The Rookie (2002)

82% of critics liked it
(145 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(58,629 ratings)

The true story of a middle-aged baseball rookie comes to the screen from Finding Forrester (2000) screenwriter Mike Rich and the studio behind the previous year's equally inspirational sports drama Remember the Titans (2001). Twelve years ago, the pro baseball aspirations of Texas pitcher Jim Morris… More The true story of a middle-aged baseball rookie comes to the screen from Finding Forrester (2000) screenwriter Mike Rich and the studio behind the previous year's equally inspirational sports drama Remember the Titans (2001). Twelve years ago, the pro baseball aspirations of Texas pitcher Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) were derailed by a severe shoulder injury. Jim became a high school science teacher and baseball coach, married his sweetheart, Lorri (Rachel Griffiths), and settled down to raise a family. After corrective surgery repairs, despite the longstanding damage to his shoulder, Jim discovers that he can pitch a ball even faster than he could before. When his team delivers a lackluster on-field performance in a losing game, coach and players agree to a wager: If they'll make it to the district championships, he'll try out for a major league ball club. When his team makes it to the championship and wins for the first time in the school's history, Jim is forced to live up to his end of the bargain. Nearly laughed off the field, he confounds the pro scouts by tossing successive fastballs that clock at nearly 100 miles per hour. It seems that Jim is about to live his dream of joining a major league team in middle age, when most players are planning their retirement. The Rookie (2002) co-stars Brian Cox, Beth Grant, and Jay Hernandez. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: G, 2 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: John Lee Hancock
Written By: Mike Rich
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Mar 29, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Aug 27, 2002
Studio: Buena Vista Distribution Compa

Critic Reviews

Hank Sartin, Chicago Reader
All the uplift could easily get cloying, but director John Lee Hancock knows how to keep things in control, and the whole is surprisingly satisfying.
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune
You can see why the filmmakers optioned the story from a Sports Illustrated article: It just works.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
What saves it is Dennis Quaid, a fine and generally underrated actor who plays a real-life small-town Texas high-school science teacher and baseball coach who fulfills his dream of pitching in the big leagues.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Hancock's heartfelt movie scores a solid hit.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
A sports film with feel-happy appeal for all, regardless of age or interest.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I hesitate to use the phrase 'family film' because it has such fluffy connotations, but this is really a rare G-rated movie that's suitable for all viewers.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Earnest, uplifting baseball melodrama
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Sweet and engaging despite some flaws.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
In one of his greatest performances, Dennis Quaid puts nasty velocity and wicked movement on his delivery. A patient, emotionally honest sports film about resurrecting a dream and investing all you never knew you had.
Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review
It spreads the inspirational butter thicker than the diamond action and buries the school team beneath Morris' quest for a new career, but develops a lyrical sense of what it's like to resurrect self-worth and chase one's dreams.
, Film4
Earnest to the point of blandness.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
It's quiet, slow-moving, and unpretentious--all of which really makes this real-life story feel authentic. And it sure looks good in Blu-ray.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
The Rookie is one of those rare, wonderful 'formula' films that ... favors understatement over exaggeration, subtlety over sentimentality.
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
I would almost rather have seen an A&E biography than a concocted Hollywood parable of unrealized dreams.
Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
A fine example of heartwarming real-life drama, with performances that ring true and some terrific moments that befit a classic American Dream story.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
My all-time favorite baseball movie.
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
If they gave an Oscar for Best Performance in a Mediocre Movie, Dennis Quaid should already be clearing his mantelpiece.
Charlie Brown, FilmStew.com
It shows us that things may not be like they used to, but we can still enjoy the celebration of things past.
Jonathan W. Hickman, Entertainment Insiders
Baseball season is here, folks, and The Rookie is a good opening day experience.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Sem apelar para o melodrama, o filme (baseado em uma história real) emociona e inspira o espectador.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

