Despite all the reviewers calling Summer Catch Summer Crap, I really wanted to see it. I hate to admit it, but they were kinda right. This movie struck out with an unemotional romance.
Despite all the reviewers changing the name of this film to "Summer Crap," I really wanted to see it. I hate to admit it, but they were kinda right. This movie had the potential to be the Top Gun of baseball but messed it up with an unemotional romance.The movie is about Ryan Dunne (played by Freddie Prinze Jr., a local Cape Cod boy who has a killer arm and gets a spot on the Chatham A's summer league team. The team is filled with fun-loving goofs like Billy Brubaker (played by Matthew Lillard) and Miles Dalrymple (played by Marc Blucas.) And of course its got the bad boys - rival pitcher Eric Van Leemer (Corey Pearson) and his bad-boy, short stop sidekick, Dale Robin (played by Christian Kane.) In his time off the field, Ryan mows grass for all the richies in town and falls for Tenley Parrish (played by Jessica Biel), the typical rich, beautiful daughter.
The big problem with this movie is that it focuses too much on the romance and not enough on the ball playing. The romance is weak, to say the least. It consists mostly of Tenley chasing a whining Ryan in and out of the local bar. There is no chemistry between Ryan and Tenley and when she announces she's leaving for San Francisco, you want to buy her the plane ticket.
The baseball aspect is almost completely ignored and it is the best part. I wanted to see more of the rivalry between Robin, Van Leemer and Ryan. I wanted to see more of crazy Brubaker and Miles' obsession with heavy girls. That was all good, fun.
The only people worth watching in this flick are the secondary players like Dale, Van Leemer and Brubaker and unfortunately we don't get to hang with them.
My advice is, don't waste the big bucks - catch Catch on video. That way you can fast forward the romance and rewind the short but sweet scenes with Matthew Lillard, Christian Kane, Corey Pearson and Wilmer Valderrama.
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Did you read our exclusive with Summer Catch short-stop Christian Kane? What are ya waiting for? click here for part one and here for part two.
