'Religion Of Fandom': Eagles 2017 Doc Coming To Montco Drive-In

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Philadelphia Eagles fans may not have much to smile about this season, as the Birds have failed to take flight in frustrating 2020 season that has seen them start 1-3-1. But a newly released documentary, set to air at several local drive-in theaters, seeks to capture the magic of the 2017 Super Bowl run — from the point of view of the fans.

The film, "Maybe Next Year," will air at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29. There will also be a pair of showings at the PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

The film tracks the Birds run to the first Super Bowl championship in Philadelphia history, following four die-hard Eagles fans through the season and into the playoffs. There are all the highs of Carson Wentz's MVP-caliber season, and all the lows of his injury and the Eagles and Philadelphia's seemingly endless championship drought.

Then there's the coming of numinous Nick Foles and the raucous playoff run, and an examination of the impacts of the sport on everyday life in the Philadlephia region. As film promoters write, the movie is not about the Super Bowl, so much as it is about the "religion of fandom."

"The loyalty of Eagles fans is unlike any other in sports and their love of the team is so deeply woven into their identity, that the two become practically inseparable," the film's creators note. "The film offers an intimate and nuanced view of the NFL’s most notorious fan base and casts a humanizing light on just what it means to be a 'fan' of anything."

The film's premise is teased in this raw, expletive-laced, decidedly Philadelphian trailer:

In classic hyperbolic Philly sports fan style, the voiceover notes "the only thing they've cared about since 1776 is the Philadelphia Eagles."

Tickets to the drive-ins are on sale for $25. The schedule is as follows:

• Oct. 21 and 22 at the Navy Yard, 7 p.m. (tickets)
• Oct. 22 (tickets) and 29 at Oaks, 7 p.m. (tickets)