One could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Mary Mazzio was attracted to the story of the “Mighty Mary” because of the potentially shared nickname, but that’s probably not the case. Mazzio’s very good 2020 doc “A Most Beautiful Thing” captured the story of Chicago’s Manley High rowing team, a group of young Black men who found unexpected purpose on the water. And now, Mazzio returns to the impact of teamwork and overcoming expectations aboard a waterlogged vessel with another strong non-fiction film about unlikely pioneers. The fact that the boat centered in the film could also describe its filmmaker is almost surely a coincidence.
“Mighty Mary” is a well-assembled, confident piece of non-fiction filmmaking that tells a story that most don’t know. At times, it has a similar energy to Netflix’s beloved “Untold” series, not just in its production but in its recounting of a groundbreaking piece of sports history that people have arguably forgotten. Whereas too many installments of “Untold” feature anecdotes that have been “told” over and over again, the saga of the Mighty Mary hasn’t gotten the same press.
Why is that? Is it because sailing isn’t as popular worldwide as sports like football or basketball? Or has history swallowed up this tale as it so often does with the passage of time? Call me old, but 1995 doesn’t feel long enough ago for this tale of unexpected courage and corrupt gamesmanship to be a sports history footnote. So, while Mazzio’s approach can be a bit predictable, the value of the story she’s telling, and the clear warmth she engendered with her interview subjects, make this one a winner.
The title refers to one of the yachts in the International America’s Cup in 1995, the first to leave the dock with an all-female crew. Mazzio sits down with most of the major players about the ship, including captain Dawn Riley. The interviews give “Mighty Mary” its strength, as the women who ran the Mighty Mary speak eloquently and entertainingly about the chaotic year that was 1995.
It was the infamous Bill Koch who had the idea to assemble an all-female crew for the 1995 Cup, with some suggesting he did so just to win over female jurors on a pending court case. If Koch, or anyone, saw it as a gimmick, the women who auditioned for and made the team certainly didn’t. And, of course, they exceeded all expectations, making it far enough that the male powers that be had to screw up. First, they added a dude captain when it looked like the Mighty Mary might lose—the truth is that they weren’t expected to get as far as they did so they tried to hand the baton to a man before the finish line. Second, the notorious Dennis Connor worked a backroom deal wherein his boat would get through even after it lost its qualifier. As with so many sports enterprises, the deck was stacked.
Mazzio’s choice to alternate narrators between Hugh Jackman and Elizabeth Banks is an odd one—neither is bad, but just choosing one might have given the film more of a consistent rhythm—but it’s one of the few significant holes in the film’s hull. The project doesn’t just highlight Mazzio’s strong interview skills; it’s also expertly edited and assembled, including some amazing archival footage like a competing boat actually sinking during a race in extreme weather.
In the end, the strongest impression you get from “Mighty Mary” is how much this event meant to the people involved. Don’t be surprised if it ends up meaning something to you, too.
