After several weeks filming The Scout in the late 1970s, star Peter Falk and director Howard Zieff abandoned the project. Two decades later, writer Andrew Bergman gave his original script to Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who polished it as a vehicle for Brooks and director Michael Ritchie. Brooks stars as Al Percolo, a talent scout for the New York Yankees whose latest recruit (Michael Rapaport) has just vomited on the field and fled. Sent to Mexico as punishment by his boss (Lane Smith),
Percolo finds phenomenal young pitcher Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser). Before he can get back to the Big Apple, however, Percolo gets pink-slipped by the Yankees, so he offers Nebraska as a free agent. After a stellar tryout, Nebraska is signed for millions. Soon after, he starts to exhibit odd behaviors that may be linked to psychological problems. A psychiatrist (Dianne Wiest) hired by the ball club wants Nebraska in daily therapy, so Percolo ends up babysitting a mentally unstable pitcher. Brooks's normally winning mix of laughs with psychological insights didn't add up to box office or critical success, despite cameos from real-life sports figures such as George Steinbrenner and Steve Garvey. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
The Scout is the best comedy-fantasy about baseball ever made, which goes to show that if Hollywood keeps trying, eventually someone will get it right.
The Scout was directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Mr. Brooks and Monica Johnson from a script written by Andrew Bergman years ago. It's probably not all that valuable to wonder how so many talented people went so wrong.
Baseball fans will hate The Scout because it makes a mockery of the game. Not quite as badly as Ed, which stars a monkey as the star pitcher, but close. Non-baseball fans will hate it because it's not funny.
Not near as funny as it could have been, Albert Brooks has done a lot better. It's just not that funny, and it's very predictable. At times it is really stupid. Diane Wiest is the only person that is good in the cast. It's a pointless film that does nothing for the stars.
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