"Pinball" tells the story of Roger Sharpe, the GQ journalist and real-life pinball wizard who in 1976 single-handedly overturned New York City’s 35-year ban on pinball machines.
It started as a simple, quirky historical footnote: a long-haired, impressively mustachioed twentysomething “saves pinball” by calling his shot in front of a handful of crusty, skeptical politicians. By proving it’s a game of skill, Sharpe helped lift a ban on pinball that had been on the books for 35 years in New York City.
Like a cross between Babe Ruth and Moses, Sharpe set pinball free.
Sharpe may have saved pinball, but the path he took to get there ultimately rescued him. At its core, this is a coming of age story about the value of taking chances and how commitment can be the most rewarding gamble of all.