'Rookie' touches all the bases in feel-good family film
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Baseball movies, be they comedy or drama, have certain things in common. One, they're designed to make you feel good. Two, they're goofy, or sexy, or both. (Think "Bull Durham," the genre's standard bearer.) Also, they tend to incorporate some element of the father-son dynamic, as in "Field of Dreams."
Finally, it seems that most star Kevin Costner, fair or foul.
"The Rookie," headlined by manly man's actor Dennis Quaid, probably won't break Costner's hold on the genre. The movie manages to make its mark in a different way, and not just with the formula.
Here, Quaid is paired with "Six Feet Under's" vivacious Rachel Griffiths. However, she forgoes the wet bathtub antics for dry cereal with three toddlers. It starts not on an emerald-green baseball diamond but a patch of dust, until a rusty oil rig and a dilapidated scoreboard appear. And it's G-rated, which means no cursing, sex jokes or unsightly scratching.
Yes, "The Rookie" is a family movie through and through. But its innocent fortitude also makes it great, and it soars with palpable sentiment and spirit.
"The Rookie's" factual basis is a mere bonus. Still, it boggles the mind that in real life, Jim Morris, played by 47-year-old Quaid, actually made it to the major leagues at 35. Any baseball fan knows this; Morris' book, "The Rookie," was a best seller before it even hit bookstores due to online demand. We know the outcome. But the struggle-filled journey paved with a dream deferred captivates, and Quaid and Griffiths shine as they lead us along.
The film begins with glimpses of Morris as a boy baseball fanatic, practicing his throws religiously. As the son of an itinerant Army officer, Morris' family moved with little notice, and his father shows little affection or support for his big-league dreams. The Texas town the family finally settles in, Big Lake, doesn't even have a high-school baseball team.
Flashing forward, we see Morris as a high-school science teacher, estranged from his father and coaching a lackluster ball team that handles its long losing streak with self-deprecating humor. After Morris shows off his thundering fast ball, the kids make him a wager. If they win the district championships, he has to try out for the major leagues.
The team dynamic present in every baseball film plays out beautifully here in Quaid's portrayal of the deep paternal concern Morris shows his boys and tiny daughter. Director John Lee Hancock relies on Quaid's signature tough tenderness to carry the picture, placing him in the center of wide shots that capture the Texas landscape's endless expanse. His direction makes the movie feel like a reverie at times, coaxing out a tear or two while maintaining the tale's authentic feeling.
This is a terrific return for Quaid, who melds his boyish character with a sad maturity that plays off Griffiths' nurturing persona. Their chemistry leads us through this fulfilling tale of Morris' longshot chance coming to fruition.
Melanie McFarland: mmcfarland@seattletimes.com.
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