JB Bernstein is a sports agent down on his luck. His small agency is having trouble landing major sports stars as clients. On the verge of nabbing the narcissistic linebacker PoPo (Rey Maualuga, who, in real life plays for the Cincinnati Bengals), a million dollar signing bonus is the deal breaker. Bernstein’s business partner, Ash Vasudevan (Aasif Mandvi), has a wife and several children to support and is ready to bow out. Inspiration often happens at the oddest times. Flipping back and forth between a cricket match and Britain’s Got Talent, Bernstein comes up with the idea of holding a contest to find pitching talent – in India.
The idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds and, in fact, the film is based on a true story. (In Hollywood fashion, this version takes liberties with the original.) JBBernstein actually did travel to India, a country where baseball was non existent, held the contest, came back to California with two legitimate prospects who, after training under legendary USC pitching coach Tom House, signed contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Million Dollar Arm tells how it all happened.
As baseball season shifts into high gear, Million Dollar Arm is the perfect summer movie. Yes, it’s a tad formulaic, yet the simple Disney message – “the dreams that you wish can come true” – will resonate with a family audience.
While Bernstein (Jon Hamm) believes in his idea, pulling it off will take the right team. Bernstein enlists a seasoned scout, Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), whose sour disposition is offset by his uncanny ability to assess the speed of a baseball without even looking. Amit (Pitobash) is a local who convinces Bernstein to sign him on as a translator and trainer.
After traveling to 12 Indian cities and seeing thousands of young men, Bernstein finally has his two winners – Rinku Singh (Suraj Sharma, from Life of Pi), and Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mittal). Make no mistake. Neither one is a potential Cy Young award winner. When House (Bill Paxton) first sees the two young pitchers, he tells JB that getting them ready for a major league tryout in six months isn’t possible. Yet Rinku and Dinesh represent more than just their own futures. With India’s billion-plus population, creating a new fan base for baseball is a marketer’s dream. Just thinking about all the hats and shirts that could be sold is enough to convince Mr. Chang (Tzi Ma), Bernstein’s wealthy and mysterious backer, to fund this adventure.
The scenes in India range from beautiful to heartbreaking. Bernstein’s office looks out over the city’s slums. But when the people come together as a community in a colorful celebration to say goodbye to Rinku and Dinesh, their exuberance is uplifting.
Once they are in California, Rinku and Dinesh become what they are: two children uprooted from their homeland to chase a dream they do not fully understand. It doesn’t help that Bernstein is still chasing PoPo, even taking the three Indians to one of the football player’s over-the-top Hollywood parties where they drink and eat too much. Bernstein later pays the price, or rather, his car does, on the drive home.
There has to be romance and this one involves Bernstein and his across the way neighbor, Brenda, played by Lake Bell. A physician, Brenda, is friendly but understands, from the parade of models in and out of JB’s home, that she’s not his type. She’s the one who befriends the Indians and together they play music, do yoga, and cook. When the first look-see by baseball scouts fails rather dramatically, Brenda’s the one to get JB refocused on the two young men rather than on his business. A second tryout does succeed and the two are eventually signed, while JB and Brenda become a couple.
We learn during the credits that Bernstein’s search for talent goes on, with more contests to find baseball talent in India. And while both young men will probably not make it in the majors (one was dropped by the Pirates, the other recently underwent Tommy John surgery and his return is questionable), there will be other Rinkus and Dineshs following their dreams to America.
Million Dollar Arm opens nationwide May 16, 2014.
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