Film Review: Trouble with the Curve

A baseball drama, Robert Lorenz’s film appears to be all about promoting traditional American pursuits.

Veteran baseball scout Gus has increasing problems with his vision. Cranky in his attitude, he has a strained relationship with lawyer daughter Mickey. Sent on a recruiting trip, Gus may reluctantly need Mickey’s help if he is to save his job…

The narrative of Trouble with the Curve is fine. The story concerns itself with a father-daughter relationship set to the backdrop of baseball. The pace, however, does slacken on occasion. The film is rather predictable, but the main characters are sufficiently engaging to hold the audience’s attention. There is some awkward expository dialogue at the beginning of the film, but otherwise the script is sound.

Lorenz’s film appears quite clear-cut in this message. Everything traditionally American is promoted as positive, whether this is baseball or hot dogs. Anything else appears to be a subversion of some kind; a form of straying from the path. This is played out through the character of Mickey. It is a rather black and white viewpoint.

The romance strand definitely adds something to Trouble with the Curve. There are some nice scenes between Mickey and Johnny. The prevalent theme of following gut instinct is apparent through all of the film’s strands.

Clint Eastwood plays cranky well as Gus. Sometimes the character’s aggression is overplayed, however. Amy Adams offers a solid performance as Mickey. Adams has good chemistry with Justin Timberlake’s Johnny.

Trouble with the Curve is suitably entertaining. It is questionable, however, whether something so focused on a particular aspect of American culture will have mass appeal elsewhere.