Trouble with the Curve Directed by: Robert Lorenz Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake Rating: PG-13 Release Date: September 21, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: Clint Eastwood hasn’t acted in a film directed by anyone other than Clint Eastwood since 1993’s In the Line of Fire – unless we count his legendary cameo in Casper – so this is pretty notable (though Robert Lorenz is an Eastwood man, so it probably won’t feel much different). I would have been fine with Gran Torino’s ending being the last time we saw him on screen, but he’s not through yet. It’d be a shame if this turned out to be something of a Welcome to Mooseport situation (come on, Gene Hackman, please come back for one more!). Luckily, this trailer makes Trouble with the Curve look like a charming film with some strong performances.
The tone is fairly light, but it’s something that helps make the dramatic moments between Amy Adams and Clint Eastwood hit harder. The humor works for me – “Get out of here before I have a heart attack trying to kill you” – and the stuff dealing with Adams’ mother is solid too. It could feel forced in the full film, but the mix feels right in the trailer. The stellar cast certainly doesn’t hurt. Eastwood, Adams, and Justin Timberlake all have nice chemistry with one another, and the supporting cast fills out the baseball world nicely. Eastwood is doing his Eastwood thing, and doing it well, but Adams is the standout. It looks to be a strong female role and she's making the most of it.
Naturally, some are talking Oscars for Clint Eastwood. Who knows? Trouble with the Curve looks like a good, old-fashioned movie, and that should be enough.