Its title notwithstanding, there's nothing that remotely approaches a
narrative curve ball in this tired saga of an aging baseball scout.
And Clint Eastwood's crotchety character in Trouble with the Curve (** out of four; PG-13; opens Friday nationwide) feels remarkably similar to his cranky curmudgeon in 2008's Gran Torino.
Though instead of being a crusty old car aficionado in Detroit, here
he's an aged Southerner with a bad case of irritable ball-scout
syndrome.
Everything about this story (which
Eastwood did not direct or write) follows the most obvious road map.
Even his character's name is a glaringly conventional choice: Gus. Is
there a more obvious moniker for a grumpy old guy?
While
he may have been one of the best in the business for decades, Gus can't
seem to get along with his adult daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), refuses
to pay attention to his doctor and snarls at anyone who asks him to play
nice.
A
veteran scout for the Atlanta Braves, Gus is fighting a losing battle
with his eyesight, but he's determined to remain on the job. Macular
degeneration would seem to be a major handicap in his line of work, but
luckily Gus can tell a good pitch just by the crack of the bat.
Phillip
(Matthew Lillard), an official in the Braves' front office, wants to
bench Gus permanently. But Gus' longtime boss and pal, Pete (John
Goodman), has the perspective to see that Gus has still got it -- even
if he's a bitter pill to deal with.
And
speaking of bitter, Mickey (named for Mickey Mantle) is nursing decades'
worth of resentment against the father who was rarely there for her. He
dumped her with distant relatives after her mom died and dragged her
along on baseball scouting trips only when no other option presented
itself. Gus is not only grouchy, he is selfish and withholding.
Still,
we're meant to see past his crusty exterior because he has convivial
drinking matches with his fellow scouts and is proud of Mickey's
position as an attorney for an Atlanta law firm, where she's gunning for
partner. He just doesn't show her any paternal warmth.
But
for warmth there's Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a former baseball player
championed by Gus, now sidelined by an injury. He's a scout who yearns
to be an announcer, with a genuine affection for Gus and a growing
attraction to Mickey. She joins her dad on a trip to North Carolina,
jeopardizing her own career, in response to the concerns of Pete about
Gus' health.
It's pretty clear that a romance
is in the offing, though Adams and Timberlake don't have much chemistry.
It's also glaringly evident that some kind of reconciliation looms
between father and daughter.
Despite her
usually nimble ways with comedy or drama, Adams can't seem to find her
footing in this formulaic saga. Her character is limited to making
tentative overtures, then giving up too soon and storming out of rooms,
restaurants or bars, leaving her dad grumpier than ever. Timberlake
fares better, bringing some comic charm to a rather ho-hum part.
As
a filmmaker, Eastwood is a national treasure. But in his first acting
role in four years, the 82-year-old seems to be going through the
cantankerous motions. The film's efforts at comedy are more sadly
cringe-inducing than anything else. Gus' eyesight is so bad that he
burns the hamburgers he cooks and crashes into cars. There's a laugh riot.
It was more fun, and certainly less predictable, watching him address an empty chair at the Republican convention.
USA Today