The Rookie is one of the few sports films that really doesn't do anything for me. The film is overly cliched and is more irritating and boring than anything else. I saw this film made it on the list of worst sports movies ever made. I can understand why. The film is very poorly… More
The Rookie is one of the few sports films that really doesn't do anything for me. The film is overly cliched and is more irritating and boring than anything else. I saw this film made it on the list of worst sports movies ever made. I can understand why. The film is very poorly written, the acting is terrible, the plot is predictable and Dennis Qaids kid in the film is irritating as hell. But its normal for a Disney film. That's to be expected. I thought the film was really a chore to finish, the only reason that I have this is because it came as a two pack packaged with a film that I wanted. I thought this film would be good, it wasn't. Sometimes a story with lots of cliches can be interesting and fun, when the script is well written, and the cast is good. But thats not the case with The Rookie. The Rookie tries too hard at being a feel good film, and instead it misses the mark, big time. Theres little interest in the film to be had 40 minutes in and the film feels sloppy, and poorly made. The Rookie could have been a great film, but it uses the usual feel good movie formula in such a bad way that the film is laughable. If you're looking for one of the worst feel good sports films, then The Rookie is that film. Boring, predictable and so poorly made all you want to do after watching this film is forget about it.
Jay H

Life is perfect, isn't it? There are no hitches, and it just moves along perfectly. That's how life is, right? Well, maybe in a Disney movie, but that's not what makes a good film. When you think about it, it's the ups and downs in characters' lives that makes… More
Life is perfect, isn't it? There are no hitches, and it just moves along perfectly. That's how life is, right? Well, maybe in a Disney movie, but that's not what makes a good film. When you think about it, it's the ups and downs in characters' lives that makes movies interesting. Who cares if this guy's life is perfect? It's boring. Yeah, it's based on a true story, so they couldn't do much about it, but they really should have taken some creative license with this one, because watching this guy have success at everything he does with absolutely no failure is not interesting. It's boring. Plain and simple. Not to mention that it seemed that half the movie was Quaid's kid smiling at his daddy. Though Quaid does what he can with the poorly-written role he's given, the film still sucks.
danny d

great, one of the great sports flicks
Jason S

I'm a pretty big fan of Dennis Quaid so I watched it. It was pretty good. Not really original but it was nice to see.
Dannielle A

I'm not going to lie... I shed a tear or two.
Andrew F

Another good family movie from Disney. It is very inspirational.
C.R. L

Truly compelling and honest emotional films are really hard to come by these days mostly due to the fact that good old fashioned family values and inspirational stories take a backseat to dark and gritty crime dramas and murder mysteries. But John Lee Hancock's "The… More
Truly compelling and honest emotional films are really hard to come by these days mostly due to the fact that good old fashioned family values and inspirational stories take a backseat to dark and gritty crime dramas and murder mysteries. But John Lee Hancock's "The Rookie" proves that films like that are not dead. "The Rookie" is the inspiring and heartwarming true story of Jimmy Morris, a high school science teacher and coach of a small town team that's had a bad season. So coach Morris makes a bet with his team that if they win the championship he would try out for a major league team. Well his team wins and now Morris has to uphold his end of the bargain and tryout for a team, but little does he or anyone else know is that Jimmy Morris is about to become the oldest and most unlikely rookie. It's a film that literally will make you stand up and cheer, it will touch every fiber of your soul and every inch of your heart. "The Rookie" may seem like a run of the mill, seen it before sports film but trust me it's not. No this film is something more and it's something that must be experienced to truly believe the amazing power that it exudes and the extreme depth of emotion and character that is in it makes more of a great example of Disney magic and film making at it's finest. Dennis Quaid gives the performance of a lifetime as the high school coach turned MLB all star, Quaid's performance is skillful, powerful, emotional and honest. He gives his all and then some to the part and to the film and it shows. All in all the cast does amazing in this film and play out there parts well in this brilliant and up lifting film. "The Rookie" is a fun, enjoyable, smart and well mounted film that has it's heart in it's right place and it's game on the right track. It's a must see film that shows that no matter how old you are you still can make your dreams come true.
Marion R

Meh, It was another predictable Disney junk.
Jojo S

Great script for a real-life plot. Many touching scenes and speeches. Although Quaid doesn't look like Morris, he certainly has the portrait of heart and soul of Morris.