Summer Catch

Rating:
Summary: Foul Ball
Review: While I know I'm not exactly part of Summer Catch's target audience, after seeing the film, I doubt even if most of the movie-goers that the movie was made for would be entertained all that much by the generic story.

This summer couldn't be more crucial for Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) , a blue-collar kid with aspirations to become a major league baseball player. Every summer, the hottest college ball players descend upon Cape Cod to pursue their baseball dreams during the day and blow off steam in town at night. The first local boy in years to earn a slot in the team, Ryan finally got his shot...but the temptations off-field are getting in the way of his commitment to the game. Even as his bartender brother Mike (Jason Gedrick) tries to keep him focused, Ryan is distracted by Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel) a beautiful young woman who summers in the town with her family. As the friction builds between his loyal townie friends and his cocky teammates, Ryan's rivalry with hotshot teammate Eric (Corey Pearson) comes to a head. When a major league scout comes along, however, he tries to push the pangs of romance and player rivalry aside, because his sports talent may be his only ticket out of the small industrial town.

The cast may be filled with the proper mix of "hot young talent" and seasoned character actors like Fred Ward, Brian Dennehy, and Bruce Davison, that is not enough. The script by Kevin Falls and John Gatins has one cliche after another. How many times do we need to see class warfare play out in a teen film? Or parents who disapprove of a romance? This film was made in the 80's starring Tom Cruise with fooball as its sport, substituted here as baseball. Brought to you by the producing team behind TV's Smallville and directed by Mike Tollin, the cast tries hard to escape the trappings but ultimately fails Biel, Prinze and scene stealers Matthew Lillard as Billy, and Brittany Murphy as Dede create some spark but as I say, not enough. If you are a fan of Baseball, hoping for a home run look elsewhere, the sport takes a back seat.

The DVD has feature-length commentary with Tollin, Gatins, and Biel that has its moments to be enjoyed but like the film--too few. The additional scenes wouldn't have improved the situation. Cast/crew filmographies top off the disc.

Summer Catch has a cast that deserves better material. Only for the most rabid fans of its stars.


Rating:
Summary: An Embarrassment to baseball
Review: This shouldn't even be considered a baseball movie! That is like calling M. Night Shamalan's "Signs" a baseball movie because the one guy played baseball. Not worth it at all.

Rating:
Summary: Good no matter what they say!
Review: Despite the other reviews, this was a nice change from all the other movies out there. Just basic and enjoyable! Refreshing after a long day. Simple and sweet. Really enjoyed it!