Disney's rookie teaches some real lessons
THE ROOKIE is the true story of baseball pitcher Jim Morris. His dream of a career in the big leagues was cruelly ended by an injury to his arm and he retired to small-town life in Big Lake, Texas, where he worked as a high-school science teacher and coached the school baseball team.
This is where the film takes over. Morris (Dennis Quaid) makes a pretty crappy coach, his team only manages two wins in two seasons, but he likes the easy life and he has three children and a sexy wife (Rachel Griffiths) to take his mind off his forgotten dreams.
Then one day he realises his injured arm has healed enough for him to start throwing 98mph pitches again and he begins dreaming of the big leagues once more.
But is it too late for him to follow his dream? Will the responsibilities of parenthood and the lack of support he receives from his father make him take the safe option of a well-paid teaching job in Fort Worth?
The Rookie has some interesting lessons on how we should never give up on our dreams, even if they are fairly heavily coated in Disney’s usual sugary sweetness. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to work this one out, it’s a Disney-formula feelgood film. Baseball just happens to be the subject.
Drama, U. ***
