The movie is lightly amusing, but generally lacking in tension and narrative urgency. Clint Eastwood plays a grumpy old man just about as well as anybody (not sure if he’s actually acting, though) and Amy Adams is a talented actress, but the film coasts by almost solely on their charms (and a solid supporting turn by John Goodman). To be honest, as the film drags along it’s difficult to determine exactly what story it’s trying to tell. Is it a baseball movie? Well, yes, but not a particularly insightful or involving one. Is it about a father and daughter trying to reconnect? Sort of, but most of that aspect is predictable and not resolved until very late in the film. Furthermore, parts of the film are unintentionally cheesy (a flashback involves some obvious footage left over from Dirty Harry) and there’s really nothing driving the movie forward from a plot standpoint. It just kind of ambles on, never making an impact except for a few funny jokes.

As for the baseball aspect of the movie, it’s (no pun intended) hit or miss. First of all, I have to say I hate Justin Timberlake as an actor, and he is not at all a charismatic love interest. His role in the film is that of a former flame throwing pitcher who is now a scout for the Red Sox and wants to be a broadcaster. Timberlake is all kinds of wrong for the role, as he is never believable as a former athlete nor a potential announcer (frankly, his announcing voice sucks). There is also some anti-Moneyball type stuff, with Eastwood trying to prove that “instincts” and old school scouting are more valuable than computer usage, but it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. Anyways, it has a few nice trivia references, but also some head scratching stuff (like mention of a “draft and trade” and Jair Jurrjens throwing a no-hitter! no seriously, that’s mentioned).

So anyways, final consensus on the film is this : Wait for it on DVD – it’s a little too aimless to spend money on in the theater (and Justin Timberlake is just awful beyond words)