identity.” – Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Next Episode

Wayne Shorter: Visionary, Innovator, Icon and Human Being

Wayne Shorter has long been considered one of the greatest modern composers and musicians of American music. His career reads like a Who’s Who of the genre, starting with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, then the Miles Davis Quintet, followed by solo fame and the founding of fusion super group Weather Report. His collaborations extend beyond jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter to include Carlos Santana, Joni Mitchel, Milton Nascimento and Steely Dan, just to name a few.

In Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, acclaimed producer and director Dorsay Alavi moves beyond typical music doc territory to capture the essence of the man who touched so many lives, including her own. As Shorter’s long-time friend and music-video collaborator, Dorsay paints an intimate portrait and cinematic ode to a truly American visionary, innovator and icon.

Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity is a three-part docu-series streaming on Amazon Prime from August 25th 2023, which would have been Shorter’s 90th birthday.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

"There's so many layers to Wayne, but I would say mostly, he's a very, very principled person. And I believe that he has always been very authentic and true to what he has always done on an artistic level, [and] in life as well." - Dorsay Alavi