Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

May 14, 2014 at 10:44am

Judging by the Trailer: "Million Dollar Arm"

Isn't "having fun' all that matters?

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Now that we've settled into the unlikely chapter of our collective history, titled "The Reign of Matthew McConaughey (or, the 'McConaissance')," it's high time we begin exploring the frustrating state of American Treasure Jon Hamm's film career. While Hamm remains a shining, handsome beacon of light on one of the greatest TV shows of all time, he's never managed to take his rightful place as a successful leading man.

Since Hamm's Mad Men coming out party, it seemed like an almost forgone conclusion that he would follow in the footsteps of George Clooney, and Cary Grant before him. Funny, great acting chops, once again blindingly good-looking, Hamm was a shoe-in to take Hollywood by storm.

It's surprising, then, that Hamm has mostly seemed content to be relegated to stealing the show in supporting roles (The Town, Bridesmaids) and making glorified cameos in dreck (Sucker Punch, The Day the Earth Stood Still). Opening this week, Million Dollar Arm is an unexpectedly uncommon thing for the man: a starring role in a feature film.

Instead of capitalizing on Hamm's almost wood-carved gravitas, Million Dollar Arm is a light and fluffy Disney sports movie that explores the (apparently real) journey of a sports agent looking for baseball pitchers in India. The agent surmises that young Indian men would be natural pitchers, seeing as how cricket and baseball are almost identical (minus cricket's five-day games and breaks for tea, of course).

While Million Dollar Arm doesn't seem particularly offensive (minus the sad realization that this is once more an immigrant's story being told from the perspective of a rich, handsome white dude), it also feels like a step in the wrong direction. Denzel Washington made Remember the Titans eight years after Malcom X, not the other way around.

Still, if it takes Disney fluff to remind audiences of the talent we're currently wasting, I guess it couldn't hurt.

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