Trouble with the Curve, review
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard
*****, PG-13, 2012
Clint Eastwood (“Gran Torino,” “Million Dollar Baby”) stars in this baseball flick as an old timer baseball scout, Gus, who is recruited to help old friend and scout played by John Goodman, to help pick the next baseball star.
He’s lives in Georgia in this flick and winds up hooking up with his estranged daughter, Mickey, played by the awesome Amy Adams (“Leap Year,” “Enchanted”).
When Gus's vision starts with waiver Mickey winds up helping him with his new out of retirement opportunity. She becomes the eyes and ears so to speak for her father. This makes things start to feel like a family again for them, but is really tense at first. The entire backdrop of her childhood becomes a side-line, yet focal part of the film.
This is the ultimate father-daughter movie, if you've ever been so similar to your father it annoys you--you'll understand what I mean.
Justin Timberlake ("The Social Network,"Trolls") and Matthew Lillard ("SLC Punk," "Without a Paddle") also star in this flick. Justin plays a former ball player, but messed up his shoulder when he was younger and Gus knew him back then. During the course of the film, Johnny and Mickey start to fall for one another. Lillard plays another scout working for the same company as Eastwood and Goodman.
This film is about being deeply passionate about your career, life, and giving people second chances. I personally am not a big sports movie person, but do appreciate baseball, and despite all reviews saying Justin Timberlake shouldn’t be in a Clint Eastwood film – this is absurd! Timberlake is a fantastic actor and just gets better and better with each film he does, and is multi-talented, actor and singer!
The film has a great veteran cast and newer faces. This is truly an outstanding drama-sports flick, and a must see. One of the best of 2012! Also, Clint’s son Scott Eastwood, makes a cameo as one of the baseball players in the very beginning of the movie! Looks like a handsome young Clint – well what else did you expect?!
