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From the time Jimmy Morris (Trevor Morgan) can fit his hand inside a leather glove and chuck a baseball, he dreams of being in the major league and hurling the winning pitch in a World Series Game. But his father's (Brian Cox) military career keeps the family moving before he can even finish a season of play, and eventually lands them all in the football town of Big Lake, Texas.

Plagued by elbow and shoulder injuries, the now grown-up Jimmy (Dennis Quaid) puts his diamond dreams on the shelf and settles into life as a high school science teacher and coach. With his wife Lorrie (Rachel Griffiths) and three children, he takes to staying put in the small town with the faded storefronts and friendly people. But a bet with the kids on his championship baseball team soon has him dusting off the glove, warming up his arm and heading for a tryout with a professional organization. Easily a decade older than the other hopefuls on the field, Jimmy has to prove himself if he wants to earn a right to stand on the pitcher's mound.

Much like Disney's 1999 release, The Straight Story, this is a movie aimed at an older audience that garners a G-rating because of its limited content issues. Other than Morris's 8-year-old son, there is hardly a character under the age of 15 on screen and most of the 2-hour movie focuses on the ball-tossing activities of the 35-year-old recruit. While the film unrolls at the leisurely (sometimes dawdling) pace of a Saturday night ballgame complete with an extra inning, fans of the sport will likely revel in the story based on the real life events of pitcher Jimmy Morris.

For the rest of the general paying public sitting in the stands, The Rookie offers some simple lessons about the importance of family relationships, community spirit, and even forgiveness. Stepping up to home plate, it emphasizes that having dreams and pursing them isn't the exclusive luxury of the under-30 generation.

Talk about the movie with your family...

Jimmy Morris had a dream to be a major league baseball pitcher. What did he do to work toward that goal? What do you want to achieve and how can you do it? Are all goals attainable?

Because of his father's career, Jimmy and his family moved a lot. Do you think that contributed to the tension between Jimmy and his father? What things could they have done differently? How can families work together to make moving less stressful for everyone?

What impact can a teacher/coach have in the lives of students? What changes does Jimmy motivate in his baseball team?

You can read articles about the real life Jimmy Morris on this site.

Video alternatives...
Dreams of playing baseball are central themes in A League of Their Own and The Sandlot. For other stories of inspiring teachers, check out Mr. Holland's Opus or To Sir With Love.

DVD Notes: The Rookie
DVD Release Date: 27 August 2002

The DVD release of The Rookie hits the home mark with a grand slam of bonus materials.

Director John Lee Hancock and actor Dennis Quaid provide a commentary. The featurette, The Inspirational Story of Jim Morris, gives fans an opportunity to meet the real rookie, and Spring Training offers budding ball players some tips from the pros. There are also some deleted scenes, which are introduced by the director. Audio tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and French, with Spanish subtitles.

Kerry Bennett

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