A great sports movie has the potential to inspire, to make us laugh, cry, think. Basically, if its realistic, it can impact us. Such is the case with "Summer Catch."
Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a landscaper's son living in pictureesque Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Every summer, college baseball players descend on the Cape to play in the Cape League, a distinguished baseball league that's one step from the minors and paid baseball. Dunne is the first local in seven years to be chosen to play for the league. Then, a beautiful summer vacationer, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), comes into his life, and Ryan must battle his personal demons and blue-collar roots to play the game he loves and be with the girl of his dreams.
I originally went to see this film the night it opened in August 2001, but the movie theater had technical difficulties, and the movie wound up starting 20 minutes late. About 25 minutes into the film, the screen went black, resulting in two free movie tickets for everyone who attended the movie that night. Needless to say, I returned a week later with my best friend Kristin (who went with me the previous week) to see it, and I loved it (actually, we both did)! This is a well-done film that appeals to both females and males, and to baseball and non-baseball fans alike. For the ladies, there's Freddie Prinze Jr. and a whole team of gorgeous baseball players, and for the guys, there's Jessica Biel and baseball. I love baseball and Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard, so this movie was very appealing to me. I also remember reading in a 2001 issue of "Teen People" that within the first 10 minutes we'd see Freddie run around in an orange thong. That alone worth the price of addmission, which is $8 at many theaters. All kidding aside, what comes after that scene is definitely something good.
My favorite scenes of "Summer Catch" were the infamous thong scenes (Ryan Dunne in the orange thong, Billy Brubaker in the blue thong), Ryan and Tenley's nighttime swim in the pouring rain, the climatic scene common to all great baseball movies (which I won't spoil), the scene between the player who likes big girls (and they like him too!), the scenes at the Oasis, the scene where Ryan is cutting the lawn at the Parrishs' house and hits the bird feeder, and the scene where Tenley is cutting the Dunnes' lawn, as Ryan, Billy, and Ryan's dad Sean watch. I also like the fact that Freddie is a southpaw (a lefty), because I am too, and seeing any left-hand actor makes me happy!
For me, this film combines two great elements: hot guys and baseball. This was a GREAT film and an excellent collaboration for Prinze and Lillard, who are both enormously gifted actors. Prinze is sexy, and Lillard has a goofy older brother quality that has made him memorable in many of his humorous parts. On screen, their chemistry works, and it makes you want to see more of their joint efforts (see "She's All That" and "Scooby-Doo"). Jessica Biel is pretty, and a decent actress (although my boyfriend has other words to describe her). This is a great movie for a girlie-movie night, or as a date film (my boyfriend and I both enjoy this film and watch it on digital cable on occasion).
If you like baseball and/or beautiful actors (and who doesn't like beautiful people?), then this is your kind of film. Step up to the plate and take your practice swing, "Summer Catch" is a homerun!
Ryan Dunne (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is a landscaper's son living in pictureesque Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Every summer, college baseball players descend on the Cape to play in the Cape League, a distinguished baseball league that's one step from the minors and paid baseball. Dunne is the first local in seven years to be chosen to play for the league. Then, a beautiful summer vacationer, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), comes into his life, and Ryan must battle his personal demons and blue-collar roots to play the game he loves and be with the girl of his dreams.
I originally went to see this film the night it opened in August 2001, but the movie theater had technical difficulties, and the movie wound up starting 20 minutes late. About 25 minutes into the film, the screen went black, resulting in two free movie tickets for everyone who attended the movie that night. Needless to say, I returned a week later with my best friend Kristin (who went with me the previous week) to see it, and I loved it (actually, we both did)! This is a well-done film that appeals to both females and males, and to baseball and non-baseball fans alike. For the ladies, there's Freddie Prinze Jr. and a whole team of gorgeous baseball players, and for the guys, there's Jessica Biel and baseball. I love baseball and Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard, so this movie was very appealing to me. I also remember reading in a 2001 issue of "Teen People" that within the first 10 minutes we'd see Freddie run around in an orange thong. That alone worth the price of addmission, which is $8 at many theaters. All kidding aside, what comes after that scene is definitely something good.
My favorite scenes of "Summer Catch" were the infamous thong scenes (Ryan Dunne in the orange thong, Billy Brubaker in the blue thong), Ryan and Tenley's nighttime swim in the pouring rain, the climatic scene common to all great baseball movies (which I won't spoil), the scene between the player who likes big girls (and they like him too!), the scenes at the Oasis, the scene where Ryan is cutting the lawn at the Parrishs' house and hits the bird feeder, and the scene where Tenley is cutting the Dunnes' lawn, as Ryan, Billy, and Ryan's dad Sean watch. I also like the fact that Freddie is a southpaw (a lefty), because I am too, and seeing any left-hand actor makes me happy!
For me, this film combines two great elements: hot guys and baseball. This was a GREAT film and an excellent collaboration for Prinze and Lillard, who are both enormously gifted actors. Prinze is sexy, and Lillard has a goofy older brother quality that has made him memorable in many of his humorous parts. On screen, their chemistry works, and it makes you want to see more of their joint efforts (see "She's All That" and "Scooby-Doo"). Jessica Biel is pretty, and a decent actress (although my boyfriend has other words to describe her). This is a great movie for a girlie-movie night, or as a date film (my boyfriend and I both enjoy this film and watch it on digital cable on occasion).
If you like baseball and/or beautiful actors (and who doesn't like beautiful people?), then this is your kind of film. Step up to the plate and take your practice swing, "Summer Catch" is a homerun!