Can love turn one player’s performance — and the fate of his team — around? In the documentary short The Turnaround, executive-produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, opens on Philadelphia Phillies superfan Jon McCann paying his annual visit to the Liberty Bell, drawing strength from the American icon’s unconventional story. The film, co-directed by News & Documentary Emmy-nominated Kyle Thrash and Oscar-winning Ben Proudfoot, traces a similar line between Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and McCann — beneath the vocal fan’s tough exterior, his struggles with mental health lead him to identify with the underperforming player, ultimately changing the trajectory of the entire baseball season.

When the Phillies signed promising shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, 300-million-dollar contract at the end of 2022, expectations for the player were high. Despite being the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional sports, the Phillies, with their iconic Phanatic mascot, had only won the World Series twice and were hungry for a championship. So when in the first 107 games of his first season Turner only hit 10 home runs, it was clear that something was going on with the player’s mental game, and it was more than disappointing for Phillies fans, who booed the shortstop enthusiastically. 

But then McCann, a YouTubing, die-hard fan, suggests something radical: Why not give Turner a standing ovation instead? The idea goes viral, leading to a 36,000-person ovation and Turner hitting his first home run in 17 games. From there, Turner’s gold: In the season’s remaining 48 games, Turner hits 16 home runs and steals 30 bases without being caught, very nearly leading his new team to the World Series. 

Illustrating the power of supporting one another in our lowest times, The Turnaround is a testament that even one person can make a difference in another person’s future.