Synopsis: MILLION DOLLAR ARM
Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds that business has changed and things aren’t going well for his career. In a last ditch effort to save his livelihood he concocts a scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called “The Million Dollar Arm.” With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (played by Madhur Mittal from Slumdog Millionaire) and Rinku (played by Suraj Sharma from Life of Pi), two 18-year-old boys who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India, the boys, who have never left their rural villages, are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball, JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell), learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.
Million Dollar Arm introduces us to JB, fresh from failing to land his last, best hope for a big name client for his failing sports agency. He heads out to commiserate with his business partner Ash (Aasif Mandvi). A chance spotting of a TV talent show and game of cricket sparks an idea, noting India as a largely untapped market for talent (because cricket is SO similar to baseball) and commercial exploitation for baseball, he sets up a deal with an investor, securing funding to keep his agency going. He will travel to India and launch the “Million Dollar Arm” competition, looking for 2 boys with the raw ability to be trained and then recruited into a MLB team. With is inspiration being a true story, Million Dollar Arm was ripe for adaptation, touching on America’s favorite pastime, a tale of rags to riches, and different cultures clashing. It has all the ingredients for something of note.
In short, Million Dollar Arm is competently made, cast well and raises a smile on occasion with a pretty predictable heartwarming(ish) story. It treads a line just above what you would expect from a straight to TV Disney movie and that is primarily down to production values and some bigger names in the cast. The flaws and predictability in the film stem from a choice on the part of the writers to focus on Jon Hamm’s character, JB Bernstein. Rather than focus on the real emotional life change of the Indian kids, or the shakeup to the baseball establishment this “talent show” approach can bring, the film instead revolves around a moody central character who does little to endear you to him until the very end of the film. It is a somewhat baffling approach.
The scenes set in India stand out against the rest of the movie. The hustle and bustle of the cities, the beautiful imagery of the countryside and the depiction of how teeming with life the country is. Central to this are the Indian actors bringing it all to life and they all do admirably; exuding genuine warmth and excitement at their encounters with the visiting Americans. The return to America follows a typical “fish out of water” path, ending up with the two boys selected from the competition (and a plucky guy who has been helping JB, with his own aspirations to coach baseball, all moving into JB’s bachelor pad. A pale cross between Crocodile Dundee and The Odd Couple.
As someone not overly familiar with the sport of baseball, much like the (supposed) protagonists in the film, it seems an oversight that more background and information is not given. The only real glimpse of actual baseball is when the group go to see a game together. It would also have been nice to see cricket addressed a little more clearly. The apparent difference between “bowling” and “pitching” only really being made apparent by the amount of footage showing scores of young Indian boys failing abysmally in the pitching cage setup being lugged around their country for the competition.
It also feels a bit long. It’s competently put together but you can see the act structure from the beginning as it hits each story note, making you realize how much more there is to come. The problem of its length is compounded by its predictability, but I suppose some may take comfort in such predictability judging from some of the audience’s response.
For Jon Hamm, this seems a strange choice as it does little to shake off his Don Draper label. He’s as much of an asshole here, but with far less charm and ability. To initially solidify what an unlikeable man he is, he dismisses Lake Bell’s character as not being hot enough for him because she isn’t a model. She’s only a Doctor by the way. Of course you get the customary life lesson and mind-opening, but it comes very late and you can’t help but wonder why an uplifting tale focused on such a character. Lake Bell initially feels crow-barred into the film as an obvious love interest, but goes on to provide a decent emotional core, being supportive to the Indian trio as well as JB prior to the customary “wake up and get perspective” routine calling him out on his dickish ways. The presence of Alan Arkin (playing Alan Arkin) does coincide with an increase in the charm of the film but maybe it was really just me waiting for him to say “Argo fuck yourself India”. In all of this, there is little real development of the trio of Indian actors, the story revolves around them but doesn’t feel like it truly includes them. They are at times caricatures, this due to the writing, and you can feel that the actors involved could deliver a lot more if given the material to do so.
On the surface Million Dollar Arm looks likes a mashup of Slumdog Millionaire, Crocodile Dundee and Moneyball, however it does not resonate on either a comedic nor emotional level. Nor does it succeed technically with regards to the inner workings of the sport. Instead Million Dollar Arm is the cinematic equivalent of a bunt. It kind of works, achieves what is required, but doesn’t aim for any greatness. The cast work well with the material but it occasionally strays into TV movie territory. There is a deeper and more interesting story to tell here, but the writers followed a different path; that of a businessman reassessing his priorities in life. It’s harmlessly entertaining and shows some heart, but could have been much more. And for the record, cricket is a fantastic game.