The Scout (1994)
A washed-up baseball scout finds an extraordinary pitching talent in rural Mexico — but the kid's mind may be as wild as his fastball.
The Scout - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1994
- Directed by: Michael Ritchie
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Comedy
- Age Rating (US): PG-13
- Runtime: 1h 41m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: Italian, English
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 30, 1994 (United States - PG-13), March 16, 1995 (Germany - 12), March 9, 1995 (Australia - M)
- Production Companies: Santo Domingo Film & Music Video, 20th Century Fox
- Production Countries: United States of America
The Scout - Plot
When his star recruit botches a Major League Baseball debut, humiliated talent scout Al Percolo gets banished to rural Mexico, where he finds a potential gold mine in the arm of young phenom Steve Nebraska. Soon, the New York Yankees put a $55 million contract on the table—provided a psychiatrist can affirm Nebraska's mental stability.
The Scout - Trailer
See the comedy unfold as Al Percolo's unlikely discovery takes center stage:
He was praying for a miracle. What he got was Steve Nebraska.
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The Scout - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Michael Ritchie
Main Cast
- Albert Brooks
- Brendan Fraser
- Dianne Wiest
- Anne Twomey
- Lane Smith
- Michael Rapaport
- Barry Shabaka Henley
- John Capodice
- Art Garfield
- Louis Giovannetti
Writers
- Andrew Bergman
- Albert Brooks
- Monica Johnson
Producers
- Albert S. Ruddy
- Andre Morgan
The Scout - FAQs
Who are the main actors in The Scout?
The Scout stars Albert Brooks as beleaguered talent scout Al Percolo and Brendan Fraser as the enigmatic pitching phenom Steve Nebraska. Dianne Wiest rounds out the central trio as the psychiatrist hired to evaluate Nebraska's mental fitness before the Yankees finalize his $55 million contract.
What is The Scout about?
The Scout follows Al Percolo, a down-on-his-luck baseball talent scout who gets exiled to rural Mexico after a humiliating failure. There he stumbles upon Steve Nebraska, a pitcher with an almost supernatural arm. The New York Yankees offer $55 million — but only if a psychiatrist clears Nebraska's fragile mental state.
Where can you stream or rent The Scout?
You can rent or buy The Scout on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It's widely available across digital platforms, so finding a copy to watch tonight shouldn't be a problem at all.
Is The Scout based on a true story?
The Scout is loosely inspired by a 1985 New Yorker article by Roger Angell about real-life baseball scout John Kazanas. While the core premise draws from that piece, the film takes considerable creative liberties, transforming the story into a broad comedy with fictional characters and exaggerated situations.
What is the age rating for The Scout?
The Scout carries a PG-13 rating in the United States, making it suitable for most family audiences with parental guidance suggested for younger children. It was also rated 12 in Germany and M in Australia, reflecting broadly similar classifications across international markets.
How long is The Scout?
The Scout runs for 101 minutes — just over an hour and forty minutes. It's a comfortable, breezy runtime that keeps the comedy moving at a solid pace without overstaying its welcome, making it an easy watch for a casual movie night.
Did The Scout perform well at the box office?
The Scout struggled significantly at the box office, earning roughly $2.7 million against a reported $20 million production budget. Critics were largely mixed to negative on the film, and it failed to connect with audiences upon its September 1994 release, making it one of the bigger commercial disappointments of that year.
What are some movies similar to The Scout?
If you enjoyed The Scout, you might also like Jerry Maguire (1996) for its sports-agent comedy-drama energy, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004) for laughs rooted in athletic absurdity, or Breaking Away (1979) for a heartfelt underdog sports story. The Longest Yard (2005) is another fun pick in a similar vein.
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