A Good, Clean Family Film

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2002)

I saw this recently in the theaters. The main draw for me was the theme of baseball, but their was much more to the movie. The Rookie tells the story of a high school teacher, Jim Morris, who pursues his dream after the baseball team he coaches issues him with a challenge to try out for a major league team if they win their division title. Dennis Quaid did a wonderful job as Jim Morris. He really breathed life into the role. The story was very good in showing the theme of making choices and how those choices affect our lives and the individuals around us. A particularly memorable scene is when his wife first learns of his attempts to get back into baseball. You would expect his wife to initially be supportive of him because it is something he really wants to do, but there is an expression of mixed emotions as she honestly expresses her real feelings on his attempt at trying to get into the majors in his late thirties. She isn't particularly supportive and prefers he not do it in the beginning. The film will leave you with a "feel good" attitude after you watch it, and you do not necessarily have to enjoy baseball to enjoy the film. Whether you see it in theaters or wait until home video please make sure you make an effort to see this film.