The movie is the true story of Jim Morris who after 10 years of being out of playing minor league baseball due to arm injuries, tried out and became a left handed relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two years.  The drama of this story is not what Morris did after he reached the big leagues, but that he lived his dreams and actually got there.  He became the second oldest rookie ever to make the majors, largely due to his amazing feat of throwing 98 mph fastballs after not pitching for a decade.  The film shows flashbacks of Morris as a kid who loves baseball but having problems excelling as a player because of his father's frequent military transfers across the country.  Then the story picks up with Morris and his family living in a small Texan town, and his job as a high school science teacher as well as the school's baseball coach.  The last third of the film deals with Morris playing on the Tampa Bay minor league team and then finally getting to play in the majors.

      The acting in the film is very good, from Rachel Griffiths as Morris's wife to Brian Cox as Morris's father.  But the film's success is completed by the commanding performance of Dennis Quaid playing Morris.  Quaid is not only totally believable as a big league pitcher, but he also has that quiet quality with that winning smile which makes you want to pull for him on every turn.  The screenwriting is smart and the cinematography is top notched.  My only criticism is the totally unnecessary religious scenes which bookends the movies, but this is a small gripe with a most entertaining and well done film.

      I would recommend this movie to everybody.  If you are a fan of baseball, then it is a film not to be missed.   Any movie that loves the game of baseball as much as this one does is truly a sports movie to see.   The film is also a testament to the age-old saying that dreams can come true if you fight hard enough for them.

     -- Mike ( 4 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

      Billy Ray ( 2 1/2 out of 4 pops )

      There have been so many great baseball movies in the past, it is hard to imagine that "The Rookie" is the best baseball film ever made.  But, after I watched the new Dennis Quaid baseball flick, I must say--I was not entirely impressed.  Dennis Quaid is not your typical actor.  He chooses very different roles from other actors and he does a great job of portraying Morris in this film.  The problem I had with it was some of the dialogue, which gets a little cheesy at times.  And, I felt like I was watching a repackaged version of "Remember the Titans".  But, other than those flaws, the movie is not entirely bad for a Disney live-action flick.  It's a decent one to take the kids to see, but adults might not like it as much, though they will enjoy it nonetheless.

      Pappy ( 2 1/2 out of 4 pops )

      I enjoyed "The Rookie", though it seemed like a low scoring game the went deep into extra innings.  Through the last half of the movie I kept edging out of my seat like a runner on first about to break for second base.  But I was anxious to head for the exit.    I guess the problem was that because the movie had absolutely no twists and turns.  Any of us could have written this film.  I’d have to sum it up by saying that it is a nice fun family baseball movie.  

      Matt ( 2 out of 4 pops )

      OK, so I have to commend this film for not being the usual melodramatic fluff, common among movies with a sports theme.  And though it's G-rated, and completely suitable for all ages, it's a surprisingly adult drama.  The problem?  It's not that compelling.  I'm aware that Jimmy Morris can throw a 98 MPH fast ball, and that IS an amazing feat!  But half the film composes of him winding up that famous fast ball.  After a while I just wanna scream out, "OK, I get it!  He's a magnificent pitcher!  Let's move on!"  I don't even know how good of a hitter he is, because we never see him at bat.  The only scene that really packs a dramatic punch is when Jimmy pulls over to the side of the road and measures the quickness of his pitches.  The meter first reads 78 MPH, which then changes to 98 MPH.  And even that scene was shown in the previews.  Dennis Quaid gives a spirited performance, and I'm always glad to see him on screen, since I don't get to that often--I'll probably have to wait about two years to see his next movie.  Brian Cox, Rachel Griffiths and Jay Hernandez (from "Crazy/Beautiful") are also terrific.  The film is well-made, though the overuse of country music is sometimes a turn-off (for me, at least).  A tighter script would've helped.  I really wanted to know more about Jimmy Morris than just his fast ball.  And most of the subplots involving his family are bogged down to cheap conventions (Dad doesn't want him to play baseball, the wife doesn't want him to play, she then apologizes to him and we're faced with the "you were right, I was wrong" speech).  Sure, it delivers a good message about following your dreams, but other films have better delivered that same message.