Have you ever thrown out a puzzle onto your kitchen table and picked up a few pieces that kindalooked like they’d fit?

You know the predictable pieces – like a romance (Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams), a curmudgeon of an old man (Clint), a star egotistical high school baseball player, a loving standup friend to Clint (John Goodman), an evil computer baseball executive who wants to put Clint out to pasture – all surrounding our beloved game of baseball.

Now don’t get me wrong; I love baseball, Amy Adams is cute, Clint is Clint … but after about 15 minutes, it all started to look like the typical scripted Hollywood movie, appealing to everyone and really not satisfying anyone (at least not me.)

Well-shot in pretty, green environments (can’t help but appreciate that!), we find Clint fumbling and grumbling his way in his small tidy house somewhere in mid-America, slowly losing his sight, when his friend John Goodman stops by and wants him to consider … (gulp) retirement!

Clint will have nothing to do with it. Eventually, hard working, intelligent, soon-to-be-made-a-partner-in-her-law-firm Amy Adams comes to help struggling Dad.

But we quickly learn there is tension between the two. Justin Timberlake will be overcome with Amy Adams’ attractive, cute, executive manner; the “bad guys” will get their come-uppance; Clint will prove himself once again, and we can all go home happy that all ends well in Hollywood Land.

Just be sure to have a soda and popcorn handy to keep you awake and satisfied. There were several times when I could feel my mind wandering with some of the dialogue. Not much creative writing here; just the typical, all too common, tear-jerking sentimentality.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I liked the movie. I just got tired of the syrupy sweet plot; some unpleasant moments covered up with honey. I thought it could have been so much more.

But that wasn’t the goal from the beginning. If you’re looking for a real baseball movie, go rent Moneyball with Brad Pitt. If you don’t want to tax yourself, this is the movie for you.

Your intrepid movie-goer,

Dr. Seva SSS Khalsa, DOM, L.Ac.