It's a 'slice-of-life' film. The father-daughter relationship, the budding romance between Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake and the self-discovery phase that all the three principal characters go through, makes Trouble With The Curve a compelling watch.

 

 

Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) is an ageing baseball scout, who is losing his vision, struggling to keep his place in his organization. His superior Pete Klein (John Goodman), who does not want Gus to go away, asks Gus' daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to accompany him on a trip of North Carolina to make sure that he is fine. Mickey doesn't get along with her father, as the latter had left her post his separation with her mother. However, despite the false start, Mickey and Gus reconnect with each other and start sharing their life's problems. Mickey has her own grievances at her workplace where she has been recently appointed as a partner. Here, the father-daughter duo meets Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake), a rival team's scout who was once scouted by Gus when he was a player. The story revolves around these three self-respecting, imperfect and gifted individuals.

 

The film has a 'slice-of-life' story. The actors, Eastwood, Adams and Timberlake, deliver fine performances. Their characters were very real, very human, and thus, so full of infirmities. Gus' drive to prove his worth despite losing his vision, Mickey holding on to her father despite losing a golden professional opportunity and Johnny trying his very best to look for someone who wouldn't waste his talent like he himself did when he was a player, makes the film very endearing.

 

 

Quite a few 'little moments' stand out in the 2-hour-film. Gus' final call of reckoning, Mickey's coming-of-age when she manages to hunt down a world-class pitcher, Johnny's rage when he is discouraged by Gus from picking a much-talked-about player, Baseball conversations between Mickey and Johnny, the romantic equation between the two and many more. The understated performances and subtle dialogues make this film very relatable to audiences across the globe. The screenplay is a bit long than one would have liked, but the film does end on high!

 

Writer Randy Brown has written a fine, albeit simplistic, story that really strikes a chord with the viewer. There is not much of 'sports' per se in the film. Luckily, there's not much baseball 'jargon' in the film. So, even those who do not follow the game will not feel lost while watching the film.

 

 

Trouble With The Curve is based on relationships and ambition. A finely made film that leaves you a bit overwhelmed.