Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: Trouble With The Curve

Friday, September 21, 2012

Trouble With The Curve - Review

Trouble With the Curve
(2012)
Runtime: 1 hr 51 min
Drama
Rated: PG-13 Language, sexual references, some thematic material and smoking and drinking

Director: Robert Lorenz
Writer: Randy Brown
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and John Goodman | See full cast and crew

Grade: B-

For decades Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of baseball's best scouts -- but now his age is catching up with him. Still, he refuses to be benched even though his bosses are questioning his judgment. Tasked with checking out the country's hottest batting prospect, Gus is forced to accept help from his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams). Though they haven't spent time together in years, father and daughter make new discoveries about their shared past, which could change their future.

Clint Eastwood as a crusty, cranky, ornery, curmudgeon is something that the movie going public seems to have embraced. When he announced his retirement from feature films in 2008 following Grand Torino, he left us wanting more. Four years later and we have gotten what we wanted. Reviews so far have been mixed. This might be due to a little fallout from his 'Empty Chair' remarks (see clip below) which hasn't set well with the liberal Hollywood culture.

The 82-year-old Oscar winner walked the press gauntlet at the Westwood premiere of his latest film “Trouble With the Curve” — with 16 empty chairs right behind him. (Read more)

But back to the movie...

Mr. Eastwood delivers a fine performance. John Goodman is in good form as usual. Amy Adams does an adequate job with the shallow script she has been given. Justin Timberlake is likeable and charming and has been given the responsibility of delivering the comic relief. I didn't however see any real chemistry between Timberlake and Adams. The performance by Matthew Lillard as Phillip Snyder seemed shallow, merely a caricature of the egotistic corporate jerk, of course the script gave him little to work with, but then again isn't that the art of the actor to take a paper thin script and turn it into something believable.

Trouble With The Curves could have been a good family drama but I wouldn't take children to see it due to the extensive profanity, much of it the blasphemous type but also a few F-bombs. We all know someone, a family member, a neighbor or coworker whom we love that has a habit of using this peppery way of speaking, those that you are afraid to introduce to 'polite' company for fear of the language that might come out of their mouth, those that as they speak you want to cover your children's ears of simply keep children out of range from their voice. Such is Gus (Clint Eastwood), he swears like a sailor (with apologies to all honorable sailors who don't 'swear like a sailor'). In addition the character of Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill) the draft prospect, is a very poor roll model for children.

I am not a baseball fan but this movie is not really a baseball movie, so it didn't bore me in that respect, it is a family relations and romance drama. Trouble With The Curve is enjoyable but if the language will offend or bother you, then you may want to wait for a sanitized version to come out.

Synopsis

Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. Nevertheless, Gus—who can tell a pitch just by the crack of the bat—refuses to be benched for what could be the final innings of his career.

He may not have a choice. The front office of the Atlanta Braves is starting to question his judgment, especially with the country's hottest batting phenom on deck for the draft. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner. Mickey has never been close to her father, who was ill-equipped to be a single parent after the death of his wife. Even now, in the rare moments they share, he is too easily distracted by what Mickey assumes is his first love: the game.

Against her better judgment, and over Gus's objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries—revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.

The film also stars Justin Timberlake as Johnny Flanagan, a rival scout who has his sights on a career in the announcer's booth…and has eyes for Mickey. Rounding out the main cast are John Goodman as Gus's old friend and boss, Pete Klein; Robert Patrick as the Atlanta Braves General Manager Vince Freeman; Matthew Lillard as Phillip Snyder, the Braves' associate director of scouting; Scott Eastwood as Billy Clark, one of Gus's discoveries, who's now in a slump; and newcomer Joe Massingill as young batting phenom Bo Gentry, who's emerged as the Major League's hottest young prospect. Also in the cast are Ed Lauter, Chelcie Ross, Ray Anthony Thomas, George Wyner, James Patrick Freetly, Bob Gunton and Jack Gilpin.