Clint Eastwood is back on the screen this week with Trouble With The Curve. I've heard this called a baseball drama, but I fail to see it simply as that.
This is only an Eastwood movie in the sense that he is in it, and served as one of the producers. He did not write or direct this. As a result, this does not really have the "Eastwood Movie" feel. But they did surround him with great actors, and a really good script and Curve is good.
Curve is the story of Gus (Eastwood) who is an aging professional baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. He has had a great career signing some of the Braves greatest players ever. But he's older now, and some think he is losing his edge. His sight is failing, and it's causing huge troubles for him as he is scouting one of the Braves leading prospects for the upcoming draft. He has to get this right, or he's out of a job.
Gus has a 33 year old daughter Mickey, (Amy Adams). She has a rocky relationship with her dad who raised her the best he could after her mother died when she was six. She is an up and coming lawyer on the verge of making partner in her firm. But she also is torn with her allegiance to her dad. She decides to take time off at a crucial time for her professionally, and go on a scouting trip with Gus risking everything. She also comes to meet a potential new love interest at the same time in Johnny (Justin Timberlake) all of this at the same time. Can they find common ground and find the keys to each other during this important week?
This is a great story, but be advised with Gus as the central character, this is really an Amy Adams movie. And I'm good with that. She is terrific again in this dramatic role as a very complicated and interesting young woman who is struggling with many different major issues of her life. Adams is so likable, so easy to watch she makes any movie better. She even looks much different than many movies prior, more grown up and more confident. Adams really seems to be coming into her own and into the next chapter of her career. What I really like about her is as a movie star, she has the wonderful trait of looking and acting like someone you would know. She is great.
Eastwood has become so smart in his 80's in the movies. He realizes who he is, and takes roles that celebrates his age. He's not trying to be someone he's not. He is very good here. Timberlake too, continues to grow as an actor and keeps getting better roles as he goes. John Goodman is terrific as he too is embracing more and more who he is.
This is really not a strictly a baseball movie. Yes, baseball and some x's and o's are a big part of this, and there is a certain bit of baseball jargon and language spoken. But to me it's a movie about a man and his daughter trying to find common ground and bridge the years. And that idea of course is nothing new, but here it is done very well and with a new twist of baseball as the common denominator. . Somehow working with Eastwood always elevates everyones game and Adams and Timberlake have never been better.
Trouble With The Curve. Adams great... movie, very good.
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