Trouble with the Curve theme review

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2013)

Trouble with the Curve is a great sports movie with a true love story. This movie takes place in Georgia and North Carolina. This story is about a baseball scout that seems to be past his prime, and a daughter that he doesn't have a relationship with. Gus (Clint Eastwood) is about to lose his contract if he prove his worth to the Atlanta Braves, his attempt to save his fading career he is scouting a potential 1st pick in the upcoming draft. With new found battle losing his sight, his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) takes a risk at losing her potential dream job as a partner within a giant law firm to go on the road to help her dad and rekindle a lost relationship. Gus' close friend, Pete (John Goodman), puts his career on the line to help Gus by betting he will make the right choice with the first pick in the draft.
During the scouting trip Gus meets with a young scout that he scouted for the Braves in the past. Johny (Justin Timberlake) threw out his arm early in his career and is now vying for a position as a scout for the Boston Red Sox. During Johny's trip to North Carolina he meets Mickey, immediately is amazed by her beauty before he knows whose daughter she is. This adds to the dramatic/sports theme the movie portrays. Johny and Mickey seem generally interested in each other as long as Mickey and Gus' relationship is going alright.
Gus and Mickey's relationship is very complicated due to the lack of attention and communication, but the one thing that grounds their relationship is baseball. The major scene that explains that is during the last game before the draft when Gus is listening to Bo Gentry's (Joe Massingill) at bat when he discovers that he has Trouble with the Curve. Mickey wasn't speaking to her father, but orders her to get closer to watch and listen to Bo's hands during his at bat. Upon discovering that his hands "drift" he calls Atlanta to try and get them to pass because of his inabilities to hit the curve. The dramatic event in this part of the movie is Mickey and her relationship with Johny has grown, as well as her relationship with her father. During this time Gus convinces Johny to pass on Bo in the draft. Phillip (Matt Willard) convinces the CEO of Atlanta Braves, Vince (Robert Patrick) to not listen to Gus and draft Bo. During this part of the movie Johny, Mickey, and Gus go their separate ways because of betrayal of each other's trust.
Mickey stays behind in North Carolina where she convinces Pete to take a chance on her recent finding of a no-name pitcher who can throw a curve ball that falls off the table. Mickey gets Pete to allow for a one-time unofficial tryout that is ultimately to save her dad's job. During the tryout with Bo and the hotel pitcher, he throws a curve and Bo misses continuously. This leads to Phillip losing his job, and leaves Gus with the option to renew his contract. Mickey loses her chance at becoming partner, but gains interest in becoming involved with baseball and her relationship with Johny.
I think that this sports themed dramatic film shares similarities with Secretariat. My reasons for this comparison are the struggles that the families are going through with each other and their common ground is their passion for sports. The risk in the movie is similar due to the fact that the main characters Gus in Trouble with the Curve, or Penny (Diane Lane) are underdogs with something to prove. While their passion is for their respective sport they are trying to maintain or build healthy relationships with their families. I think that these two movies have great stories to tell because of their true love for both the game and family.