Trouble with the Curve (Warner Bros.)

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Last year, Moneyball presented a unique insider view about the world of baseball and the use of statistics in making a great baseball team.

This year, the new drama Trouble with the Curve expands upon Moneyball by giving us the perspective of a talent scout. Starring legendary Clint Eastwood in his first role since Gran Torino in 2008, it seems the movie has plenty of potential – but when you see it, you may agree that it’s no Moneyball.

Eastwood plays Gus Lobel, an aging talent scout for the Atlanta Braves, heading to North Carolina to watch a high school team that has a potential star player. However, his failing eyesight may force him to retire from his job.

Concerned, manager Pete Klein (John Goodman) asks Gus’ estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who works as a lawyer at a top law firm, to look after him during the trip. She knows about her father’s job and is willing to help in spite of their strained relationship.

Along the way, they meet up with an up-and-coming sport announcer named Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a promising pitcher until his arm gives out. Together the three discover what the sport means to them and how it can change their lives.

If you’re expecting this film to be as good as Moneyball, you might be pretty disappointed. Unlike Trouble with the Curve, Moneyball gives you an extensive behind-the-scenes view of the game.

Trouble with the Curve is like simply watching a baseball game – it feels drawn out, and at times, boring.

The movie is directed by Robert Lorenz, who previously did second-unit directing for some of Eastwood’s previous films. For his first film, Lorenz directed fairly well, but he still has a long way to go before mastering films like the ones Eastwood previously starred in.

The cast is what made the movie. Eastwood is at his usual best, while Adams adds a certain level of sweetness.

The worst part is the script, which doesn’t add anything special especially for a sub-genre filled with clichés and conventions.

Is it supposed to be a standard baseball drama, or a romantic comedy about family and the meaning of life? It seems that the script could’ve used a few more drafts.

Trouble with the Curve is not worth a trip to the theatre – but it's worth a rental.

THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for language, sexual references, some thematic material, and smoking)

THE CRITIC’S RATING: 2.25 Stars (Out of Four)