THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 7, 1994 TAG: 9410070080
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALAN CHANG, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
FROM A SERIES of ``national pastime'' films released this year comes another to add to the collection. Except this one is not based on an fast-pitching teenager. On the contrary, the star is a fast-pitching grown-up, Steve Nebraska, played by Brendon Fraser.
Living in the Mexican jungle, American-born Steve Nebraska is admired by villagers for his fast ball - which can be heard but not seen. He guarantees a strike each time he throws it.
Steve's talent is discovered accidentally by a desperate New York Yankees scout, Al Percolo (played by Albert Brooks), who has been banished to Mexico. After living virtually alone for years in Mexico, Nebraska immediately sees Percolo as a father figure and becomes dependent on him.
Percolo's plan is to use Nebraska to make a fortune and to win back his reputation as a scout. But after living with Nebraska, Percolo pushes his ambitions aside to make room in his heart for friendship.
Nebraska's psychiatrist, played by Dianne Wiest (``Edward Scissorhands''), is as important in changing Nebraska's life as Percolo. Through therapy, the baseball star soon unlocks his secret memory block. However, the movie might be more interesting if the audience could see Nebraska in therapy, rather than just hearing a one-sentence summary.
How did an American like Nebraska end up in Mexico anyway? The movie unfortunately fails to get into Nebraska's history, but Brendon Fraser still gives a lovable and touching performance as the ``eccentric'' pitcher.
The movie is enjoyable - to a point. But then it suddenly plunges from the climax to the end. It makes people scratch their heads and ask, ``What, that's it?'' And one would expect more excitement in the World Series game when Nebraska debuts as a pitcher for the Yankees.
Despite disappointments, ``The Scout'' is a good humor film for non-serious watchers. MEMO: ``The Scout'' is rated PG-13. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Alan Chang is a junior at Kempsville High School.
by CNB