SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE ROOKIE

"THE ROOKIE"
(2002) (Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths) (G)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Minor	Mild	None	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	*Minor	Minor

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	Minor	Moderate	Mild	Minor

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: Spurred on by a bet he made with the high school baseball team he coaches, an older science teacher tries out for the big leagues again, hoping to impress them with his amazingly fast pitching.

PLOT:

Years after repeated injuries forced him to give up his dream of playing major league baseball, Jim Morris (DENNIS QUAID), has settled back into life in the small Texas town where he grew up with his mother, Olline (BETH GRANT), and father, Jim Sr. (BRIAN COX). Married to Lorri (RACHEL GRIFFITHS) and proud father of Hunter (ANGUS T. JONES) and two other kids, Jim currently serves as Big Lake High School's science teacher and baseball coach.

The team, consisting of players including Joaquin "Wack" Campos (JAY HERNANDEZ), Joel De La Garza (ANGELO SPIZZIRRI), Joe David West (CHAD LINDBERG) and Rudy Bonilla (RICK GONZALEZ), isn't overly inspired, mainly because everyone in town is more interested in seeing the football team succeed and could care less about baseball.

When Jim ends up pitching during practice, he impresses his players with his incredibly fast pitches and causes them to wonder why he hasn't attempted to try out for the majors again. He says he had his shot - something of a defeatist attitude imposed by his estranged father -- but his players make a bet with him. Although he thinks it's a crazy notion, he agrees that if they can make it to the state playoffs, he'll try out one more time.

With the aid of longtime townies Henry (ROYCE D. APPLEGATE), Cal (DAVID BLACKWELL) and Frank (RAYNOR SCHEINE), Jim then gets the ball field into shape and inspires his players to win. When they reach their goal, he keeps up his side of the deal and ends up impressing the scouts enough to end up on the farm team for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

From that point on, and while dealing with much younger players including Brooks (RUSSELL RICHARDSON) who initially don't like the attention the "old man" receives simply for being different, Jim must then decide whether the nonstop travel, low pay and time away from his family is worth the pursuit of his dream.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Those who are fond of baseball, baseball movies, or someone in the cast might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G: For not containing material to warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: DENNIS QUAID plays a high school science teacher and coach who agrees to try out for the majors if his players get to the state playoffs. When they do, and he makes it onto a farm team, he must decide whether the travel, low pay and time away from his family are worth the continued pursuit of his dream.
RACHEL GRIFFITHS plays his wife who isn't always crazy about the idea of him returning to playing, but ultimately supports him.
BRIAN COX plays Jim's estranged father who doesn't know how to show his love or support for his son.
BETH GRANT plays Jim's mother who does support him and hopes that his strained relationship with his father doesn't hamper his dreams.
ANGUS T. JONES plays Jim's son who helps him out and is proud of him.
JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; RACHEL GRIFFITHS plays his wife who isn't always crazy about the idea of him returning to playing, but ultimately supports him.
BRIAN COX plays Jim's estranged father who doesn't know how to show his love or support for his son.
BETH GRANT plays Jim's mother who does support him and hopes that his strained relationship with his father doesn't hamper his dreams.
ANGUS T. JONES plays Jim's son who helps him out and is proud of him.
JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; BRIAN COX plays Jim's estranged father who doesn't know how to show his love or support for his son.
BETH GRANT plays Jim's mother who does support him and hopes that his strained relationship with his father doesn't hamper his dreams.
ANGUS T. JONES plays Jim's son who helps him out and is proud of him.
JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; BETH GRANT plays Jim's mother who does support him and hopes that his strained relationship with his father doesn't hamper his dreams.
ANGUS T. JONES plays Jim's son who helps him out and is proud of him.
JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; ANGUS T. JONES plays Jim's son who helps him out and is proud of him.
JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; JAY HERNANDEZ and ANGELO SPIZZIRRI play two of the players who challenge Jim to pursue his dream.
RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.; RUSSELL RICHARDSON plays another minor league player who initially doesn't like Jim due to the attention he's receiving.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this G-rated drama. Profanity consists of a few minor expletives, while a handful of benign colorful phrases and some imitative behavior are also present. A husband and wife are seen together in bed (possibly nude), but nothing sexual or sensual occurs as they're just talking about other matters.

Some characters have bad attitudes, while some tense family moments include a husband and wife briefly arguing, and that man and his father still having a strained father/son relationship. Beyond that, a few characters briefly drink and one smokes.

If you're still concerned about the film's content and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home, we suggest that you examine our detailed listings more closing for additional and more specific information.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Jim and Lorri have wine.
Jim and others drink beer at a birthday party.
Jim and two other minor league players drink beer with dinner.
Jim has a beer in a bar.

BLOOD/GORE: We see some dirty diapers (brown in color) that Jim tosses into a trashcan.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Jim Sr. often acts somewhat distant and/or cold toward his son in the past and present.
Jim doesn't tell Lorri about his plans to tryout for the baseball team, and the two get into a brief argument with some raised voices (although they quickly apologize).
A guy in the stands repeatedly heckles Jim about his age.
Another player, Brooks, initially gives Jim a hard time, but they eventually become friends.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: None.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Oh hell," "Punk" and "You stink."
As Lorri walks past Jim in a school office, she playfully pats and grabs his clothed butt.
One of Jim's players spits while playing ball.
Joel (the catcher) has Rudy (the pitcher) purposefully throw a pitch at a batter to make him duck and thus shake his confidence a bit. That player then mockingly makes a kissing gesture toward Rudy to distract him.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): 1 song had what sounded like 1 "damn" in it.

PROFANITY: At least 3 damns, 1 hell and 1 use each of "Oh my God" and "Oh my Lord" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: As Lorri walks past Jim in a school office, she playfully pats and grabs his clothed butt.
We see Jim in bed, shirtless, and in a later scene see the same thing, as well as Lorri's bare shoulders (with the sheets pulled around her chest), as she talks with him in bed, but nothing sexual occurs.

SMOKING: Henry, Cal and Frank comment about a singer smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day.
Cal smokes a pipe.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: In the early scenes where Jim is a kid being forced to move around the country with his family, he's not happy about it, and he and his father have a strained relationship that then continues years later when both are adults.
We also eventually realize that Jim's parents are divorced or separated in the present day story.
Jim and Lorri have a brief moment where both are perturbed and raise their voices toward each other (but then quickly apologize).
While playing in the minor league, Jim doesn't see his family for 3 months.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Pursuing one's dreams, even if it means revisiting them after some time after them.
The film being based on a true story.
The non-glamorous life of minor league players.
Having to move from town to town as a family/kid due to job relocation or new jobs, etc.

VIOLENCE: Joel (the catcher) has Rudy (the pitcher) purposefully throw a pitch at a batter to make him duck and thus shake his confidence a bit.

Reviewed February 28, 2002 / Posted March 29, 2002

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