Trouble with the Curve

Last night we saw Clint Eastwood's new movie called Trouble with the Curve.  It is about an aging baseball scout for the Braves who is losing his sight.   His estranged daughter joins him in something akin to the rookie leagues of North Carolina to evaluate a hot hitting prospect.  You've seen this Clint role before - the old timer a bit out of touch with his environment who is coping with an estranged family member (take for example Grand Torino where he plays a retired auto worker whose neighborhood is changing and Absolute Power where he plays a thief who gets caught up in a murder done by the President and covered up by his staff.   In both cases Clint is distant from his family.

In this movie his daughter is played by Amy Adams who is a law associate on the brink of making partner in a major firm.  Clint moved her out when his wife died - so they do not communicate about anything but baseball.   Amy has a love interest, who is a scout and former pitching prospect that Clint's character had signed, who works for the Red Sox.

Between Clint and Amy they notice a flaw in the prospect - and Clint talks the Red Sox guy out of choosing him.  There is some treachery in the Braves organization so a part of the management team sends a second person to this small club to see the guy hit - and the decision is made (when the Sox pass on him) to take the guy from Carolina.   Trouble is he can't hit a curve ball - that comes about because of Clint's ears and Amy's eyes.   So all of that is twisted into a budding romance.

This is not a deep film.   But it was written with a deep sense of respect or at least understanding of the work that coaches do to find new ballplayers.  It is an art and a skill.   If for nothing else it is also pretty good on some baseball trivia.

This is not a deep movie - it won't make you think.  But the characters are well drawn.  The plot is engaging and it is a good way to spend a couple of hours.