Clint Still Has It

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2013)

As a big Eastwood ( Gus), and baseball fan, this film is my type of film. What makes it different it was unpredictable, starting with Amy Adams ( Mickey), as his estranged daughter Mickey. She is a lawyer ( in an all male law firm), who goes on a scouting trip with him, because his eyesight is failing, and the Atlanta Braves ( the team he has worked for), do not know if he can do it anymore. They go on the trip to scout a star High School hitter,( Bo Gentry), to determine if the Braves should draft him with the number Two pick in the Draft. Adams is excellent and gives the best performance I ever seen her in. Another treat is Justin Timberlake ( Johnny) a star pitcher who gets injured and becomes a Scout. I have seen Timberlake in a couple of other films ( "Bad Teacher" and " In Time"), and he acted like a robot, here he actually showed he has a personality. What I like is how Gus and Mickey really learn about each other ( particularly how Mickey has baseball in her blood, like he does, and only became a Lawyer to please him ( he did not think places like cheap seats and pool rooms were appropriate places for her ( although that is what she likes)). On to the story: Gentry, is an arrogant self-centered creep who treats everyone around him like dirt. There is one scene where he has the peanut man throw him a bag of peanuts, but he refuses to pay. Gus by hearing, and Amy by seeing determine the guy has a hitch in his swing, and has yes, " Trouble With The Curve." and Gus recommends not drafting him. However, Phillip Sanderson ( Matthew Lilliard), an arrogant computer geek who does not see the human side of people was Chief Scout for the Braves. Out of disgust, Gus left a motel where he and Mickey were staying and headed back to Atlanta. Mickey then asked the maid ( Norma Alvarez), where he was but she did not know. She was getting ready to leave until she heard a ball hitting a glove and she saw a left-handed Hispanic kid named Rigo Sanchez throwing to his brother Carlos ( they are the maid's kids). She put on the glove and he had him throw to her. He had a power fastball and an even better curve. Mickey then called Pete Klein a top Braves employee and a friend of Gus who requested she go down and scout with him ( John Goodman in a very different and well done performance), and she told him to fly the kid and family up to Atlanta, and pointed out you owe me. He then brought them up, and when she was at the park with the family, Gentry, ( who Gus rejected), was taking batting practice, and she told him to face him. He laughed because he recognized the peanut man who he put down earlier. Needless to say, he struck him out three times ( and made him look pathetic particularly on curves). People were comparing him to Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson and the Braves signed him and fired Sanderson. They wanted Gus to remain but he said "I will think about it" and Mickey ( on Gus's advice) will represent Rigo, and she quit the law firm. At the end Johnny was outside waiting for Mickey to begin a life together. The final surprise is Eastwood walking away and not dying ( which would have ruined the film). Basically I loved the film 10/10 stars.