Summer Catch (2001)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

This isn't the worst movie ever but it has nothing going for it. It is weak as a baseball film and it is weak as a boy meets girl chick flick. The characters are stock, the acting is uninspired, the plot is predictable, and there is just nothing about this film that draws the viewer in. It passes the time. It fills a void. Others have probably said it better than I have above, though.I just want to point out that as any baseball fan worth his weight in pine tar knows any young man who throws left-handed and can reach 96mph on the gun is going to get repeated opportunities in professional baseball. Even an organization with the most pessimistic view of his prospects would wonder if they could turn him into a LOOGY.It's a small issue but the movie is full of things that make it crappy. This silly detail about his ability to throw hard is just the cherry on top of the sundae for me as a baseball fan.

(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

The film "Summer Catch," on its own, is, let us acknowledge it, no great shakes. The male actors, including (sob) Brian Dennehy, give shallow and inept performances, the characterizations are un-dimensional, the dialogue is outright phony, and the picture, as a whole, just meanders along, with hardly any signs of genuine life. That "hardly" in the last sentence was intentional. "Summer Catch"'s saving grace, the factor that alone--repeat, alone--makes it worthwhile is Jessica Biel. Her stylish beauty, her sizzling sexiness, and her effortless poise make "Catch" worth catching. To see her, as she does here, sashay around in a skimpy bikini or a tight white T-shirt easily makes you absolutely willing to forgive and forget the flick's blatant amateurishness. No question about it: It is Jessica Biel's unyielding babeliciousness that, by itself--by itself--is the reason to see, and savor, "Summer Catch."

The ads for the film looked alright so I thought I would give it a shot because I like Freddie prize junior . I love romantic comedies but this is just so predictable. How many more movies do we have to put up with where the main character has to achieve something great and/or is soul searching. Then suddenly they find all they are looking for in a gorgeous member of the opposite sex. Then they face some huge problem and then just right at the end all their problems disappear. Does that sound familiar to anyone? But basically for anyone who hasn't seen the film its about a guy Ryan (Freddie) who wants to succeed at baseball. He has some problems at home with his dad and brother. He meets Jessica Biel and they fall in love. Her parents have some problems with him as he's poor but in the end they decide to stay together.