The Rookie ★★★½ 2002 (G) Texas high school teacher and baseball coach Jim Morris (Quaid) challenges his also-ran team by promising to go on a major league tryout if they win the regional championship. The team wins, and the former minor-leaguer keeps his promise and attends a Devil Rays tryout and finds his now-rejuvenated arm can throw a baseball 98 mph. During his journey to the majors, he deals with his relationship with his old man, and life on the other side of 30. If this were't a true story, it'd be one of the hokiest movies ever, but because you know it's real, it's, well…inspiring. It helps that Quaid nails the role, and Jones, as son Hunter, walks off with every scene he's in. One of the producers, Mark Ciardi, is a former teammate of Morris, from his original go-round in the minors. Based on Morris's book "The Oldest Rookie." 127m/C VHS, DVD. US Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Angus T. Jones, Brian Cox, Beth Grant, Chad Lindberg, Royce D. Applegate, Jay Hernandez, Russell Richardson, Raynor Scheine, David Blackwell, Edward "Blue" Deckert, Dan Kamin, Trevor Morgan, Rick Gonzalez, Angelo Spizzirri;
Director:
John Lee Hancock;
Writer:
Mike Rich;
Writer:
John Schwartzman;
Cameo:
Carter Burwell.
