Movie Review: The Rookie
A bunch of guys from Texas got together to make a movie. Star Dennis Quaid, a Texas boy, was Director John Lee Hancock's choice for the lead in The Rookie, a film about dads, sons, family, baseball and second chances. Hancock, who produced My Dog Skip, grew up in small town Texas, played baseball and his dad was a coach so he related to the film's story of Jim Morris, a real-life high school baseball coach who was selected to play in the major leagues at age 35.
Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) loved baseball as a kid and was great at it but his family moved a lot and his dreams of the major leagues were shattered. He played in the minors briefly but a shoulder injury ended his pitching career. Now he's married, has young kids and is a high-school chemistry and baseball coach in Texas. His team has talent but no heart. It's football that wins all the Texas fans. Seeing how great Jim can still pitch, his team makes a deal with him. If they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major league team.
The kids make it to the championship and Jim has to live up to his bet. With his wife Lorri (Rachel Griffiths) and his kids behind him, Jim tries out and is laughed at until he starts pitching incredibly fast balls! He's on the way to the majors!
If you've ever rented that black and white classic film The Last Picture Show with a young Cybill Shepherd, that is the "feel" you get from this heartfelt tale of the hero of a small Texas town where good times are measured by whether or not the oil wells are pumping. Small town locals are hilarious old dudes who try to help Jim chase the deer off the baseball field. If you've ever had dreams shattered and wanted a second chance you can get behind Dennis Quaid's character in this film (He's played as a boy by Jurassic Park III's Trevor Morgan). Quaid is looking really good, young and lean now and is totally believable as a hard-working guy who never had a good relationship with his dad and has settled for a nice but boring life with the wife and kids he loves.
Australian actress Rachel Griffiths is a real chameleon and is great as a strong, independent, supportive Texas wife and mom. Little Angus T. Jones who starred in See Spot Run, plays Dennis Quaid's young son and is a total cutie throughout the film. Hottie Jay Hernandez of Crazy/Beautiful is great to look at as one of Quaid's high school baseball players although none of the team members has a big part.
The story is a lot like Robert Redford's The Natural in that it tells the tale of an older baseball player trying to fit in and prove himself. The film moves a little too slowly for younger kids although baseball action might please fans. There is a little too much footage given to close-ups of team members just...thinking. This isn't The Bad News Bears. Sure, there is a young team that needs some self-esteem and inspiration but it isn't their story. It's Quaid's tale as Jim Morris all the way so teens and adults can relate as well as kids. It's also a story of problems between fathers and sons; old wounds that take a lifetime to heal.
For warm-hearted, triumph-of-the-underdog sports action, catch The Rookie with the whole family.
For good acting and heart, I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.
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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
