Main Cast: Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Brian J. White, Michael Rispoli, Ian Anthony Dale
Release Year: 2004
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Directed by Charles Stone III, Mr. 3000 revolves around over-the-hill baseball star Stan Ross (Bernie Mac), who retired after making what he thought was his 3,000th base hit for the Milwaukee Brewers (i.e. the exact amount of hits it takes to qualify for the Hall of Fame). Though he shocked his teammates by quitting in the middle of the game, certain that his Hall of Fame position was in the bag, complications arise when he discovers that three of his hits during his ten-year career had been disqualified. Known as Mr. 3000, the 47-year-old, out-of-shape ball player returns to the game intending to stay only as long as it takes to get the hits he needs, but something unexpected happens along the way -- he rediscovers his love for the game, and begins to serve as a mentor to one of the younger players. Mr. 3000 features Angela Bassett, Paul Sorvino, Michael Rispoli, and Evan Jones in supporting roles. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Review
Mr. 3000 is a sports comedy that could have tripped up on every cliché in the book but instead finds new ways to tell a very familiar story. The most appealing aspect of the story is the natural the character arc for Bernie Mac's Stan Ross. He stars as a self-absorbed athlete with star-power and ends up learning how to sacrifice himself for others -- without really abandoning his egocentric nature. He is a believable 21st century sports star who learns to be a better person, not a different person. The supporting characters are all well thought out and played -- particularly the silent manager played by the normally verbose Paul Sorvino. You know he is going to say something at some point, and when he does it still turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Bernie Mac can be physically imposing onscreen, but in Angela Bassett he finds a partner with just as much of a physical presence. They are an enjoyable pair -- their physicality helps sell the sexual relationship they used to have (and that they rekindle). The baseball footage all feels natural, most especially an excellent sequence early in the film involving a pitcher who throws one high and inside on Ross. Director Charles Stone III manages to stay totally within the bounds of the genre, but his editing skills and his ability to shape likable characters allow him to achieve a first-rate entry in the genre. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Monroe Kelly - Art Director, Austin Gorg - Art Director, Marcia Ross - Casting, Gail Goldberg - Casting, Derek Evans - Co-producer, Salvador Perez - Costume Designer, Doug Torres - First Assistant Director, Charles Stone III - Director, Bill Pankow - Editor, Frank Marshall - Executive Producer, Timothy M. Bourne - Executive Producer, Jonathan Glickman - Executive Producer, Steve Greener - Executive Producer, John Powell - Composer (Music Score), Vernon Reid - Musical Direction/Supervision, Maher Ahmad - Production Designer, Shane Hurlbut - Cinematographer, Gary Barber - Producer, Roger Birnbaum - Producer, Maggie Wilde - Producer, David W. Krummel - Set Designer, Adele Plauche - Set Designer, Steve Aaron - Sound/Sound Designer, Eric Champnella - Screen Story, Keith Mitchell - Screen Story, Eric Champnella - Screenwriter, Keith Mitchell - Screenwriter, Howard Michael Gould - Screenwriter, Roger Dorney - Visual Effects Supervisor, Mark Freund - Visual Effects Supervisor, Diane Lederman - Set Decorator
Stan Ross (Bernie Mac) was a Milwaukee Brewersbaseball star. After recording his 3,000thhit, the selfish and arrogant Ross immediately retired and left the Brewers, leaving the team without one of its star players in the middle of the 1995 playoff race. During the next nine years Ross used his nickname as a business tool, owning several profitable properties under the name "Mr. 3000" that made him a rich man.
The Brewers retire Ross' number several years after his retirement, but although the fans come in large numbers to honor Ross his former teammates stay away; the only player that attend the ceremony is a utility player from his early days in the majors. Further, the ex-player informs Ross that none of his other former teammates, including Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, wanted to attend the ceremony due to Ross' attitude.
Ross learns that, due to a clerical error, he retired with 2,997 hits instead of 3,000. The error also partially contributes to Ross not being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and makes his "Mr. 3000" marketing gimmick fraudulent. The 47-year-old Ross seeks to return to the game to get three more hits, secure his place in the record books, and keep his local post-career marketing gimmick intact. The Brewers' upper management, citing the large attendance at Ross' number retirement ceremony and the fact that the Brewers are out of playoff contention, agrees to bring Ross back during the September roster expansion. The team's younger players only know of Ross as a self-centered player and team superstar T-Rex Pennebaker (Brian J. White), who is pompous and arrogant like Ross, sees him as an unneeded, washed up has-been. Manager Gus Panas (Paul Sorvino) refuses to speak to Ross because of the bad blood left between the two after Ross' retirement, and the sportswriters continually criticize him.
Ross struggles to regain his baseball form despite his predictions to the contrary. Eventually, he connects with two more hits, bringing his total to 2,999. In the process, Ross becomes a mentor to the younger players on the team and urges T-Rex to learn from Ross' mistakes in his early days as a star player, inspiring them from a late-season comeback to a respectable finish. In his last at-bat of the season, Ross gives up a chance at hit number 3,000 so the team can finish third in its division. Although Ross never reaches the milestone, his newfound generosity and attitude ultimately gets him inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As the movie ends, Ross renames all of his businesses that bear the name "Mr. 3,000" to "Mr. 2,999".
