User Reviews

The Rookie is based on the true story of a 40+ year old school teacher in Big Lake, Texas reaching the majors. Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid) is a small-town high school science teacher and baseball coach. His team is losing terribly until the team discovers that their coach played in minor leagues and can throw a pitch 98 mph.

After throwing batting practice and a wager is made, Jim agrees that if his team wins regional's, he'll try out for the Major Leagues. The movie tells the story from Jimmy being boy to playing in his first game in the majors. It is a great underdog story and a very friendly family movie. Dennis Quaid makes the movie worth while, giving an emotional performance and is supported by an excellent supporting cast which includes: Brian Cox, Rachel Griffiths, and Angus T. Jones.

The story takes a little while to develop and some scenes are a bit slow but it all works in well by the end. The baseball scenes are fun, well-filmed, and portrayed excellently. The movie really isn't about baseball but about one man's quest to reach his dream. It's inspiring, it's emotional, and it's funny. I liked it, I hope you do.

The Rookie. Starring: Dennis Quaid, Brian Cox, Rachel Griffiths, and Angus T. Jones.

4 out of 5 Stars.

Jimmy Morris' passion for baseball dominated his life. The son of a Navy recruiter, Jimmy was forced to move from town to town, leaving behind his dreams of playing a major leagues, specially after arriving in the remote Big Lake, Texas, where it appears his father had his longest tour of duty. To make matters worse, football was the favorite sport.

The story, which starts during the early years of the Morris' arrival in Big Lake, changes to show us a grown Jimmy, now married, and the father of two children, managing the local high school team. Jim, who evidently tried a spot in the majors, got injured, and is resigned to the kind of life he didn't want back in his youth. One thing he never loses is the speed in which he throws a baseball. That quality will ultimately be the factor that will win him a spot with the Tampa Bay major league team, where he will make a name for himself, realizing his dream of playing professional baseball.

John Lee Hancock, the director of the film, written by Mike Rich, gives us a glimpse on the life of a man who never gave up his desire for being part of the sport that he loved. Supposedly, this picture is based on the real Jim Morris, who went to make a name for himself because of the gift he brought to the game.

It's impossible not to like the earnest performance of Dennis Quaid, an actor that is always reliable to give his best. The star is surrounded by the excellent Rachel Griffiths, relegated here to be the saintly Mrs. Morris, and Brian Cox, one of the best character actors working in movies today. Also Beth Grant shows up as Jim's mother. The film doesn't surprise, since we know where it will end, eventually, but it is a labor of love from Mr. Hancock and all the people involved in the project.

Damn, this was a positive surprise for sure. These Disney sports movies used to be quite good at their best. Not sure their level is the same today as Disney is much more political and way more careful on what they allow in movies. You can find quite a few great ones from years ago at least. This is one of the good ones for sure. The movie making here alone is enough to make it a recommended watch. Honestly even if you hate baseball and hate the story you will appreciate just how much work went into every single scene. Every camera movement, even action, every plot point is carefully selected and constructed. It's seldom you see a movie where this much care and energy went into it. No one shouts at anyone in the movie. It's not cheap drama. The movie is just: old man throws a really fast ball.

Now, the movie is quite slow-paced compared to more child friendly Disney movies. This one is for adults mainly or those few kids without ADHD. It's a carefully constructed, very realistic drama. It never gets crazy or wild. Even the big scenes are subdued and realistic and lack the emotional punch you expect from Disney movies. You have diaper changing scenes, getting food scenes, coaching kids, buying socks, looking at a stadium. It all adds to the movie and makes it feel like something much bigger than a random baseball movie. On the other hand it does feel a bit slow. The runtime is over 2 hours and unfortunately the story itself is not a huge one. It's just a 35 year old man who got into the American baseball league. So we see his road there and how his family reacts. He seemingly only played 2 seasons and didn't do much. So it's a curious story, but since it's a small one you do feel the lack of tension and importance. Compare it to American Underdog (2021) about Kurt Warner who is a legend in American football. He also got a terrible start. After many years of working in a supermarket for basically no money and playing low level alternative style football he finally got his chance in NFL and as his team's quarterback got injured right away he became a starter out of nowhere and had pretty much a perfect end to the season winning Superbowl and then continued playing on this level becoming a legend of the game and the best undrafted player ever. I don't watch either sport, but I know what story makes me super excited. One athlete got 2 seasons at 35 and did nothing. The other was only in his late 20's, but that's a story that's truly magical. Of course while American Underdog is a truly impressive movie quality wise it's not much about NFL. NFL is just the last 10 minutes of the movie at most. It's largely about his girlfriend who he is still dating to this day and with whom he made the movie. So both movies have their weak sides. But American Underdog was a historical experience that made me learn about this huge story. While this movie is just a good Disney movie.

The Rookie is about the love for baseball. We get to see how his dad is not really supporting him in his baseball career and he kinda fades away due to injuries. His wife also doesn't want him to go on the road as they can barely afford to get by. The wife drama is honestly a bit dry as you already know what will happen. It's fine, but we kinda already know what this "wife doesn't want husband to do his sport/work" implies in movies as this is used in most such sport movies to create cheap drama. The kids being there meanwhile add to his baseball. You really feel like they support him and at the same time complicate this trip. Meanwhile his dad relationship is mirrored in how he treats his oldest son who follows the team he coaches very eagerly. So everything with the dad is proper and deep drama where they don't need to say anything. You can feel everything from how they look at each other and how they act. This tension is sky high. In American Underdog they did a similar thing with the romantic relationship. There is a scene where they break up as they are just angry at each other because of their bad situation and lack of trust. That's it. There is no clear reason for it. They just break up out of nowhere. And it feels real as it's not a movie scene. Stuff happens and we watch it happen which is a greater level of cinema. Which The Rookie archives half the time. Overall the story is just not that fascinating unless you follow baseball or maybe are a dad and want to watch a movie about a dad. For us mortals it's good, but just a tad below great. Dennis Quaid was also 47 when he played a 34 year old man. Which is noticeable too.

Dennis Quaid stars in this biographical film about Jim Morris, once a promising prospect originally in the Milwaukee Brewer system who had several chances with a few teams and never quite made the Big Show as they call the Major Leagues. Now he's settled down being a full time science teacher and part time baseball coach at his small town Texas high school with wife Rachel Griffiths and their kids.

But through some mysterious alchemy the arm trouble that washed him out seems to have gone away. Quaid is back throwing the high heat of his high school days. And soon more than his team notices.

The Rookie is a great film in the sense that it shows people that every now and then dreams do come true. After long years Jim Morris got his chance to pitch in the Major Leagues, the dream of everyone who draws a paycheck playing a kid's game.

His record isn't much for the Tampa Bay Rays and Morris managed to get there because this was an expansion team in existence for only a couple of years. But he's in the baseball encyclopedia for all time to come. Kind of like Moonlight Graham, played in Field Of Dreams by Burt Lancaster who was up "for a cup of coffee and a look/see for John McGraw".

The Rookie is a nice baseball film and big Kudos to Dennis Quaid and everyone else associated with bringing Jim Morris to the big screen as well as The Big Show.