Million Dollar Arm is based on a true story. JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) is a down-on-his-luck sports agent who is desperate to find new business for his failing agency of three people. While watching a cricket game in India on late night TV, he comes up with a unique idea. Cricket is a game where balls are thrown. Why can’t he go to India, make a reality-TV-like contest out of finding the most talented cricket players and then groom them to become American major-league baseball players? American baseball would instantly get a billion new fans in India who would follow their national heroes as they make it big in the United States.

He finds an investor willing to fund the venture, assembles a team of people and travels to India to find his “boys.”

Reminiscent of Jerry Maguire (for the sports agent) and Slumdog Millionaire (for the contest and the India scenes), Million Dollar Arm follows a predictable plotline. They find innocent boys with fire in their eyes in the wasteland of backwater India who have talent, luck and determination, and they bring them to America. The culture clashes do their work as they always do in movies. The boys from India are fascinated by simple things like light barriers controlling elevator doors.

Against all odds and better advice, JB is determined to turn two boys with talent into major league baseball players within less than a year.

I enjoyed watching this movie from beginning to end, and since the pictures that back up the true story aspect of the movie were flashed during the credits, we sat through all the credits before getting up. Million Dollar Arm is an entertaining story that expertly tugs on your heartstrings and leaves you feeling good at the end.

Rating: ** 1/2