Clint Eastwood has been in the business long enough to know when a project is going to work and when it won’t; he famously ended his Western career after wrapping “Unforgiven” in 1992 and has judiciously selected his films since then, working mainly for…himself. As a director, his career took a whole new turn with successes like “Mystic River”, “Gran Torino”, and “Million Dollar Baby”, and he starred in several of the films he helmed. But now, he’s been asked to star in a film by Robert Lorenz about an aging baseball scout, and Eastwood trusted his gut enough to sign on as the lead character, Gus.
The film also stars Amy Adams as his daughter, who agrees to accompany him on a trip to see a baseball phenom in action, and John Goodman, who plays his boss. And, in something of a departure for the young actor, Justin Timberlake shows up as Johnny, a young rival scout who strikes up a friendship on the road with Gus. Of course, after he insinuates himself into the relationship between Gus and his daughter–and ultimately begins to look at her as more than a friend–Eastwood throws on that famous scowl and does the scary-dad thing.
Lorenz says of “Trouble With The Curve“:
“He (Goodman’s character) recognizes that Gus is at risk of losing his job. There are younger people at the organization who think it’s time for new blood. Gus is old school, and they want to move him out.”
Lorenz and Eastwood are old pals, having worked together on films like “Mystic River” and “Letters From Iwo Jima”, so it’s no surprise that the grizzly actor decided to do the project. The film premieres in September; no word yet on how Timberlake felt when confronted with Eastwood’s angry-face.