The Scout (1994 film)
| The Scout | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster for The Scout | |
| Directed by | Michael Ritchie |
| Written by | Roger Angell Andrew Bergman Albert Brooks Monica Mcgowan Johnson |
| Produced by | Andre Morgan Albert S. Ruddy |
| Starring | Albert Brooks Brendan Fraser Anne Twomey |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | September 30, 1994 |
Running time | 101 min. |
| Language | English |
The Scout is a 1994 motion picture starring Brendan Fraser and Albert Brooks and directed by Michael Ritchie, the director of The Bad News Bears.
Plot
Al Percolo (Albert Brooks) is a major league baseball scout with the New York Yankees who is banished to the Mexican countryside after his latest discovery suffers an extreme case of stage fright that leads him to vomit on the pitcher's mound. While attending a game in Mexico, the very desperate Percolo finds Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser), a young American with a perfectly consistent 100 mph fastball and who hits home runs on seemingly each at bat.
When Percolo notifies the Yankee brass of his find, he is unceremoniously fired, and told not to bring anyone back. Percolo, undaunted, takes Nebraska back to the States with him, becoming his unofficial agent in the process. He arranges an open showcase for Nebraska at Yankee Stadium in front of representatives from each team in the league. Although Nebraska initially meets with a good deal of skepticism, a massive bidding war ensues after he effortlessly strikes out Keith Hernández and homers off Bret Saberhagen (both athletes play themselves in the film). Nebraska soon signs a 4 year, $55 million contract- which, in 1994, would have been the highest-paying contract in baseball history- with the Yankees.
Soon after signing with the Yankees, difficulties arise as Yankee management demands that Nebraska be psychiatrically evaluated in order to ensure he will not turn out to be as unstable as Percolo's earlier finds. Percolo picks a psychiatrist out of the yellow pages, hoping for a quick and easy evaluation, and a massive payday for both Nebraska and himself. However, the doctor (played by Dianne Wiest) finds that Nebraska is a deeply troubled young man, so severely abused as a child that he's blocked just about every memory of his early life. This effort to divorce himself from his troubled life is the possible reason for his uncanny baseball skills. Percolo begs the doctor to grant Nebraska a positive evaluation, promising her that he would undergo therapy before beginning his professional career.
When the Yankees reach the World Series, Nebraska is contractually obligated to play, despite not being mentally prepared to do so. This leads to the film's climax, with Nebraska atop Yankee Stadium, refusing to come down to pitch the first game of the series, and Percolo's career and livelihood on the line. Percolo meets him on the roof, and pleads with him. Forced to choose between his growing friendship with Nebraska, and the money he stands to make if he plays, Percolo initially tries to talk Nebraska into playing. However, he soon repents and offers Nebraska the chance to walk away from it all, no strings attached. Percolo's loyalty convinces Nebraska to face reality (as well as realizing that the worst that can happen if he pitches is that he'll lose, which he says is not so bad since half the players lose every day), and he returns to the field. Nebraska goes on to pitch a perfect game, striking out all 27 St. Louis Cardinals batters on 81 consecutive strikes. Facing Ozzie Smith (playing himself) with two outs in the ninth inning, Nebraska's 81st and final pitch of the game is so fast that it knocks down his catcher and the home plate umpire. Nebraska also hits 2 home runs to account for the only scoring in the 2-0 victory.
Cameos
George Steinbrenner, Bob Costas, and Tony Bennett also play themselves in the film, among others.