Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams join forces to present Trouble with the Curve, a sports-drama that premiered in theaters on Sept. 21. The film grossed a little over 12 million its first weekend, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
This new film falls nothing short of a true father-daughter movie, telling a story in which both main characters struggle with aspects of their pasts that resulted in the falling out of their relationship. The distance, emotionally, is something that has plagued the relationship throughout the film.
Clint Eastwood is an actor whose appearance in films such as the Dollars series, the Dirty Harry series, and his most recent motion picture Gran Torino, has made him infamous throughout the decades. In this particular film, he plays Gus Lobel, a bitter, sarcastic, yet overall good man who is a long-time baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves.
Amy Adams, casted as the lead female role, Mickey, has been busy as well. She starred in movies such as Enchanted, Leap Year, Julie & Julia, and The Fighter, and is expecting to release four more films in the next two years.
Supporting actors include Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman.
Mickey, named after her father’s favorite baseball player Mickey Mantle, is a classy, witty, and successful lawyer. However, her strained relationship with her father has greatly impacted the person she has become and her feelings towards baseball, as a whole.
At the root of their relationship is one game, one game that changed everything.
When Gus is given a chance to go to North Carolina to prove that his method of scouting is better than any technology, he plans to go alone. However, Gus’ friend Pete (played by John Goodman) suggests that Mickey accompany him on the trip.
After adamantly refusing because of her anticipated promotion at work, Mickey has a change of heart when she learns her father’s health is deteriorating. She decides to go sit on the bleachers during games, helping her father scout the next big thing.
Trouble with the Curve is a “simple” film in that its focus is in alignment with many other similar movies. It is the kind of film that is designed to appeal to the masses. Its story is built around basic themes such as distance, in both physical and mental examples, regret, and love, specifically the love between father and daughter. These themes, however, were made more in-depth as the story unfolded and the characters embraced the hidden wounds of the past.
Additionally, the movie explores many different social issues including general human ageing, competition at work, and how advancements in technology change a profession; in this case, baseball scouting.
Overall, Trouble with the Curve is a decent film. Generally predictable, the story is very linear, allowing the audience to peg the direction of the ending within the first 20 minutes.
The movie causes the audience to contemplate the status of their relationships and also teaches them a little bit about baseball and about life. It reminds them that it is never too late to take a chance, to trust instincts or experience, and to recognize that the words have been written on the wall all along.
Trouble with the Curve was directed by Robert Lorenz and written by Randy Brown and is part of Warner Brothers Production.
For more information on Trouble with the Curve or to learn more about the cast please visit IMBd.com.