The Rookie

A chemistry teacher coaching a Texas high school baseball team makes a bet with his players: if they win the district he will try out professionally. He is past thirty-five and his shoulder was wrecked years ago. The film does not build success as a story of youth; the narrative gives its weight to the family's finances, the long bus journeys and how little the minor leagues pay. The father and son thread is its emotional centre. John Lee Hancock directed, with Dennis Quaid in the lead. It follows the real story of Jim Morris and is a Disney production. Who it's for: families looking for a sports film to watch together. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an exact match with the real events; the narrative simplifies parts of it.