The premise of "Chasing 3000" is a real stretch:
Teenage brothers, one with muscular dystrophy and bronchitis, the other with only a learner's permit, grab mom's car to drive to Pittsburgh. The longest part of the stretch is that they live in Southern California and give themselves just three days to get there.
The goal of Mickey and Roger Straka is to see Roberto Clemente get his 3,000th hit. Displaced Pittsburghers, the kids long for the 'Burgh, even though nobody called it that in 1972 when the Pirates great was nearing the end of his stellar career.
That's a minor gripe about this earnest, low-budget film that works hard to re-create the look of '72, from the ugly clothes to the modest working-class neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. (Not that hard, considering much of the place hasn't changed in decades. But, that's our charm.)
Steubenville, Ohio, native Bill Mikita came up with the idea for the story, inspired by his love of Clemente and close bond with a brother who also uses a wheelchair, disabled much like the Roger character. Money was raised, Hollywood director Gregory Lanesey reworked the screenplay, and major actors Ray Liotta, Lauren Holly, M. Emmet Walsh, Seymour Cassel and Lori Petty signed on.
Trevor Morgan plays the brooding Mickey, sullen with teen angst, and Rory Culkin plays good soldier Roger with gallows humor, giving a believable performance that carries the long (102 minutes) picture in its bumpy ride across America.
"Chasing 3000" is another variation on the "it's not the destination, but the journey that counts" genre, allowing the two brothers to get close. The boys depend on the kindness of strangers to get by while an understandably distraught mother (Ms. Holly) wrings her hands at appropriate moments.
Mr. Cassel chimes in as an "ethnic" grandpa with an unrecognizable accent. Mr. Liotta is the adult Mickey who tells the story of his odyssey to his kids en route to Roberto Clemente Day at PNC Park in his Clemente jersey.
The city looks great as usual, including the tried-and-true emergence from the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Historical film and video footage of Clemente, however, was blurry and repetitive, replaying the same 1971 World Series scenes and trying to pass them off as regular baseball season action.
Its earnestness and innocence carries "Chasing 3000" a long way, and its sweet appreciation of the 'Burgh will win over local hearts.
"Chasing 3000" opens today at the Harris Theater, Downtown.
First Published: September 3, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
