Million Dollar Arm (2014)

Another year, another attempt from the studios to bring out a feel-good sports film. In 2014, they have succeeded with, "Million Dollar Arm," a movie based off factual accounts. I really liked this movie for a variety of reasons. I am always fascinated by Indian culture, and the movie shows the Bollywood culture to a true extent. Baseball is my favorite sport, and just seeing people learning to play the game is pure delight. The film itself is provoking, as well as intelligent, funny, and just a well-crafted movie despite its predictable outcome.

Craig Gillepsie's film is about a sports agent who is down on his luck and is losing money fast. His final play involves starting a program to teach Indian cricket players baseball so they can be scouted by MLB. But J.B Bernstein finds out it is a lot harder than he thought as these Indian players must get used to a foreign sport and an alien culture.

Jon Hamm does a great job in the lead role as J.B. Sure, his character is self-centered, but Hamm plays him well. Lake Bell had a few great scenes as a possible romantic interest of J.B. Alan Arkin cracked me up as the grumpy elderly scout. I also liked Suraj Sharma who know delivers back-to-back Hollywood performances with this film and "Life of Pi."

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Million Dollar Arm. It's a fun, clever sports movie that has a typical Disney "feel-good" tone to it. I also liked the culture clash that is presented in the movie between the Indian and American cultures. The film presents an unique opportunity to learn about Indian culture and I appreciated that. A funny, entertaining sports movie.

My Grade: A-

Fmovies: Actually a very effective movie. It's got some great performances along with a great script. Its funny at times and keeps you entertained At times though moments are stretched and it is very predictable. Hamm gives a good strong performance and Arkin just cracked me up! It's not the best movie in the world but its worth giving a look. I think down the road it will be looked at as very underrated and it has a reason. The reason is that this movie is how a movie should be, a funny, smart, family drama with good performances and leaves you with a feel good mood after exiting the theater. Its appropriate for all audiences And sometimes thats all a movie needs.

Regardless of how people say the film was a Disney Film, predictable, etc, unaware of this true story, all I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Being an Indian student in America, the film connected me to my culture in India. The background music, the sentiment, and the portrayal of Indian traditions made me feel nostalgic of how I miss my home back in India. All I can say is that watching this movie made me feel like I was in India enjoying this experience with Rinku and Dinesh! The music was excellent. AR Rahman killing it as usual! Suraj Sharma has a bright acting future and Amit looked very cute. Excellent film! Go India!

Million Dollar Arm fmovies. In terms of content, it's hard not to like MILLION DOLLAR ARM. There's a winning performance from Jon Hamm as the harassed agent trying his best to re-establish himself, while discovering the importance of looking after his charges; complemented by Lake Bell as the next- door neighbor, the intern who understands more about the young Indian boys' predicament of inhabiting a completely alien culture. As the two boys, Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal are particularly good at communicating - often through nonverbal means - their sheer bewilderment once they are transplanted from their rural Indian surroundings to metropolitan Los Angeles. Although they eventually make a success of their quest to become major league baseball pitchers, they nonetheless find it difficult to adapt to alien surroundings.

And yet there is a strong sense in which Craig Gillespie's film serves to perpetuate rather than negotiate stereotypes about the Indian nation and its people, and the Americans' responses to it. Hamm's JB is predictably confused by the disorganized ways in which the Indian people do business, especially in his interactions with Vivek (Darshan Jariwala). By implication, therefore, the American (i.e. efficient) ways, are naturally superior. Meanwhile aging coach Ray (Alan Arkin) rejects the Indian way of life altogether, as he complains about the prospect of contracting the so-called "Delhi belly" (an upset stomach), and returns to America on the first available flight.

Once the Indian boys are transplanted to the United States, they are frequently used as butts for cheap jokes; there is one scene in a hotel, where they experience problems with the elevator, which is particularly orientalist in tone. The film seems not to be aware of contemporary realities; in economic terms India is no longer a backward country but gradually becoming an economic superpower in its own right.

