Summer Catch (2001)

Director:

Michael Tollin

Writers (WGA):

Kevin Falls (story)
Kevin Falls (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 August 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Are you game?

Plot:

A rich girl whose family summers on Cape Cod has a romance with a local poor boy who hopes to become a major league baseball player.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Baseball Player | Rivalry | Cape Cod | Wet T Shirt

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Dec. 3	6:30 AM	HBO
Thur. Dec. 3	5:00 PM	HBO
Tue. Dec. 8	7:00 AM	HBO

Cast

Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	Ryan Dunne
Jessica Biel	...	Tenley Parrish
Fred Ward	...	Sean Dunne
Matthew Lillard	...	Billy Brubaker
Brian Dennehy	...	John Schiffner
Jason Gedrick	...	Mike Dunne
Brittany Murphy	...	Dede Mulligan
Bruce Davison	...	Rand Parrish
Marc Blucas	...	Miles Dalrymple
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Mickey Dominguez
Corey Pearson	...	Eric Van Leemer
Christian Kane	...	Dale Robin
Cedric Pendleton	...	Calvin Knight
Gabriel Mann	...	Auggie Mulligan
Jed Rhein	...	Pete (as Jed Robert Rhein)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some drinking.

Runtime:

108 min | Argentina:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Finland:S | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Germany:6 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Three of the movie's cast include actor/actress who were in different series on the WB/ CW network. These include; Jessica Biel ("7th Heaven" as Mary Camden/ Mary Rivera); Marc Blucas ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Riley Finn) and Christian Kane ("Angel" as Lindsey McDonald)

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Miles catches the fly ball that causes him to leap over the outfield wall, this is recorded as an out. While a great play, baseball rules state that a player must stay within the field of play while catching a ball for an out to be recorded (with the exception of a foul ball). Therefore, in this instance, the ball that Miles caught would have been ruled a home run as opposed to an out.

Quotes:

Ryan: I love her.
Pete: Me too!
[looks at Auggie]
Pete: Who?

Movie Connections:

References Wing Commander (1999)

Soundtrack:

Let It Go

Young Girls will love it!

Unfortunately, I'm not a young girl! (although I am still in the target audience). This utter mess of a movie is so mundane, so poorly acted, written, and directed, that I was literally squirming in my seat as to when the movie would finish.

The basic plot of "Summer Catch" is Freddy Prinze Jr. has some emotional crisis going on because he messed up a chance at 'making it', although that was never clearly explained. See, Prinze is a less-than-minor league pitcher, and he pitches good (those 50mph fastballs strangely clocked on-screen at 95mph!!) but once his mind gets clouded he folds on the mound. So, 7th Heaven star Jessica Biel comes into the fray to win Prinze's heart so he'll be that great pitcher that we all know he can be!

Prinze gives his usual "cute boy who smiles a lot" routine, and Matthew Lillard also gives his usual "side-kick to Freddy Prinze Jr." routine. Although Lillard is hilarious in some scenes, I can't figure out why he didn't have more screen time. Wilmer Valderama (Fez from That 70's Show) gives a great performance, although I don't think I saw him for 10 minutes total in the movie!? Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) also has a memorable performance, although again his talents are avoided to give Prinze and Jessica Biel more kissing screen-time. I'd say that whenever the story's focus goes back to Prinze's "overcoming-oneself-to-make-it" over-used plot, the movie comes to a complete hault.

Lack of pacing, no story, bad acting, bad casting, and a combination of washed up actors (Brian Dennehy, Jason Gedrick) and new "talent", makes it impossible for me to recommend this movie.