Clint Eastwood stars in “Trouble with the Curve,” available on home video. The family-friendly drama is the actor’s first film since 1993 that he has not also directed. Will the picture make your day?
Here’s the pitch: Eastwood is Gus, an aging Atlanta Braves baseball scout with declining vision. He’s as stubborn and ornery as you’d expect. Rather than addressing the problem head on, he avoids and denies it. Seen as a dinosaur by younger members of the team, Gus is on the verge of being forced out anyway.
When Gus hits the road to scout high schoolers, there is a lot riding on his performance. John Goodman plays Pete, a buddy who gives Gus’ daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams) a call to persuade her to be her father’s eyes on the trip.
Mickey is a high powered lawyer who is supposed to be dedicating every waking hour to a court case that can make her a partner. But in a half-hearted attempt to reconnect with her dad, she drops everything to travel with him.
There is a top-notch cast at work in “Trouble with the Curve.” Eastwood and Adams have terrific chemistry; both do good work. Goodman’s presence reminds me just how great a year 2012 was for him. He also appeared in “Argo” and “Flight.”
The most controversial cast member, so to speak, is pop star Justin Timberlake in the role of Mickey’s love interest. I personally wouldn’t have cast him, but I can’t say that he does truly terrible work either. He’s OK.
“Trouble with the Curve” is a good film and very likeable, but the plot is also very predictable. It checks all the boxes, but fails to really hit one out of the park.
Still … I’m a fan!