Jim
Morris (Dennis Quaid)
Lorri Morris (Rachel Griffiths)
Wack Campos (Jay Hernandez)
Hunter (Angus T. Jones)
Jim Morris, Sr. (Brian Cox)
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Written by Mike Rich
Running Time: 129 minutes |
|
Distributed
by Walt Disney Pictures
Over
the past years, Walt Disney Pictures has released many family
films about the human spirit. Films like Iron Will, Cool Runnings,
and Remember the Titans are to name a few. All of these films
are very predictable, but just so likeable. Disney continues
this trend with their new family film The Rookie.
The Rookie
is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who got a second
chance to live his childhood dream.
The film
starts from Jim’s roots, showing him as youngster with
a love for baseball. The story then flashes forward thirty
years to where Jim has settled in the place he last moved
to as a child, Big Lake, Texas. We learn that he tried out
for the majors as a pitcher, but quit due to a shoulder injury.
He is now a family man with a lovely wife (Griffiths) and
a cute son (Jones). Jim still loves baseball and is the coach
of the high school team, where he also teaches science to
the students.
The Big
Lake Owls baseball team is not that good, in the last two
seasons they have only won a couple of games. They are a likeable
group of young men that also love their coach.
The team
is stunned one day at practice when they learn that Jim can
still throw over ninety miles an hour. The young ball players
make a deal with their coach that if they win district, than
Jim has to try out again for the majors. Jim finally agrees
after the players continuously argue the deal with him.
The film
then turns into an inspiring journey not only for Jim, but
the team, his son and his wife. Though predictable, the story
is told structurally and patiently.
Screenwriter
Mike Rich and director John Lee Hancock present a pretty good
family drama with The Rookie. Yes, the film is a baseball
story, but also a story of inspiration, which I believe is
good for children. I learned of Jim Morris’ story a few
years ago on Primetime. It is obvious that Rich and Hancock
for the most part stuck to the facts and did their research.
There were a couple of things to me that I believe were fictionalized,
but the parts that were altered helped the story. The bothersome
problem I had with The Rookie was the symbolic opening narration
of the film how the field in Big Lake came about. I thought
the symbolic take was confusing and unimportant to the film,
but after a while, you will forget about it.
Dennis
Quaid is the type of actor that can hold a film like The Rookie
together, and he is the glue to this film. He delivers a solid
performance as the aging pitcher with motivation. I like Quaid’s
film selection lately, along with The Rookie; he has recently
delivered good work in Traffic and Frequency. HBO’s Six
Feet Under star Rachel Griffiths also delivers steady work
as Jim’s wife Lorri. Angus Jones, who plays eight-year
old son, is so adorable that one can’t help but like
him. Finally, there is the great Brian Cox, who always delivers
admirable work, serves up the goods as Jim’s military
father.
The Rookie
is not a great film by any means, but it is one of those good
likeable films that Disney occasionally releases. Even though
it is a baseball movie, I believe that most audiences will
enjoy it.
Report
Card Grade: B
Beastman’s
Movie Reviews
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