Summer Catch

(Plot) A very skilled, but troubled pitcher falls in love with a rich girl (Jessica Biel) The family of the rich girl doesn't approve. Can Freddie Prinze focus to achieve his dreams of pitching in the majors, and win the heart of the woman he loves?

OK. So sue me. I actually had a fairly good time with this movie. I am by no means a fan of Freddie Prinze Jr. He is tolerable here though, and didn't embarrass himself at least. The story is very predictable. You know the drill with these types of films, but it's done in an enjoyable way, so it doesn't really matter in the whole scheme of things. Most Rom-Com's are recycled these days, so I just kick my brain to the curb, and try and enjoy them. What else can you really do? Jessica Biel is great to look at, and does decent as the love interest. I wouldn't say she was great, but she held her own. Matthew Lillard steals some scene's he is in as the loudmouth buddy. Brittany Murphy has a hilarious scene with Freddie Prinze. I won't spoil it, but she was terrific.

Final Thoughts: I don't remember a whole lot about this movie, but I remember enjoying it much more than I thought I would. The cast is game, and I couldn't help but like it. It's not great, but you could do a lot worse for Rom-Com's; worth a look!

6/10

Summer Catch is a romantic comedy about a local college baseball player (Freddy Prinze Jr.) playing in the Cape Cod baseball league, who falls in love with a rich girl, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), who is home in cape cod for the summer and is going to leave to San Francisco to work for her rich uncle because her father told her to. The Cape Cod Baseball league is a league of the finest college baseball players who are bought together to play in a summer league using wooden bats. These players are usually close to making the Major League and getting paid. It is said that 1 out of 6 major league players has played in the Cape Cod league. Many scouts come to watch these games. Prinze plays the baseball player Ryan Dunne who is a Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde type pitcher. He always starts the game well but ultimately comes to the point where he loses his focus and blows it. Prinze is always seen as a failure to his father and his brother. They think that he will end up cutting grass for his father for the rest of his life. Jessica Biel, has rich parents and can have whatever she wants. She falls in love with Ryan Dunne and is caught between choosing her fathers wishes, moving to San Francisco and working for her uncle, or staying with Ryan whether he makes it to the big leagues or not. At first Ryan is not a hit with some of his teammates such as the Dodger Blue, Eric Van Leemer, who turned down a 2 million dollar contract. Eric acts kind of a character foil for Ryan. They are both off the wall pitchers, Eric has a glove that is different colors and has flames, while Ryan just blows up on the field but Ryan found his success in the end by working hard at it. Eric just always had the talent and never had to look deeper to find his pitching groove. But Ryan becomes good friends with his other teammates such as Billy "Bru" Brubaker, Miles Dalrymple and Mickey "Domo" Dominguez (Wilmer Valderama). The movie does have its funny moments such as the times that Ryan and Bru wear the thongs or how Domo's "baseball mother" loves the young cape cod baseball players and gives Domo his own private show which involves a cucumber (lets leave it at that). But baseball and love stories do not mix. The movies ending is horrible, just as the final baseball game gets to its climax, Ryan is 2 outs away from the baseball Mecca of achievements for a pitcher, a no-hitter, he leaves it for Tenley Parrish. I just feel that he should have at least pitched the no-hitter instead of taking himself out. In the end, Ryan Dunne did make the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies, and ironically, he still has the destruction point in the big leagues because he gives up a homer. After watching this movie, writers have found a way to turn the American pastime game of baseball into a chick flick.

`Summer Catch' is yet ANOTHER `coming of age' movie, albiet with a attractive cast and some pretty funny humor. Freddie Prinze, Jr. leads an attractive, talented cast in a story which is one third `Bull Durham, one third `Porky's' and one third `every boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets rich girl movie you've ever seen." Considering it's pedigree, it's surprising this movie was made within the bounds of a PG-13 rating. Perhaps, that's part of the problem. Just when you are expecting it to open up and get REALLY raunchy, it backs away. Certainly, there is NO problem with the cast. Freddy Prinze, Jr. is quite earnest as Ryan Dunne, the `yard boy' turned pitcher; however, despite the slight accent, he's not particularly believable as an Irishman. As Prinze's love interest, Tenley Parrish, Jessica Biel brings the same qualities to the screen as Jamie Lee Curtis, in more ways than two. Once you get past the stunning figure (well showcased, briefly, in a bikini), you realize she's a real person, and a quite likeable one. Matthew Lillard is very funny as Billy Brubaker, as is Marc Blucas as Miles Dalrymple, Gabriel Mann as Auggie and Jed Rhein as Pete. Brittany Murphy makes an appropriately "local bar tramp," and Beverly D'Angelo (an incredibly well preserved 48) as the movie's `Mrs. Robinson'. Zita Gray is cute as Jessica Biel's little sister, Katie. Even Randi Layne makes a favorable impression in a VERY small role as Jessica's mother. Please don't let me forget the contributions of Brian Dennehy, Fred Ward, Bruce Davison and Jason Getrick.

One of the BIG problems with `Summer Catch' is the repetitiveness of the subplotting. You don't get just ONE example of the `boy virgin meets ‘Mrs. Robinson,' you get FIVE. The same goes for the `big talk about your career problems scene,' `local bar tramp causes the jock to miss his appointment,' etc. Perhaps that's why the movie seems overlong, which is a killer for a comedy. HOWEVER, I can't remember another movie I've seen recently in which I can remember the names of so many of the characters. That counts for a lot with me...

Honestly, this movie would be all right in my book if they would have taken out all the jokes making fun of overweight women and the gratuitous sexual content. It would have been a nice family movie. But no, they had to go and make it crude, and now I've lost all respect for Brittany Murphy! When will they make a movie that's suitable to watch with my little sister? Probably never.

Summer Catch was not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it could have made it there with a little more trying. The best actors in the movie were either given little to work with in trite, cliched roles, or were not given enough screen time to showcase their abilities. Bruce Davison, Brian Dennehey, and Jason Gedrick, as Jessica Biel's snobbish father, the gruff coach with a heart of gold, and Freddie Prinze's older brother, who settled for a career as a bartender instead of aspiring for more, are, respectively, the former. The latter include Marc Blucas (Riley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald on Angel, also Love Song, Crossfire Trail, Broken Hearts Club), and Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show). All three do get to show some of their stuff on the diamond and appear to be athletically talented. But they are wasted otherwise. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel don't seem to generate any real sparks. The little girl (Tenley's little sister) who wants to be the team mascot is cute, and Fred Ward acquits himself well as Freddie's father. Beverly D'Angelo should never, never have participated in the excruciatingly bad imitation (perhaps parody should be the better word) of Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham. However, I will buy this when it comes out on video because I can fast forward through Freddie and see just the parts I want!