Greetings again from the darkness. Combining my two favorite things in life (excluding family), baseball movies always give me pause. It is impossible for me to watch without analyzing the baseball (which rarely comes across well on screen) and frequently looking away in disgust. Fortunately, this one is as much about clogging as it is baseball. Baseball is merely the setting for this otherwise quite conventional family drama.
Clint Eastwood plays Gus, an aging old-time baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gus has his way of scouting and it doesn’t include computers or any other aspect of “Moneyball”. He believes in what he sees. Therein lies his biggest problem. His eyesight is failing at a time when scouting newcomers are leaning on sabermetrics. It’s Gus’ last chance to scout a hotshot prospect before the team offers him retirement.
Gus’ boss is played by John Goodman, who guilts Gus’ estranged daughter into making the final scouting trip with her father. The problem is that Mickey (Amy Adams) is a rising star attorney with a shot at firm partnership. Predictably she makes the trip … otherwise, there would be no movie. Matthew Lillard plays the new wave scout who believes Gus’ ways have passed and in what the computer metrics tell him. It’s a clash of old vs new.
On the trip, we meet Johnny “Flame” played by Justin Timberlake. He’s a former phenom scouted by Gus, who later blew out his arm. Johnny is now working as a scout and hoping for a broadcasting career. Adams and Timberlake have the necessary cuteness to offset the gruffness of Clint. See, everybody learns life lessons and baseball from everybody else. For those wondering, Gus named his daughter after Mickey Mantle. She should just be glad her name isn’t Seven (that’s for Seinfeld fans). It’s also a bit cringe-inducing for us real baseball fans to hear the lame trivia exchanged by Mickey and Johnny. Bernie Carbo? Seriously?
Clint had previously announced that Gran Torino would be his final acting job. We can only presume that this is a favor for his long time producer, and first time director Robert Lorenz. Lorenz runs Malpaso, Eastwood’s film production company. Eastwood plays a similar role this time out, as he is grumpy and lonely and growls a lot. He also tosses out a few funny quips and doesn’t shy away from displaying the many downsides to aging.
You have probably figured out that this is a corny, predictable, mainstream film. You should also know that it is entertaining enough and easily accessible, though I presume the baseball theme will keep many away. My only real issue is that the lead characters are just “too”. Clint is too gruff. Amy Adams is too earnest. Timberlake is too eager. Lillard is too dastardly. This makes for a pretty simple movie with no twists you won’t see coming way ahead of time. That is, unless you have the same vision problems as Gus.
OK, I’ll finish with this … Clint obviously respects empty chairs more than coffee tables. One he simply argues with. With the other he gets violent. (an early scene)
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: it’s date night and you need a safe movie pick OR you don’t want to miss what may actually be Clint Eastwood’s final film performance
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for any real curve balls in the story OR any real insight into baseball or father/daughter relationships
watch the trailer:
Movie Reviews from the Dark 