Robert Lorenz, assistant director of the movie “Million Dollar Baby,” directed his first film, “Trouble with the Curve,” starring Clint Eastwood, who came out of his retirement from acting specifically for this movie. The movie also includes other big-name actors, including Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, and Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott, who was featured in a minor role.
In this film, Gus (Eastwood), can’t help getting frustrated with his aging body as he starts to lose his sight––he isn’t the only one to notice either. The baseball team he scouts for thinks he should retire and they don’t plan to keep him as a scout after his contract ends in three months.
To make the right picks for the team, Gus needs to be able to see the ball go over the plate, something he can’t see due to his progressing macular degeneration. Despite their dysfunctional relationship, Gus’s daughter, Mickey (Adams), follows her father down South and risks her career in law to be her father’s eyes.
The acting in this film, overall, proved to be phenomenal; Clint Eastwood portrayed the crabby, ornery old man part convincingly with humor and depth, and showed the pain that many people with a passion feel as they age. Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, Adams’ character’s love interest, both play spunky, lovable characters with imperfect lives but strength to get past their problems.
However, there stood one small problem with the acting in “Trouble with the Curve”: the chemistry between Adams and Timberlake did not quite work the way it should have. Overall, the relationship their characters portrayed seemed less than believable and unconnected, and the actors did not share the chemistry most great actors do when playing love interests.
Composed by two-time Academy Award nominee, Marco Beltrami, “Trouble With the Curve’s” original soundtrack compliments the mood and emotion of the film as the plot progresses, and helps make “Trouble with the Curve” complete and well-rounded. The popular music choices integrated the film fit the scenes well––the only poor choice made in music was the first song in the credits; though the lyrics fit the plot, the sound veered completely off in comparison to the feel of the movie as a whole.
“Trouble with the Curve” redefines what it means to be a generic sports movie––this film could not be described as typical or clichéd. With unique shots and crisp focus, the cinematography in “Trouble with the Curve” made it stand out among other sports dramas. The unique plot also put this film apart from baseball movies of the past, and brings a whole new spin to the classic, entertaining, and inspirational story of a team and its players.
