By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Gran Torino was presented as Clint Eastwood’s swan song as an actor. After staying behind the scenes directing J. Edgar,” “Hereafter” and “Invictus, Eastwood must have felt the call of Thespis for Trouble with the Curve.

There are shades of the actor’s iconic past in this role, but Trouble with the Curve is Eastwood’s sweetest movie in 32 years, since the release of Bronco Billy.

As Gus, Eastwood portrays a veteran baseball scout who is suffering from either macular degeneration or glaucoma. He is too stubborn to get his eyes tested. Since he is unable to use a computer, Gus fears future unemployment.

Enter Mickey (the adorable Amy Adams), Gus’ estranged daughter who happens to be a hot shot lawyer on the verge of a partnership with a law firm. She is recruited by family friend Pete Klein (John Goodman) to help scout a hot shot recruit who cares more about future endorsement deals than improving his batting stance.

With all these character motivations in place, Trouble with the Curve takes its sweet time to reach a conclusion that will be satisfactory for these unsatisfied characters. Much like his character in Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood’s Gus dispenses Trouble with the Curve valuable life lessons about America’s Past Time.

While Eastwood is top billed, Trouble with the Curve is really Amy Adams’ motion picture. She is a tomboy without losing any femininity and holds her own on the big screen with the iconic movie star and veteran actors in small roles – Bob Gunton, Matthew Lillard, Robert Patrick and Justin Timberlake.

It is the fine ensemble cast that elevates this film. Without Eastwood and Adams, Trouble with the Curve would just be another made-for-television drama on the Hallmark Channel.

That said, this motion picture is unlike anything on the big screen these days. In contrast to the finale of Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood is given a more iconic exit for his screen image; and it is worth it to hear the soulful Ray Charles and the Raelettes sing “You are my Sunshine” during the closing credits.