‘Trouble with the Curve’ disjointed but charming

Trouble with the Curve is a charming and effective feel-good movie, despite being a bit disjointed.

Trouble with the Curve is a baseball movie that stars Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake. The star power that’s been brought to bear on this production, in both the main and supporting cast, is quite impressive and it serves as a dual vehicle for both Adams and Eastwood. At the same time, Trouble with the Curve is very much a film about baseball and the transcendent nature of the game.

That Trouble with the Curve is both a showcase for Adams and Eastwood and a dyed-in-the-wool baseball movie creates some tension, and the story takes a bit of time to find its feet. Still, the movie fills both roles well, and manages to really shine when they overlap.

Trouble with the Curve tells the story of Gus Lobel (Eastwood), an aging, legendary baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gus has signed some great players in his time, but his methods are viewed as outdated, and his bosses are beginning to talk about not renewing his contract.

Gus has a daughter named Mickey (Adams), a workaholic lawyer with whom he shares a rocky relationship. When Gus’ eyes begin to fail him, however, his friend and boss Pete (John Goodman) gets worried and asks Mickey to accompany Gus on an important trip to check out a promising draft pick. Mickey agrees, despite Gus’ objections, and soon father and daughter begin a journey of discovery that challenges them both.

One of the notable things about Trouble with the Curve is it’s the first movie Eastwood has acted in that he hasn’t also directed since 1993. As expected, he gives a good performance, especially when showing the painful effects of the slow ravages of aging. While it certainly isn’t his best work, it’s still pretty commanding.

Adams, meanwhile, is also true to form, playing charming and overextended with the grace and beauty she’s become famous for portraying. Still, while seeing Eastwood and Adams bringing their all to a film is pretty impressive, it’s also a bit overwhelming.

Trouble with the Curve is a family drama played out in the world of baseball scouting, and the story is pretty strong, featuring a number of moving beats. Yet, this simple and elegant plot sometimes flounders under the weight of its two leads.

I suspect the characters Adams and Eastwood play were modified with their acting styles in mind, and while they both do a fine job, the scenes highlighting both actors’ usual schticks feel out of place in the larger movie.

It’s here that Eastwood’s direction is probably missed the most, as one of his greatest talents has been to find a way to utilize the characters he’s played in his films in such a way that the story is never upstaged.

The prominent exception to this dichotomy is Timberlake’s portrayal of Johnny, a baseball scout and former player scouted by Gus when he began his career.

Timberlake’s Johnny is actually the best part of the movie, adeptly advancing both the film’s baseball and personal plot lines without ever upstaging them. Seeing Timberlake in Trouble with the Curve has also fully convinced me of his talent as an actor, and I look forward to seeing him in more movies in the future.

Trouble with the Curve is light entertainment, and even though everything doesn’t gel perfectly, it has enough going for it to make it a fun and worthwhile experience. It is also a genuinely good baseball film, with a clear knowledge of and affection for its subject matter.

So, if you’re looking for a good movie with some strong acting and an adult story, are an Eastwood or Adams fan or just love baseball, then (as long as you can keep your expectations in check) Trouble with the Curve is for you.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on September 27, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Columns,Movie Reviews,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry