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Rookie, The
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // G // August 26, 2002
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Two genres of film that have been popular since the birth of movies are the sports movie and the film based on a true story. These two genres collide in "The Rookie", a film which explores both America's passion for baseball and one man's passion for life.
"The Rookie" tells the story of Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid). Through a series of early scenes, we learn that young Jimmy had a burning desire to play baseball, yet he was moved around constantly by his Navy-dad (Brian Cox). The Morris' finally settle in Big Lake, Texas. A West-Texas town which has no organized baseball.
The film then leaps ahead to the present, where a 35-year old Jimmy is a high-school science teacher and baseball coach. It seems that Jimmy had a shot at being a major-league player, but he was hampered by injuries. Yet, he still loves baseball, and during a game of catch, finds that he still has a powerful fast-ball. As his team is slumping, he makes a deal with them -- if they win the district championship, he will try out for a major league baseball team. When the Big Lake Owls win 16 games straight, including district, Jimmy must make good on his promise, much to the chagrin of his wife Lorri (Rachel Griffiths). Can a 35-year old teacher finally fulfill his dream of playing in the big leagues?
"The Rookie" suffers from the same problem that hampers most any film based on a true story. That is, if you've know anything about the real-life characters or have seen any of the promotional material, including the trailer, then you most likely know how the film is going to end. ("Titanic" is my favorite example of this. Going into the movie, I was fairly certain that the boat was going to sink.) However, "The Rookie" plays as if the audience has no clue what is going to happen to Jimmy (and to be fair, many audience members probably didn't) and attempts to add suspense and tension during the latter half of the film. So, if you know anything about this movie from the outset, you may find some of it to be dragging.
This issue is further hampered by the fact that at over two hours, "The Rookie" is far too long. Director John Lee Hancock lingers on scenes of Dennis Quaid looking pensive, or the Texas landscape, when he should be moving the story along. (Come to think of it, this film plays sort of like a slow baseball game.) Subplots, such as the locals helping Jimmy to grow grass on his baseball field slow the film down even more. Ironically, once Jimmy enters try-outs, the film seems to skip over important details, most notably how being a baseball player affects one's financial situation.
Those objections aside, "The Rookie" is the best live-action G-rated film that I've seen since "Babe". (Actually, it's probably the only one.) The tale of Jimmy Morris is certainly an interesting one and it makes for great movie material. Quaid does a great job in the lead role, and upon seeing the film, it's understandable why there is Oscar buzz surrounding his performance. (Although, he'll never top his turn in "Caveman".) The supporting cast is good as well, most notably the young actors on the Big Lake baseball team, and the last 15-minutes are very moving.
Video
"The Rookie" is presented on this DVD in an anamorphic widescreen, which has been letterboxed at 1.85:1. The image is very sharp and clear, and despite the fact that much of the action takes place in the bright Texas sunshine, there is only a very fine sheen of grain on the image. The colors are are very good, which is an asset, as the film starts with an almost sepia-toned look, and then moves into a more realstic mode. The framing appears to be accurate, and the image is stable throughout.
Audio
This DVD features an impressive Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. This track provides the expected clear dialogue, but it offers much more than one would expect from a drama. Director Hancock stated that he wanted a specific sound design, so he hired the Oscar winner from "U-571" and this work shows in this sound mix, as every pitch resonates throughout the speakers. The bass here is good, and the use of surround sound is impressive. The dynamic range is appropriate, and the effects never drown out the dialogue.
Extras
The special features on "The Rookie" are kicked off by an audio commentary featuring director Hancock and star Quaid. This is a good-natured talk, as the duo discuss the making of the film and give specifics on how certain scenes were shot. They comment on how they approached the material, giving specific detail on the difficulties of making a movie about someone who is still alive.
Next, we have seven deleted scenes, each coming complete with an overly chatty intro by Hancock. Some of these scenes are worth watching, but it's clear why the majority were cut. (Especially given the fact that the movie is too long as it is.)
The best extra is a 20 minute segment entitled "The Insprirational Story", which focuses on the real Jimmy Morris, and features interviews with Morris and his mother. This featurette highlights the aspects of Morris' life which are covered in the film, and some which were omitted. Personally, I felt that more of Jimmy's personal accomplishments (he's done a lot!) should have made it into the movie. It's always nice when a feature such as this is included on a DVD for a true-story film, and "The Inspirational Story" is a clear winner.
The final extra is a true oddity. Mark Ellis, who served as baseball coordinator on the film, offers tips to baseball players in categories such as hitting, pitching, and infielding. This will be of interest to aspiring baseball players, but will be lost on everyone else.
Fans of baseball and/or Dennis Quaid should enjoy this film. Still, "The Rookie" is hampered by its slow pace and there are too many strikes against it for the film to be a unamimous winner. Fortunately, the DVD offers a nice transfer, and an in-depth look at the real-life character.
Two genres of film that have been popular since the birth of movies are the sports movie and the film based on a true story. These two genres collide in "The Rookie", a film which explores both America's passion for baseball and one man's passion for life.
"The Rookie" tells the story of Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid). Through a series of early scenes, we learn that young Jimmy had a burning desire to play baseball, yet he was moved around constantly by his Navy-dad (Brian Cox). The Morris' finally settle in Big Lake, Texas. A West-Texas town which has no organized baseball.
The film then leaps ahead to the present, where a 35-year old Jimmy is a high-school science teacher and baseball coach. It seems that Jimmy had a shot at being a major-league player, but he was hampered by injuries. Yet, he still loves baseball, and during a game of catch, finds that he still has a powerful fast-ball. As his team is slumping, he makes a deal with them -- if they win the district championship, he will try out for a major league baseball team. When the Big Lake Owls win 16 games straight, including district, Jimmy must make good on his promise, much to the chagrin of his wife Lorri (Rachel Griffiths). Can a 35-year old teacher finally fulfill his dream of playing in the big leagues?
"The Rookie" suffers from the same problem that hampers most any film based on a true story. That is, if you've know anything about the real-life characters or have seen any of the promotional material, including the trailer, then you most likely know how the film is going to end. ("Titanic" is my favorite example of this. Going into the movie, I was fairly certain that the boat was going to sink.) However, "The Rookie" plays as if the audience has no clue what is going to happen to Jimmy (and to be fair, many audience members probably didn't) and attempts to add suspense and tension during the latter half of the film. So, if you know anything about this movie from the outset, you may find some of it to be dragging.
This issue is further hampered by the fact that at over two hours, "The Rookie" is far too long. Director John Lee Hancock lingers on scenes of Dennis Quaid looking pensive, or the Texas landscape, when he should be moving the story along. (Come to think of it, this film plays sort of like a slow baseball game.) Subplots, such as the locals helping Jimmy to grow grass on his baseball field slow the film down even more. Ironically, once Jimmy enters try-outs, the film seems to skip over important details, most notably how being a baseball player affects one's financial situation.
Those objections aside, "The Rookie" is the best live-action G-rated film that I've seen since "Babe". (Actually, it's probably the only one.) The tale of Jimmy Morris is certainly an interesting one and it makes for great movie material. Quaid does a great job in the lead role, and upon seeing the film, it's understandable why there is Oscar buzz surrounding his performance. (Although, he'll never top his turn in "Caveman".) The supporting cast is good as well, most notably the young actors on the Big Lake baseball team, and the last 15-minutes are very moving.
Video
"The Rookie" is presented on this DVD in an anamorphic widescreen, which has been letterboxed at 1.85:1. The image is very sharp and clear, and despite the fact that much of the action takes place in the bright Texas sunshine, there is only a very fine sheen of grain on the image. The colors are are very good, which is an asset, as the film starts with an almost sepia-toned look, and then moves into a more realstic mode. The framing appears to be accurate, and the image is stable throughout.
Audio
This DVD features an impressive Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. This track provides the expected clear dialogue, but it offers much more than one would expect from a drama. Director Hancock stated that he wanted a specific sound design, so he hired the Oscar winner from "U-571" and this work shows in this sound mix, as every pitch resonates throughout the speakers. The bass here is good, and the use of surround sound is impressive. The dynamic range is appropriate, and the effects never drown out the dialogue.
Extras
The special features on "The Rookie" are kicked off by an audio commentary featuring director Hancock and star Quaid. This is a good-natured talk, as the duo discuss the making of the film and give specifics on how certain scenes were shot. They comment on how they approached the material, giving specific detail on the difficulties of making a movie about someone who is still alive.
Next, we have seven deleted scenes, each coming complete with an overly chatty intro by Hancock. Some of these scenes are worth watching, but it's clear why the majority were cut. (Especially given the fact that the movie is too long as it is.)
The best extra is a 20 minute segment entitled "The Insprirational Story", which focuses on the real Jimmy Morris, and features interviews with Morris and his mother. This featurette highlights the aspects of Morris' life which are covered in the film, and some which were omitted. Personally, I felt that more of Jimmy's personal accomplishments (he's done a lot!) should have made it into the movie. It's always nice when a feature such as this is included on a DVD for a true-story film, and "The Inspirational Story" is a clear winner.
The final extra is a true oddity. Mark Ellis, who served as baseball coordinator on the film, offers tips to baseball players in categories such as hitting, pitching, and infielding. This will be of interest to aspiring baseball players, but will be lost on everyone else.
Fans of baseball and/or Dennis Quaid should enjoy this film. Still, "The Rookie" is hampered by its slow pace and there are too many strikes against it for the film to be a unamimous winner. Fortunately, the DVD offers a nice transfer, and an in-depth look at the real-life character.
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