Trouble with the Curve (2012)

• Year: 2012
• Released: 21 Sep 2012
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 2 wins & 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2083383/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Trouble_with_the_Curve
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/trouble-with-the-curve
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Drama, Sport
• Runtime: 111 min
• Writer: Randy Brown
• Director: Robert Lorenz
• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman
• Keywords: father daughter relationship, baseball, aging, cigar smoking, motel room,

	6.8/10
	58/100
	51% – Critics
	66% – Audience

Trouble with the Curve Storyline

In Atlanta, aging Brave’s baseball scout Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) is near the end of his contract and manager Vince (Robert Patrick) questions whether or not it is time for his retirement. Meanwhile, the stubborn and grumpy Gus learns that he has problems with his eyes and needs to go to a specialist, but he hides the medical recommendation from everybody. Gus’ boss and friend Pete Klein (John Goodman) knows that baseball is the pride and joy of Gus, and a retirement would kill him, and asks him to travel to North Carolina to scout the promising player Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill). Pete also protects Gus from the ambitious colleague Phillip Sanderson (Matthew Lillard) that wants his position, and to get Gus fired. Pete visits Gus’ estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who is an efficient lawyer that is disputing a partnership in the office where she works with her colleague Todd (James Patrick Freetly), and asks her to travel with Gus to North Carolina. Mickey is a great fan of baseball and has a great knowledge of the sport since she used to travel with her father when she was young, but she has a childhood trauma since Gus abandoned her with an uncle when she was a child. In North Carolina, Gus meets former pitcher Johnny (Justin Timberlake), who had an early retirement due to an injured shoulder, and now is scouting for the Red Socks, but aiming to be a broadcaster. When he meets Mickey, there is a mutual attraction between them. Along the days, Gus discovers that Gentry has problems with curve balls and he does not recommend the player to the Braves. He also tells Johnny about Gentry’s problem. But when Phillip (Matthew Lillard) advises Vince (Robert Patrick) to hire Gentry, Vince’s decision affects the lives of Gus, Mickey, and Johnny.

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Trouble with the Curve Movie Reviews

A possible pioneer

It pains me to say that I’ve already heard many people say they will not be seeing Trouble with the Curve because of Clint Eastwood’s “antics” at the Republican National Convention just a few weeks ago. Their loss. Not being able to separate the man from the actor is something that took me a while to do, but the way some do it now is childish and immature. I wonder if those same people knew Eastwood was a Libertarian/Republican when he was playing “Dirty Harry.” Hard to believe it has been nineteen years since Eastwood himself acted in a film he has not directed. He lends the camera to Robert Lorenz, who assisted him in directing much of Eastwood’s filmography, including Flags of Our Fathers and the acclaimed Best Picture winner Million Dollar Baby. Lorenz’s captures screenwriter Randy Brown’s simple but uplifting, intimate story of a man’s devotion to a game and his brewing reconnection with his daughter he seemingly abandoned at a young age.

I’ll catch you up; Eastwood plays Gus Lobel, an elderly scout for the Atlanta Braves baseball team, who is becoming increasingly frail and ill-equipped with deteriorating eyesight. The Braves are losing faith in Gus’s abilities, because in recent years, baseball has been run more by computer predictions and online statistics rather than physically sitting in the stands and scouting. Gus doesn’t hold back on his hatred for computers, making them sound like limited fossils and being unable to predict more detailed outcomes. One wonders if he is mindlessly ranting or wouldn’t even like a computer if he knew how to use one.

Pete, played by John Goodman, on a roll now with winning films, is Gus’s close friend who is convincing the Braves’ organization that despite Gus’s poor eyesight, that he is an invaluable asset and needs to stay. He recruits Gus’s daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), to assist him in scouting a young prodigy in North Carolina, who currently plays for a high school team. Mickey’s mother died when she was young and shortly after, Gus sent her to live with relatives whom she barely knew. During the scouting trip, Mickey winds up meeting one of Gus’s friends whom he used to scout back in the day, named Johnny “The Flame” Flanagan (Justin Timberlake), for his one-hundred mile-an-hour fastball. We can see where this is headed.

