Trouble with the Curve

Directed by Robert Lorenz, Trouble with the Curve stars Clint Eastwood as Gus Lobel, one of baseball's most legendary scouts. Gus is more bitter and cranky than usual because he's losing his eyesight and could be benched permanently since his contract is up for renewal and the Atlanta Braves' front office is starting to question his judgment. The Braves' General Manager (Robert Patrick) and the contemptuous, computer-savvy director of scouting (Matthew Lillard) are furious that Gus has his doubts about beefy bully Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill), their hottest young prospect and a potential Braves first-round draft pick. So Gus's colleague/longtime friend (John Goodman) begs Gus's estranged hotshot Atlanta lawyer daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), to join Gus for one last recruiting trip to North Carolina, where a genial Boston Red Sox scout (Justin Timberlake) spends some time scoping out Mickey. Lorenz's direction lacks subtlety—tipping a pivotal plot twist far too early—but the casting is terrific, with Adams boasting an appealing mixture of insight and uncertainty, and Eastwood exuding earthy charm and a disconcerting sense of self-doubt. Recommended, overall. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “For the Love of the Game” behind-the-scenes featurette with costars Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Rising Through the Ranks” segment with director Rob Lorenz on his feature debut (5 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a winning Eastwood vehicle.] (S. Granger)