David Altrogge’s documentary Clemente, which features Richard Linklater and LeBron James among its A-list executive producers, gives Clemente a long-overdue solo spotlight and finds a solid middle ground between straight-up hagiography and a slightly less reverential adulation that will make younger viewers understand why such affection could be warranted.

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You will be hearing about this documentary: the film has its own Murderer’s Row of producers, including Clemente’s three sons, indie director and baseball nut Richard Linklater and, most recently, LeBron James and Maverick Carter through James’ production company, Uninterrupted. 

“Clemente” is particularly adept at laying out how Clemente connected two places with seemingly little in common: rural Puerto Rico and the smokestack neighborhoods of Pittsburgh steelworkers.

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It’s in the humanizing of Clemente that Altrogge’s film really succeeds. Not only does he get warm interviews from Clemente’s sons, he speaks to the fans that Roberto interacted with in ways they’ll forget. There’s an amazing story from a woman whose father drove Clemente after the team left him because he was taking too long signing autographs—their families became friends for life. One might say “Clemente” is a piece of hagiography, but it feels like this is a guy who deserves it. As someone says in the film, “Everything about him was royalty.”

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