Based on a true story that feels like the Slumdog Millionaire of baseball stories or Jerry Maguire goes to Mumbai, John Hamm stars as sports agent, J B Bernstein, whose down on his time, luck and money when he loses a famous player to a competitive agency. With few options, and while sitting at home couch cruising cable TV, he comes upon Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” to Simon Cowell and imagines what might happen if Bernstein himself went to some uncharted territory – India? – to find the next star pitcher.
Against the advice of Tom House (Bill Paxton) Bernstein hires a retired recruiter (Alan Arkin) to help him find what will be a pair of cricket players turned Major League players (Life of Pi’s Suraj Sharma and Slumdog Millionaire’s Madhur Mittal).
The story almost seems stranger than fiction, as there’s even a “Who wants to be a millionaire?” moment where the best batter can win $100,000 and eventually a $1,000,000 signing contract. The film focuses on the American dream of which the boys don’t have to begin with in their Indian villages. They’re gentle and kind. We Americans are spoiled and fast-moving. As we watch this clash of cultures that learn from each other, the movie’s charm lies in the fact that the Indian boys are focused on faith, food and family, while Bernstein is focused on models, mischief and money.
The irony, of course, is that John Hamm has been Mad Men’s ‘Don Draper’ so long (also into models, mischief and money) that it’s refreshing to see his redeeming qualities in this. And wow, what a tear-jerker ending. Family movie so bring grandma. ♕ ♚ ♛ 1/2