How many movies can you say have two of America’s greatest pastimes: romance and baseball?
One of my favorites is Summer Catch, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. (She’s All That), Jessica Biel (7th Heaven), and Matthew Lillard.
Summer is just around the corner and baseball is one of America’s favorite summer sports. Why not put a little romance in it as well? Baseball is a sport, but in this movie, love is the game.
Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) plays a local lawn boy just trying to make his pitching mark in the Cape Cod baseball league. Billy Bruebaker (Matthew Lillard) plays Ryan’s right hand man, who keeps him on the diamond and on the right track. But, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), also known as the Shaw Road princess, falls for Ryan and that’s when things heat up.
Ryan pitches for the local Chatham A’s. Most of the players in the Cape Cod league are players fresh out of college who have not made it to a major league baseball team. The field in the movie was built from scratch in a little town called South Port, NC.
Early in the movie, Ryan meets Tenley Parrish, the rich girl that comes to Chatham for a summer break. Billy Bruebaker comes into view having trouble hitting the ball. As Billy struggles at bat, Ryan is trying for a win with Tenley. Ryan doesn’t really understand why Billy wants to quit, so he takes him under his wing and guides him to a better batting average.
Tenley’s father does not like the relationship his little princess has formed. She wants to prove her father wrong about Ryan. She wants him to know that Ryan’s not just another lawn boy but a young man that is going places with his baseball career.
As the end of the A’s season nears, Ryan’s career moves forward and the scouts of MLB are looking upon him.
Summer Catch is a movie that you should pop in the DVD player and gear up for the summer with. Where else can you see baseball, romance, and comedy all in the same movie?
Yeah this looks like a good movie. I’ll have to check this one out.
When I was a just a wee little fellow. I loved playing for Greenville, Alabama’s city league baseball teams. I still remember the smell of the grass in the outfield and the dirt under my feet as I played catcher. I jsut wish the romance was there then like it is now.
This really looks good! Something me and my wife can watch together!
Cool Baseball it’s life, it’s got to be for the love of it.Well in this case the Romance.
You know what baseball movie really sucked? “Fever Pitch” with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. Really bad.
I actually vomited and pooped out the wrong holes while watching this film. After I awoke from my epileptic seizure caused by the line uttered by Jessica Beil (Let yourself be great), I found myself imprisoned in some sort of Russian Gulag. I was beaten and tortured day and night for two years, but this pain could not compare to that which I experienced while watching this film. After being released from the Siberian Prison, doctors told me that I am now slightly retarded, not from the malnutrition of the forced labor camp, but from (as you may have guessed) watching Summer Catch. I am married now and my children were born with flipper fins because my wife and I conceived our children while watching this movie. I have enrolled them in the institute for children with mutations caused by “Summer Catch” also known as ICMCSC. I have started selling bracelets similar to those created by Lance Armstrong to help fund ICMCSC. They read: “Summer Catch Ruined My Life”. An alternative slogan, that was later rejected, read: Let Yourself…Summer Catch Sucks. Till my dying day I will never forgive those who have taken so much from me. I have made peace with my alcoholic abusive father, I have forgiven that one guy who stole my car and then ran me over with it, I have even buried the hatchet with my cousin who actually lit me on fire and then peed on me to put it out, but since he had so much alcohol in his system, it actually further engulfed me in flames…but I will always carry the hate for those who made, starred in, and produced this Godless abomination of a film. Have a nice day.
Well said.
*dead* No need for abs tonight, thanks to Joe Random. Where can I buy one of those bracelets Joe?
Justin – I agree. We need to see more reviews like Joe Random’s (whoever it is). Joe’s comment had me laughing out of my chair.
[...] few months ago, we posted a review of Summer Catch. Admittedly, I’m no fan of Summer Catch, so my review would’ve been much [...]
Joe Random rulez !
[...] few months ago, we posted a review of Summer Catch. Admittedly, I’m no fan of Summer Catch, so my review would’ve been much [...]
“Where else can you see baseball, romance, and comedy all in the same movie?” um… BULL DURHAM? plus you got summer in NC, where summer catch was mainly filmed anyway. i’m just sayin.