Heather's Movie Review: Trouble With the Curve

Is it possible to get a second chance at having a relationship with a long estranged family member? That's part of the premise behind the new Clint Eastwood movie Trouble With the Curve, which followed one man on a surprising path of redemption that he never expected. The results may have been predictable, but the stars made it worth seeing once again.

Trouble With the Curve followed veteran Baseball scout Gus (Clint Eastwood) who was having a hard time with getting older. He was starting to lose his eye sight, which made it harder for him to spot the newest talent on the field. Of course, Gus was unwilling to admit that he was getting older, especially to him. One fellow employee (Matthew Lillard) was looking to send Gus into retirement and his longtime friend Pete (John Goodman) was eager to save Gus' job at all costs. Pete had recruited Gus' long estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to take a break from her busy but empty law career. Mickey was looking to become a partner in her law firm, but she was pushing for something that was never going to happen. She met a fellow scout named Johnny (Justin Timberlake) who could be the answer to her prayers. Will Mickey be able to have a relationship with her father or something close to one?

Of course, viewers knew that the movie would be cleverly wrapped up in a neat bow with nothing left unresolved. Curve's plot suffered from multiple movie cliches when it should've turned its focus more on the characters' love of baseball. That was where the story truly was. Gus and Mickey had only started to develop a bond when they talked about their shared love of baseball. Adams and Eastwood had a strong rapport, but not even they could overcome some of the disappointing plot points. Adams played Mickey as the tough but damaged woman who was looking for love instead of a successful career. Eastwood played Gus as a very gruff Dirty Harry without a gun or a case to keep him busy, which was a shame because of his past movie success in films, such as Gran Torino and The Dead Pool.

The movie would've been a lot stronger if it balanced the family and baseball aspects a lot better to even out some of the routine plot points, such as Gus' fellow employees plotting against him. It would've also been better if the romantic subplot between Johnny and Mickey was left on the cutting room floor. Adams and Timberlake have decent chemistry, but their story would've been better suited in a romantic comedy all its own. Let's hope that Hollywood will allow them the chance to do so one day if the story is just right. There's no need for another movie to suffer from more plot stereotypes just yet, unless it's what the doctor ordered.

Trouble With the Curve is in theaters everywhere.

Verdict: Eastwood and Adams have a genuine rapport, but the movie suffered from one too many cliches to make an impact during Awards season.

Movie Score: 3 out 5 stars

Movie Rating: PG-13

Score Chart

1 Star (Mediocre)

2 Stars (Averagely Entertaining)

3 Stars (Decent Enough to Pass Muster)

4 Stars (Near Perfect)

5 Stars (Gold Standard)