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Bernie Mac

Man. I just read that Bernie Mac died.

I can't recall the first movie I saw him; it was probably Booty Call. Next would have been Ocean's Eleven, then Bad Santa.

Aside from his excellent sequels in the Ocean's series, my favorite has to be his starring roll in Mr. 3000. Bernie played Stan Ross, a baseball player as talented as he was arrogant.

That was one of the best hooks of the movie; Stan really was that good, in his prime. The problem is that -after his early retirement, but before he's voted into the Hall of Fame- he finds out he didn't really get 3,000 hits. Worse yet, he's gone all soft and sloppy, and it truly hurts his pride that can't even get on base, once they allow him back.

It's not a "great" movie, but a good one, and Mac does a very good job of allowing Stan to oscillate between between the goals of become a good ballplayer again, vs. becoming a good human being for the first time.

I might not go along with his politics, but I respect ability as an actor and an entertainer. Godspeed, Bernie, and I hope you're enjoying yourself in the real hall of fame, upstairs.

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