Trouble with the Curve -- September 2012

THE BOYS -- AND GIRLS -- OF SUMMER

Why is baseball so consistently popular, particularly in North America, Latin America, and the Far East? Several years back at a humanities conference I attended a lecture titled The American Landscape, which dealt with ways that baseball expresses aspects of the American character and the character of certain other cultures as well. The presenter made these two key points: First, baseball, unlike football, is circular, not linear: a batter starts out at home plate and if he or she is successful rounds the bases and returns home. Second, a baseball game is not governed by the clock as are many other types of athletic games – e.g., football, basketball, soccer, and hockey. No, a baseball game just takes (normally) nine innings to complete – and it's over when those nine innings are over. 

To those two points I would add two more: baseball success is not dependent on size. One does not have to be a giant to succeed at the game; one just needs certain skills. Further, the sport can easily be played by both sexes and by people of many different ages. Baseball has long struck a chord in the American sensibility, as evidenced by the fact that Ken Burns made a whole TV film series on it.

As of this writing, the baseball season is almost upon us. In Arizona and Florida spring training is in full swing, and the 2013 Major League season will be starting within a month or so. With that in mind, it seems appropriate to review a baseball movie, released a few months back, in honor of the boys – and the girls – of summer. Too bad its release wasn't delayed until now. Trouble with the Curve, starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman, hit the theaters in September of 2012. It's not playing in theaters anymore, but it's certainly available to purchase or to order from Netflix. It's a sweet, if somewhat predictable, picture that should satisfy a lot of people, especially if they're baseball fans.

Here's what Trouble with the Curve is about: Widower Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best scouts in baseball for a long time now. He has a long history of being able to spot the best future players, partly because he has an uncanny ability to hear the sound of a well-hit ball. The trouble is that, while Gus's ears still work well, his eyes don't:  He's now half blind and is suffering from macular degeneration, along with other ailments. His team, the Atlanta Braves, is thinking of quietly easing him out as soon as his contract expires, which will be soon. Fortunately for Gus, he has at least one friend in high places – Pete Klein (John Goodman), who intercedes for Gus with the team's management as best he can. Gus will have one chance to stay with the club: he's been given the job of evaluating a first-round draft pick, which will mean that, as he's done for years, he'll be attending a lot of small-time games in small, out-of-the-way places.

Besides his declining health, Gus has another problem: his relationship with Mickey, his daughter (Amy Adams). Mickey (in typical reverence for baseball on the part of her parents) was named for Mickey Mantle. She's a rising star attorney who is estranged from her father but who loves him dearly underneath. Gus's friend Pete has a great idea: get Mickey to take some time off from her law practice and attend the games with Gus. She'll be his eyes. But why would Mickey be a good choice? The answer: Having been raised on the sport, she knows more about baseball than almost anyone – maybe even her father. The problem, though, is that Gus doesn't want her help, and she's strongly reluctant to provide it. Enter another character into the equation: Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake), with whom Gus has a positive relationship from previous scouting work. Johnny is about Mickey's age, so we can easily see where this part of the story is going. I don't want to spoil your viewing pleasure, so I won't say anything more about how the events unfold, but I suspect you might enjoy watching them.

The acting of the picture is strong: Clint Eastwood gives a humorous, gruff, crusty performance of a character to whom most of us can relate. Amy Adams provides her usual quality (and edgy) performance. As for Justin Timberlake, this was the first time I've been able to admire a performance of his – this time he plays a good, humble guy. John Goodman also doesn't disappoint.

In Ephesians 6:4, Paul says, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children." Will father Gus and daughter Mickey ever reconcile? Will Gus be able to keep his job? What about the relationship between Mickey and Johnny? Will the Braves sign the star player that Gus, Mickey, and Johnny are evaluating – a player who has considerable talent but who also can't hit a curve ball (hence the movie's title) and is basically a jerk?

The film has been criticized by some reviewers as being far too predictable and clichéd. I don't agree – but I do object to some of the language. There's one use of the f-word, several uses of the s-word, and a number of misuses of the Lord's name. Sadly, that problem has become endemic in films today. Nonetheless, Trouble with the Curve is a heartwarmer. Best of all, its underlying themes of the importance of family and the need for communication and reconciliation come through strongly. Find a way to see it.

Film Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 3 stars