Clint Eastwood is old, and trying to teach these young people with their computers a lesson, in the fussy but endearing baseball comedy, Trouble with the Curve. An septuagenarian scout for the Atlanta Braves, Eastwood’s failing eyesight might soon force his retirement. So, begrudgingly he brings his distant lawyer daughter (a pleasant Amy Adams) on the road to help him check out a cocky high school prospect. Justin Timberlake also comes along for the ride as a rival scout (for Eastwood) and potential love interest (for Adams). The curmudgeonly sarcasm that’s pretty well Eastwood’s whole schtick as of late tends to work against his movie’s charm, but that’s a minor fault in an otherwise heartfelt film. Trouble with the Curve doesn’t throw any fastballs, but it still pitches an enjoyable game.
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2012.