The season of family gatherings is upon us, and here are two movies featuring The Dad in a big way. Though not as familiar as The Mom, The Dad is a cozy Hollywood institution, often deployed to prod at adult male shortcomings — from cold, distant workaholic to warm-hearted slob around the house. There's also the Super-Dad who's a sexual powerhouse around Mom and an action hero to his kids. In any case, Dad stories are rarely genuine duds. For women over 39, the real chick flick is the Dad flick.
"Trouble With the Curve" showcases Clint Eastwood in some unforgettable Dad moments. At 82, these days he's more behind the camera than in front of it, but this time he relinquishes the lens to his trusted protege and longtime assistant director, Robert Lorenz, to play a tough, craggy baseball scout named Gus.
Gus is a legendary figure at the Atlanta Braves' headquarters, but even after 40 years of experience and hard-core devotion to the game he still can't keep imminent retirement at bay. On top of that, Gus' eyes are failing and he bumps into furniture a lot. On the advice of his friend Pete (John Goodman), he very reluctantly enlists the aid of estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), a lawyer, to come on the road with him, make the round of ball parks up and down Atlanta and scout out new talent. Mickey agrees, but only because she remembers how much she enjoyed doing that as a child, before her mother's death and Gus sending her away to boarding school.