Review: Trouble With the Curve

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Trouble With the CurveClint Eastwood talked to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention this summer. He begins his new film, Trouble With the Curve, talking to a toilet ... so maybe that was his idea of a clever marketing campaign. Aside from that oddity, the movie is actually a fun, sometimes sober, oddball look at growing older and coming to terms with past regrets.

Penned by first-time writer Randy Brown, Trouble with the Curve is directed by Robert Lorenz, likewise sitting in the director's chair for the first time, though he has assisted on many films.

The story, which could be called an answer to Moneyball, centers around Eastwood's character Gus. An aging baseball scout, Gus operates in a technology vacuum, making him a target for ladder-climbing Phillip Sanderson, played true to type by Matthew Lillard. With the end of his contract nearing, Gus embarks on what may be his last scouting trip.

Fearing for Gus, best friend Pete (John Goodman) asks Gus's daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to accompany her dad on his scouting trip. She takes a break from her law practice to join him, and they soon encounter Johnny (Justin Timberlake), an old recruit of Gus's who is now a scout himself. The story then splits its focus as it explores a budding romance between Mickey and Johnny as well as the tensions between Gus and Mickey.

Trouble with the Curve is a solid, fun film that doesn't try to make any big statement other than perhaps "Growing old sucks, so you'd better make the best of it." Eastwood seems to be having fun with the role, knocking one-liners out of the park. The cast includes a number of other notable character actors including Chelcie Ross, Bob Gunton, and Robert Patrick. Look also for Clint's son Scott Eastwood, who appears in a scene with his father.

But it is Amy Adams who carries this picture. Lovely as ever, the Oscar-nominated actress is at the center of both storylines in Trouble with the Curve, essentially performing in both a romantic comedy and a light drama.