Mr. 3000

You pick this DVD off of the shelf and see Bernie Mac doing the baseball thing and you get to thinking "a poor man's Bull Durham". The thought could be any more off base. Instead, we a given a touching look at all too familiar modern sports figure, the "me first-all ego all of the time" self absorbed asshole and his journey to humbleness and self discovery. Considering it is being marketed as a comedy I would be tempted to pan it as I was let down in the laughter department, however, I simply can't do it. Bernie Mac gives such an honest and endearing performance here the studio should have let it stand on it's on two legs and been put out as a straight drama. Angela Bassett weighs her lovely self in as the female lead here with some fine support from Chris Noth (I wonder if he isn't just a Baldwin in hiding?)and Paul Sorvino, who really must play Yankees manager Joe Torre sometime even if it's only on Saturday Night Live. He is bang on for it! Bottom of the ninth here is if you are a fan of the baseball film genre you are in for an unexpected shock at how well Bernie Mac pulls this off. Damned if I wouldn't say he's pully a Barry Bonds here but I've met George Bell. Something tells me so has Bernie!