Trouble with the Curve

A grizzled, veteran scout (Clint Eastwood), losing his vision and vehemently stuck in his ways, finds himself being forced out by the Atlanta Braves organization, in favor of the younger, techno-oriented intermediaries. In order to save his job, but really as a swan song to his distinguished career, he takes a road trip with his equally emotionally distant daughter (Amy Adams) to North Carolina to scout a touted prospect. "Trouble with the Curve" comes billed as a counter to "Moneyball", last year's success which favored computer analysis over old-fashioned scouting, which is ironic in a way considering that this film's routine and corny screenplay seems like it was spewed straight from a mainframe. Robert Lorenz, a longtime Eastwood collaborator and first time director, seems to be mimicking his sensei rather than branching out on his own path, and the results are tenuous at best. It's welcomed to see Eastwood on the big screen, who is capable of carrying anything, and I am equally convinced of Adam's versatility also. I only wish that he would have opted to direct, and gone on to find some screenwriting talent that was worth a damn.