I liked it
Your one surviving parent is slowly losing his sight. You have a very difficult relationship and, at the same time, are coming to a turning point in your own career. What do you do tend to, your career or your family?
Gus Lobel (played by Clint Eastwood) is a scout for the Atlanta Braves and has resisted the change occurring in his business and the world around him with every fiber of his being. While his immediate superior and longtime friend Pete (played by John Goodman) values Gus's opinion and defends him against his detractors, one of them is Pete's boss and Gus's ultimate superior. That man, Pete Silver (played by Matthew Lillard) is determined to fire Gus even though he is completely unaware of Gus's failing eyesight. To Silver, a man who relies on statistics and equations over experience and first-hand observation, Gus is a relic of a time gone by. Gus is given one chance, scouting a highly-coveted player in North Carolina, to prove his value to the organization...
Eastwood's Well-Rounded Return To Acting
After starring in the remarkable "Million Dollar Baby" in 2004, then following it up with the gritty "Gran Torino" in 2008, Clint Eastwood announced his "retirement" from acting, instead focusing on on directing/producing films. When the script for "Trouble with the Curve" came along, though, Mr. Eastwood decided that it was too good of a vehicle to pass up. Thus, in his return to leading-man status, the 82-year old thespian proves that his filmmaking (or film-choosing) instincts are as solid as ever.
For a basic plot summary, "Trouble with the Curve" focuses on Gus (Eastwood), an aged baseball scout who relies on his eyes, senses, and gut feelings to scout the top prospects. The trouble is, his eyes are failing and his job is on the line. As such, Gus's friend Pete (John Goodman) is concerned about him and gives a call to Mickey (Amy Adams), Gus's daughter. Predictably, the father-daughter duo do not share a strong relationship with each, and that is tested on a road trip...
Clint Eastwood May Be Slowing Down But He Can Still Hit The Curve
I have to say up front that I like baseball movies, a lot. Add that to my lifelong admiration for Clint Eastwood and the fact that I find Amy Adams to be absolutely charming and very easy on the eyes makes "Trouble With The Curve" a true home run for me.
It's obvious that Clint Eastwood is slowing down a bit with age, but that just makes him the perfect fit here for the aging baseball scout who scouts for the Atlanta Braves but is having vision problems. Since it's hard to actually scout anything without proper vision, his estranged daughter, played by Adams, who is a hot-shot lawyer on the partner path decides to join him out on the road for his latest scouting mission.
"Trouble With The Curve" is a quiet little movie that may telegraph its pitches a bit, but for me that just added to the charm of the movie. There are no major twists and turns, just a simple and heartfelt story being told with grace. Adam's character wants to know why her dad abandoned her...
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