THE ROOKIE

Year: 2002
USA: Disney Pictures
UK: Buena Vista International
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Beth Grant, Brian Cox, Rick Gonzalez, David Blackwell, Royce D Applegate, Taylor Ball, Julio Cedillo, Mark Ciardi, Blue Deckert, Richard Dillard, Willie Dirden, Cynthia Dorn, Mark Robert Ellis, J D Evermore, Carlos A Gonzalez, Ryan T Hancock, Beau Holden, Kyle Scott Jackson, Angus T Jones, Daniel Tucker Kamin, Michael S Koenig, Chad Lindberg, Robert Logan, Trevor Morgan, Jess Price, Russell Richardson, Robert Rosado, Marco Sanchez, Charles Sanders, Raynor Scheine, John Wayne Shafer, Brian Shoop, Brandon Smith, Angelo Spizzirri, Deborah Abbott, Jimmy Martinez
Director: John Lee Hancock
Country: USA
UK: 127 mins
USA Rated: G
UK Certificate: U contains very mild bad language
USA Release Date: 29 March 2002
UK Release Date: 11 October 2002

Synopsis

THE ROOKIE is based on a true story about a coach who discovers that it's never too late to try and make your dreams come true. Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) never made it out of minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago.

A high school chemistry teacher and baseball coach, now married with children, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major league organization. The bet proves enough of an incentive for the team, and they succeed in making it to the state championship for the first time in the history of the school.

Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal is nearly laughed off the try-out field - until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs. Is it possible that he could begin a career as a major league pitcher at an age when most players are thinking of retiring?