Trouble with the Curve

Trouble with the Curve
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert Lorenz
Produced by	Clint Eastwood Robert Lorenz Michele Weisler
Written by	Randy Brown
Starring	Clint Eastwood Amy Adams Justin Timberlake Matthew Lillard John Goodman
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Cinematography	Tom Stern
Editing by	Joel Cox Gary D. Roach
Studio	Malpaso Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	September 21, 2012 (2012-09-21)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$46,345,104

Trouble with the Curve is a 2012 sports-drama film directed by Robert Lorenz and starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman. The film revolves around an aging baseball scout whose daughter joins him on a scouting trip. Filming began in March 2012, and the movie was released on September 21, 2012.

This was Eastwood's first acting project since 2008's Gran Torino and his first acting role in a film he did not direct since 1993's In the Line of Fire.

Plot

An aging Atlanta Braves baseball scout named Gus Lobel (Eastwood) is given one last assignment to prove his worth to the organization, who sees him as unable to adapt to changes in the business. His boss and friend Pete (Goodman), who does not want to see him let go and is fighting off the advances of Philip (Lillard), an ambitious co-worker gunning to get Gus fired. Against Gus' wishes and to look out for him, Pete asks Gus's estranged daughter Mickey (Adams) to join her father on a trip to North Carolina. Together, they scout a top new prospect in North Carolina by the name of Bo Gentry, where Mickey begins to take an active role in her father's work to make up for his failing vision, which he has hidden from his bosses. Along the way Gus reconnects with Johnny (Timberlake), a rival team's scout who has a friendly history with Gus, as Gus was the man who scouted him when he was a baseball player, and who also takes an interest in Mickey.

While in North Carolina, Johnny and Mickey go for a night out where Johnny questions her on Gus. Quickly changing the subject, Mickey's cell phone consistently rings and therefore she ends up going back to her motel room. The next morning while at breakfast, Mickey questions her father about why he left her with an uncle she barely knew at the age of 6, after her mother's passing. The conversation takes a sour turn as Mickey storms out of the cafe leaving Gus frustrated.

The big day arrives as all scouts gather to check Bo out in person. Gus sends Mickey out to watch Bo as he steps up to the plate. Mickey soon realizes that Bo cannot hit a curve ball and that his hands shift. Gus soon shares this information to Johnny who holds the 1st pick in the draft. Johnny uses this information and decides not to draft Bo. When the call from Gus comes through to Pete, Gus informs him not to draft Bo. Pete passes the information up to big boss and Braves general manager Vince (Patrick), who decides to go against Gus's advice and drafts Bo to play for the Braves anyway. This is mainly due to Philip's insistence on drafting Bo, promising Vince that he can fire him if Bo doesn't work out. When Johnny finds out, he is convinced that Gus and Mickey convinced him not to draft Bo on purpose so that the Braves can do it instead.

Once again Mickey and Gus begin to discuss why he left her behind. Gus talks about their trip to Mobile when Mickey was 6 where they watched a horse race. After the race, Gus tries to find the horse and sees a shed where he finds a mind putting his hand up the back of Mickey's shirt. Mickey has no recollection due to the fact that she was only a child. Gus admits that he had just broken down and knew he wasn't in the right mental state to take care of Mickey at the time and still feels she should stay away from him.

Next morning, Mickey realizes her dad has checked out early as she sees housekeeping by his door. As Mickey packs her bags, she hears a baseball being thrown outside her room. She realizes the boy throwing the ball has an amazing pitching talent and volunteers to catch his pitches as his current catcher takes a break. After throwing a few curve balls, Mickey asks for his name and he says "Rigo". Mickey calls Pete to tell him about Rigo, but Pete is hesitant but reluctantly agrees to have Rigo come out to be seen.

Gus returns to the Braves office where Vince and especially Philip, criticize him for not wanting Bo. While in the office, Pete interrupts to let them know Rigo is down on the field. As they show Bo practicing his batting skills, Mickey has Rigo suit up to pitch and tells Gus "I heard it". Mickey calls for Rigo to pitch a fastball, Bo misses the ball. Rigo repeats it and Bo continues to miss. Finally, Mickey calls for Rigo to throw a curve. All of this is done before Philip and Vince, the latter who is astonished at Rigo's pitching. Rigo throws, once again Bo misses. Soon the staff realizes that Gus was right, Bo was NOT a #1 pick. Continuing to miss Rigo's pitches... Gus says "they call that trouble with the curve". The staff resumes their meeting upstairs, with the intent of drafting Rigo and downgrading Bo's player status. When Philip makes a snide remark at Gus' direction, Vince fires him and offers Gus a contract extension. Gus says "I'll think about it." and walks away as Philip begs Vince to keep his job.

As they walk off the baseball field, Mickey finds out her law firm is pushing her partnership forward then throws her cell phone in the dumpster. Right outside, Mickey and Gus find Johnny waiting. Mickey approaches him and soon Johnny kisses her while Gus lights a cigar and walks away. The End.

Cast

• Clint Eastwood as Gus Lobel
• Amy Adams as Mickey Lobel
• Justin Timberlake as Johnny Flanagan
• Matthew Lillard as Phillip Sanderson
• John Goodman as Pete Klein
• Robert Patrick as Vince
• Scott Eastwood as Billy Clark
• Ed Lauter as Max
• Chelcie Ross as Smitty
• Raymond Anthony Thomas
• George Wyner
• Bob Gunton as Watson
• James Patrick Freetly as Todd
• Joe Massingill as Bo Gentry
• Jay Galloway as Rigo Sanchez

Production

Filming

Filming began in Georgia in March 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Locations included:

• Georgia Tech
• Atlanta: Virginia-Highland neighborhood including George's restaurant.
• Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves.
• Macon, Georgia, Luther Williams Field, former home of the Macon Braves
• Dawsonville: Amicalola Lodge
• Young Harris: Young Harris College baseball fields
• Athens: College Ave & Clayton streets
• Dunwoody High School: Baseball Fields
• Jasper, Georgia

Reception

Trouble with the Curve has received mixed reviews. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 51% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 169 reviews, with a rating average of 5.7 out of 10. The consensus reads, "Though predictable and somewhat dramatically underwhelming, Trouble with the Curve benefits from Clint Eastwood's grizzled charisma and his easy chemistry with a charming Amy Adams." At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received a rating average of 59, based on 30 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

For its opening weekend, Trouble with the Curve is ranked third in the box office, grossing $12,162,040. In the first week in theaters, it is ranked second with $ 16,195,962. It remains in the top ten in the next two weeks with $31,218,109. However, the results at the box office are low thereafter, because twelve weeks, Trouble with the Curve grossing $35,763,137 in the United States, where it was distributed to 3,212 theaters. At the worldwide box office, the movie grossing $48,963,137 which is the second lowest score of Clint Eastwood as an actor behind Blood Work ($31,794,718 in worldwide box office).

Home media

Trouble with the Curve was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 18, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Trouble with the Curve at the Internet Movie Database
• Trouble with the Curve at Box Office Mojo
• Trouble with the Curve at Rotten Tomatoes