This is real life footage shot by two veteran pro tennis
players and edited into a one-hour journey through the world of pro
tennis.
While fundamentally a comedy, The Journeymen captures
the highs and the lows of the sport of tennis, from the joy of victory
to the agony of defeat. Moments and interviews with almost all of the
top stars in tennis are dotted throughout the documentary, reminding
the audience that the two main characters live among the elite of the
sport. Unique and entertaining aspects of tennis will be uncovered through
these moments - cameras are not normally allowed in the locker rooms!
The first
scene opens to a young Mark Keil on the center court
at Queens Club ( 91') battling the newly crowned US Open champion,
Pete Sampras. Keil pulls off the improbable, taking the best
player of all time down in 2 straight sets. His friends assure him that
this particular win is one of the best things he could have ever done
for his career. Ten years later…we catch up with Keil who is driving
while drinking and smoking, hanging out with his best friend on the
tour (Geoff Grant), and talking about how difficult
the pro tour can be. Keil clearly didn’t live up to his accomplishment
ten years prior. Maybe it was from the partying?
Geoff
Grant is an eight-year tour veteran who achieved a career high
singles ranking of #109 in the world and provides the perfect, grounded
counterpart to the gregarious and hilarious Keil - a born performer.
Grant films much of what we see, his character being developed through
interviews with his parents, old friends, voice over, and his “Andy
Warhol” moment at the US Open in 98’ when his 3rd round
match appeared on national television in America, complete with positive
commentary from John McEnroe. The goal of the documentary
is to not only to give the public unprecedented access to the stars
but to educate and entertain. The hope is that people gain a deeper
understanding of the life of a pro tennis player and therefore want
to watch more live tennis. By giving the viewer pure “reality”
and candid moments, the documentary accomplishes something that has
never before been achieved in tennis…a real story with comedy,
drama, tension and everything else that actually exists in the life
of a tennis player.