Actor Guzman Deserves Academy Award for 'Story Ave.'

I just saw the best film of the year: "Story Ave."

If it’s star Luis Guzman doesn’t garner an Academy Award nomination then this writer will have a problem with the system that chooses who recevied Oscar nominaitons, and who doesn't.

Luis, for years, has been one of the greatest character actors of all time.

The film itself is a brilliant piece of work.

Why?

Because it's the story of so many of us!

As I sat and watched this film my lips trembled at times . . . because I was reliving my life.

The fact that my own father would abandon me as a child and my own sibling would be shot and killed by fellow gang-members made it that much harder to watch.

Young actor Asante Blackk gives us his heart and soul as the young man subconsciously looking for direction yet the power of peer pressure continues to hold him back.

Guzman’s performance is powerful because if this had been my life then, Guzman would have been playing four different roles.

By that I mean I had George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, Thurman Munson, and Reggie Jackson as mentors.

What more could you ask for? 

These four men served as mentors in and for my life.

They likely saved my life.

I can say, I saw a little bit of all of them in the Guzman character.

For me and many like me, it was painful, yet beautiful to watch.

To say that this film is excellent would be a gross understatement.

It’s a film to be watched by parents and their kids . . . from all walks of life.

Ray Negron is a sports executive with over 40 years of experience in baseball. His first job came from a chance encounter with George Steinbrenner as a youth. Mr. Negron is an American film producer, a best-selling author, and philanthropist. His memoir is entitled, "Yankee Miracles: Life with the Boss and the Bronx Bombers." Read Ray Negron's Reports — More Here.