An ageing baseball scout, Gus Lobel (Clint
Eastwood), is struggling to retain his position in his organization. His
daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who holds a grudge against her father for bailing
on her during childhood, joins him on a trip to North Carolina where Gus is
scouting for new talent.
It’s a ‘slice-of-life’ film. The
father-daughter relationship, the budding romance between Amy Adams and Justin
Timberlake and the self-discovery phase that all the three principal characters
go through, makes ‘Trouble With The Curve’ a compelling watch.
Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) is an ageing
baseball scout, who is losing his vision, struggling to keep his place in his
organization. His superior Pete Klein (John Goodman), who does not want Gus to
go away, asks Gus’ daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to accompany him on a trip of
North Carolina to make sure that he is fine. Mickey doesn’t get along with her
father, as the latter had left her post his separation with her mother. However,
despite the false start, Mickey and Gus reconnect with each other and start
sharing their life’s problems. Mickey has her own grievances at her workplace
where she has been recently appointed as a partner. Here, the father-daughter
duo meets Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake), a rival team’s scout who was
once scouted by Gus when he was a player. The story revolves around these three
self-respecting, imperfect and gifted individuals.
The film has a ‘slice-of-life’ story. The
actors, Eastwood, Adams and Timberlake, deliver fine performances. Their
characters were very real, very human, and thus, so full of infirmities. Gus’
drive to prove his worth despite losing his vision, Mickey holding on to her
father despite losing a golden professional opportunity and Johnny trying his
very best to look for someone who wouldn’t waste his talent like he himself did
when he was a player, makes the film very endearing.
Quite a few ‘little moments’ stand out in
the 2-hour-film. Gus’ final call of reckoning, Mickey’s coming-of-age when she
manages to hunt down a world-class pitcher, Johnny’s rage when he is
discouraged by Gus from picking a much-talked-about player, Baseball
conversations between Mickey and Johnny, the romantic equation between the two
and many more. The understated performances and subtle dialogues make this film
very relatable to audiences across the globe. The screenplay is a bit long than
one would have liked, but the film does end on high!
Writer Randy Brown has written a fine,
albeit simplistic, story that really strikes a chord with the viewer. There is
not much of ‘sports’ per se in the film. Luckily, there’s not much baseball ‘jargon’
in the film. So, even those who do not follow the game will not feel lost while
watching the film.
‘Trouble
With The Curve’ is based on relationships and ambition. A finely made film that
leaves you a bit overwhelmed.
Shivom
Oza
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