Nonetheless the film does make an effort to recognize the strengths of Indian cultures; the emphasis on family stability and the ability to converse contrasts starkly with JB's life, in which he is so busy that he has little time either to consider marriage or even to talk to anyone at length. The Indian characters also take time for daily prayers; the contemplative life is as significant as the active life in human beings. Perhaps the western world has become too secular to understand this.

MILLION DOLLAR ARM is an ambivalent piece, at once celebratory of yet still reluctant to recognize the strength of contemporary Indian cultures. Yet it's still worth a look.

I am a pretty big sports fan. Despite this, though, I can be fairly picky with my sports movies. A few general questions that I always ask. First, why was this movie made? There are a ton of great moments that happen in sports, but not all of them deserve movies to made of them. And along with that, sometimes an ordinary event is glorified in the movie, which causes you to raise an eyebrow when you learn the actual events. Next, how faithful is this to the actual events? Yes, I know this is Hollywood and they are going to change things. But if they change things too much, it can be a problem. For example, if the actual person portrayed in the movie doesn't like what Hollywood did with them, that is a problem. Finally, sports movies can be really cliché and predictable because there are only really two options for the ending -- the team/player succeeds in their goal or the team/player fails, but a lesson is learned. So what else do you bring to the table that will give your movie substance and avoid being just a cliché sports movie?

Going into Million Dollar Arm, I was actually really excited because Disney had been raving about this movie for quite some time. I'm happy to report that it passes this test with flying colors. First off, yes this is a movie that deserved to be made. And no, it's not just an ordinary event that was glorified. And while I'm at it, it seems pretty accurate to the actual events. This is a movie about a sports agent named JB Bernstein. He's in a pretty dire situation and needs to make a huge splash or else business-wise he is in a lot of trouble. Using Yao Ming's situation as inspiration, he decides to go on a quest to get the first Major League Baseball player from India. Just like all of China followed Yao Ming's journey in the NBA (he made the all-star team even when he didn't play most of the season because of fan voting in China), an MLB player from India would be equally as huge with how many people live there. With this idea in mind, Bernstein sets up the competition called the Million Dollar Arm, which is essentially a try-out where the top two throwers would get to come to America with the opportunity of trying out for an MLB team.

Is this a predictable sports movie? Of course. The events of this movie took place just a few years back and a quick wikipedia search can tell you all about these two players. But the point here isn't to throw a curveball at audiences. The main focus isn't even on telling the world about an extraordinary event that happened less than a decade ago. It's all about relationships. Bernstein is a single man that is all business at first. What he seems to have missed is that he's brought two human beings halfway across the world just to make a successful business move. These two Indian boys are still teenagers that have never been away from home, at least not so far away from home. They are scared, nervous, alone, and don't even know the language at first. This is an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved and watching it unfold is touching and beautiful.

What makes this movie work is the performances from all the actors. It's a grand slam performance. Starting from the top, Jon Hamm plays JB Bernstein and if this movie came out in the fall, I'd say he'd be a good contender for Best Actor at the Oscars. It'd be a deserving nomination. Lake Bell plays the neighbor/love interest for JB. She does a fantastic job as the mediator between JB and the boys, helping JB come down to ear

First, let me say I LOVE sports movies. Second, it is rare that I give any movie higher than a rating of 8. This movie has it all--and it's not really a "sports" movie.

To begin with, there is a great story. The characters are well developed and the scenes in India provide just the right background for what these young men must have gone through in their transformation. There was more that one heart-jerking moment without ever being maudlin. I was prepared to give this a lower score because I was sure the love-interest story was contrived just for the movie, but it turns out to be true.

Be sure to stay for the credits, which has many "real-life" photos as well as more scenes from India, and updates on most of the characters. I was disappointed to see there wasn't a follow-up on Aash who provided the initial inspiration for the concept, but I'm guessing he/that WAS created for movie.

While sports movies usually follow a tried-and-true formula, and this one hones pretty close to that formula, it is still refreshing nonetheless and quite enlightening. I was not at all familiar with this story, and am interested in finding out more.

And lastly, how refreshing it is to see a good movie (set in professional sports, no less) that has NO obscene language. Other filmmakers, take a look at how successful and enjoyable this movie is without a profanity laced (or drenched) script.