Reel Critics

John Haugh of Glendale is a broadcaster and writer.

The movie is “The Rookie” and it’s a tale of -- Guy injures arm, guy

has surgery, guy throws 98 mph in the major leagues at 35. Writers

wouldn’t dare come up with something so far fetched.

This is an enjoyable movie for the whole family. Dennis Quaid gives an

outstanding performance as Jim Morris. He is entirely believable as a

pitcher and he never over plays his desire to make the majors.

This isn’t as good as “Bull Durham” but it is better then last year’s

“Hardball.” The family film gets a B- from me.

‘Rookie’ would throw soft pitch, if it wasn’t real

Jeff Keating is editor of the News-Press and Burbank Leader.

“The Rookie” is a true story, and it’s a good thing. Any screenwriter

brave enough to sell this as fiction would have been thrown out of the

pitch meeting.

Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) discovers years after the shoulder surgery

that killed his professional career that he can throw a baseball 98 mph.

Egged on by a bet from the high-school team he coaches, Morris earns a

shot at the majors.

We can tell where this story is going from the onset, but at least

it’s told with heart, thanks largely to Quaid, who plays a laconic

Everyman with his usual understated grace.

The library of good baseball movies takes up limited shelf space, with

“Bull Durham,” “Eight Men Out” and “The Natural” hitting homers. “The

Rookie” isn’t in their league, but it’s an amiable affair worth watching

-- not unlike baseball itself.

“The Rookie” is rated G.