Your one surviving parent is slowly losing his sight. You have a very difficult relationship and, at the same time, are coming to a turning point in your own career. What do you do tend to, your career or your family?Gus Lobel (played by Clint Eastwood) is a scout for the Atlanta Braves and has resisted the change occurring in his business and the world around him with every fiber of his being. While his immediate superior and longtime friend Pete (played by John Goodman) values Gus's opinion and defends him against his detractors, one of them is Pete's boss and Gus's ultimate superior. That man, Pete Silver (played by Matthew Lillard) is determined to fire Gus even though he is completely unaware of Gus's failing eyesight. To Silver, a man who relies on statistics and equations over experience and first-hand observation, Gus is a relic of a time gone by. Gus is given one chance, scouting a highly-coveted player in North Carolina, to prove his value to the organization. Pete worries about his friend and so, behind his back, he contacts Gus's daughter Mickey (played by Amy Adams). Mickey is a lawyer on a partnership track in a prestigious firm with a pressing case on the horizon. She's been told that her handling of this case will determine the outcome of the upcoming partnership vote. Still, despite a strained relationship between the two of them, she chooses to go to her father's aide in rural North Carolina and work in her hotel room and over the internet. When Gus informs Mickey that his eyes are starting to fail him, she begins taking an active role in her father's scouting trip. A task she is well-suited for, after a spending a large portion of her formative years by her father's side on scouting trips. In addition to colleagues Gus has known for many years, there is Johnny Flanagan, a relatively inexperienced scout who Gus recruited into the major leagues and who later suffered a career-ending injury. Johnny (played by Justin Timberlake) thinks of Gus as a mentor and, separately, takes an immediate romantic interest in Mickey.
Now, many believed that 2008's Gran Torino would be the end of Eastwood's career, both as a director and an actor. Some who thought little of the film even took great joy in the very idea of Eastwood's retirement. I was not among them. I won't say this is better than Gran Torino or Million Dollar Baby, it isn't. Still, it's an enjoyable film about the endurance of family that also manages to incorporate some timeless wisdom regarding the quintessential American sport. The budding relationship between Mickey and Johnny isn't given as much time, though that's probably for the best.
For a basic plot summary, "Trouble with the Curve" focuses on Gus (Eastwood), an aged baseball scout who relies on his eyes, senses, and gut feelings to scout the top prospects. The trouble is, his eyes are failing and his job is on the line. As such, Gus's friend Pete (John Goodman) is concerned about him and gives a call to Mickey (Amy Adams), Gus's daughter. Predictably, the father-daughter duo do not share a strong relationship with each, and that is tested on a road trip together to scout the newest "can't miss" prospect. Along the way, rival scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake) teaches both parts of the duo a little something about each other and their lives.
When evaluating "Trouble with the Curve", there is one thing that you must do: Absolutely DO NOT try to compare it to "Million Dollar Baby" or "Gran Torino". It's not even so much that it doesn't measure up to those movies (although it doesn't), but rather that it takes a bit of a different tone. It is a bit more light-hearted and not nearly as "life-or-death serious" as those other flicks.
When looked at under its own merits, then, "Curve" is an excellent film that does everything it sets out to do. The plot is interesting enough to keep you invested, the emotion runs high throughout, and the acting is superb. Eastwood is his typical self, while Adams and Timberlake provide the much-needed camaraderie that a movie like this needs from time to time. The characters aren't quite as fleshed-out as a normal Eastwood movie (in this case, there is more "telling" of emotions than "showing", generally speaking), but they are still engaging.
Basically, "Trouble with the Curve" is a conglomeration of a number of different themes (aging, fatherhood, baseball scouting, etc.) that work not in isolation but blended together. All those themes have been done better in other movies, but having them all play off each other still manages to produce a cinematic treat. I hope Eastwood still continues to shine ON the camera as well as BEHIND it, but if this does turn out to be his final acting role, there is no reason to look back with any regret.
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I have to say up front that I like baseball movies, a lot. Add that to my lifelong admiration for Clint Eastwood and the fact that I find Amy Adams to be absolutely charming and very easy on the eyes makes "Trouble With The Curve" a true home run for me.It's obvious that Clint Eastwood is slowing down a bit with age, but that just makes him the perfect fit here for the aging baseball scout who scouts for the Atlanta Braves but is having vision problems. Since it's hard to actually scout anything without proper vision, his estranged daughter, played by Adams, who is a hot-shot lawyer on the partner path decides to join him out on the road for his latest scouting mission.
"Trouble With The Curve" is a quiet little movie that may telegraph its pitches a bit, but for me that just added to the charm of the movie. There are no major twists and turns, just a simple and heartfelt story being told with grace. Adam's character wants to know why her dad abandoned her after her mother died when she was younger and Eastwood is reluctant to talk about it. Both characters have their flaws and both of them have been carrying demons from the past.
Justin Timberlake plays Johnny, a once hot-shot pitching phenom who was scouted by Eastwood and who then threw his arm out early in his career and is now scouting for the Red Sox in the hopes of landing a broadcasting job with the team. His character plays nicely between Eastwood and Adams, helping bridge the gap between them and as he grows closer to Adams' character helps her understand that her old man may not be the cold guy she thinks he is.
When it's all said and done, this isn't as much a baseball movie as it is a movie about the father and daughter relationship and a movie about why people follow paths that they may not want to follow. The characters are all so very human and well played that it was a joy to watch.
The bottom line is if you like quiet little movies about real people then you'll probably like "Trouble With The Curve."Clint Eastwood plays an old talent scout for the Atlanta Braves. He has failing eyesight and doesn't have a computer. He has a strained relationship with his successful daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) who is a workaholic and about to be offered a partnership in a law firm.
Clint's latest task is to scout Bo Gentry, a slugger from North Carolina. At the request of her dad's associate (John Goodman) Mickey torpedoes her chance at being a partner to be the eyes for a father, who is not exactly grateful for the help, yet uses her talents. While away, she meets a young scout for the Red Sox (Justin Timberlake).
The movie is enjoyable as Clint plays a man perhaps too much like himself. Amy Adams was magnificent as the shunned daughter in what amounted to an improbable film. The movie spends time to develop character for a plot that lacks the action associated with Eastwood films. A heart warming film for Eastwood fans. Worthy of a view and might make for a decent date night film. Border line chick flick.
Parental Guide: 1 f-bomb. Some spicy language. No sex or nudity.
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We love these movies. Filled with cast whose characters and storyline follow life. However, most folks will not take away a renewed spirit to be better people, better citizens, better Americans, more patriotic, just plain more "good." Good guys win, bad guys don't. Gotta' love it! Eastwood keep on hitting the balls with the meaty part of the bat clean out of the park! Well cast. Story moves right along. Predictability Non-issue.Save 33% Off
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