We can see where much of the film is headed throughout its runtime but it’s scarcely a burden because the warmth and bold character study on three of 2012’s most interesting characters is a soothing and efficient one. Eastwood turns in the racism and foul rants he expertly utilized in Gran Torino for some nuanced anger as Gus, and as always, comes off as charismatic and effortlessly likable. Amy Adams does some fine work here, showing us that she is an up-and-coming female actress that is going under the radar, somewhat like Emily Blunt, and fearlessly plays the role of a woman in desperate need of answers, which her father will not give her. And Justin Timberlake continues to show is versatility and heart playing a totally different character from his last one and hitting every note properly.

It would appear that screenwriter Aaron Sorkin could have possibly started a new trend with sports films that was seldom seen before his film Moneyball, and that trend is centering a story around a sport but making the center the characters and not the on-field theatrics. Never are we truly consumed in the story of this young scouter, but we shouldn’t be. And never were we truly gripped by the Oakland Athletics players in Moneyball – mainly because we never saw them play or were even formally acquainted with them. Both films center around the same sport, but ones’ agenda is to show the gritter business side of baseball, while the other is the story of a father and daughter reconnecting with the sport in the foreground. With both films, it’s needless to say, I’m all for this brewing trend.

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman. Directed by: Robert Lorenz.

Quite enjoyable and original

While this is billed as a Clint Eastwood film, the star of the film seems to be Amy Adams–who seems to get more than her share of screen time. Regardless, it’s an enjoyable and original film–and one worth renting.

Eastwood plays a cranky old man–much like the guy he played in “Gran Torino” but without the race prejudice. He’s definitely a crusty old guy and has a habit of pushing away those who should be closest to him–particularly his daughter (Adams). However, now that he’s in his 80s and his eyesight is failing, he really has no choice but to ask for help–but he’s just too darn stubborn to do so. So, his boss (John Goodman) takes it on himself to call her and let her know that he’s in need of help–especially if he wants to keep his job as a major league scout for the Atlanta Braves. As for Adams, she’s a crazed workaholic who wants to be made a partner at her law firm. But she also KNOWS she should help, so for the first time in years, she takes a bit of vacation time to meet her dad in North Carolina–where he’s scouting a new hot prospect. Not surprisingly, the film has a lot to do with family and reconnecting but it also is about learning to slow down and enjoy life–something which Adams doesn’t seem to know how to do–particularly when she meets a nice young guy (Justin Timberlake–who is really growing into a good actor) who is interested in her. Where does all this go? See the film.

My score of 7 was a tough call and I almost gave it an 8. I think my reason for ultimately deciding on a 7 is that, to me, this seems much more like a rent it than go to the theaters to see it sort of movie. The acting is nice, the story unusual enough to merit watching it and there is a wonderful relaxed quality about it that you often don’t find in Hollywood films. On the downside, the ending did seem a bit unreal…but still quite enjoyable.

Family, health and baseball

Trouble With A Curve casts Clint Eastwood as an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves with both family and health issues. His family is his daughter Amy Adams who is a young attorney whom he hasn’t seen in years. His health issues include macular degeneration of his eyes and a scout without good vision is handicapped in his job. My late uncle had that and I know how that eventually impaired him.

Clint’s imparted a lot of his baseball knowledge to Adams and Braves GM John Goodman has asked Adams to accompany Eastwood on a scouting trip to the minor leagues before the annual draft to check on a prospect as the Braves have the number one draft pick in the National League. A lot of air is cleared in this trip.

Also Clint renews an another old acquaintance with Justin Timberlake who was a former pitcher that Clint signed back in the day, but who blew his arm out and now he’s a scout for the Boston Red Sox who have the number one draft pick in the American League. Adams and Timberlake hit it off, but the road to romance is a rocky one. A washed up ball player and an upwardly mobile yuppie attorney are not a usual mix.

Though the film isn’t quite of the level of Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino, it’s still a real treat for Eastwood fans. Like Million Dollar Baby the best scenes are Clint and Amy’s just as in the other film his scenes with Hilary Swank his surrogate daughter. Timberlake also proves to be a capable actor.

Although Adams saves Clint’s job with a gift of sorts, you know eventually he will have to quit. But like all other Eastwood characters, he’s going to do it on his own terms. And she could have a nice career in a baseball front office as women increasingly are making an impact in all areas of the sport except the actual playing field.

Trouble With The Curve if nothing else proves Eastwood is a great judge of material that’s still good for him and that takes into account his age. He’s one productive 80 something when he’s not involved in politics and talking to an empty chair.