Dennis Quaid is a full-blown movie star in the uplifting, unbelievable true story of Jim Morris, who made his major league debut at the age of 38 as a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Quaid plays Morris, and he’s wholly convincing as a major league pitcher, his big smile providing this G-rated movie with extra warmth. For those wanting to see more of Morris’ story, the DVD has a 20-minute documentary featuring the real Jim Morris and a fun commentary from director John Lee Hancock and Quaid providing insight into Quaid’s preparation and approach for the demanding role. As Hancock says in the commentary, this could’ve been your average TV movie of the week, but striking production values and a great supporting cast, including Brian Cox and Rachel Griffiths, make the film something special. Hancock and Quaid strike all the right chords to make this not only a great baseball movie, but also a convincing depiction of a man realizing an impossible dream.
The Rookie
