Walt Disney Pictures presents a film directed by John Lee Hancock. Written by Mike Rich. Running time: 129 minutes. Rated G.
Getting the best reviews of the new releases is Disney's The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid. Lou Lumenick in the New York Post writes that Quaid hits a home run with The Rookie, an honest-to-gosh, feel-good sleeper that demonstrates truth sometimes really is stranger than fiction. Some critics suggest that the G-rated film may be an instant classic, certainly among baseball-themed movies. Stephen Holden in the New York Times observes: Scene by scene, The Rookie does a better job of capturing the rhythms and rituals of the playing field and the electricity that flows between a team and its fans than well-regarded baseball films like Field of Dreams and The Natural. Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post calls it is a rarity to be cheered: a smart, engaging family film that stands firmly in the best of the Disney tradition. Similarly, Joe Morgenstern writes in the Wall Street Journal that the film is right up there with the best, and its achievement is all the more impressive because this Disney production, clearly conceived as family entertainment, carries a G rating, which is often a marker for blandness. All of this makes Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times sound downright curmudgeonly when he writes: The Rookie is comforting, even soothing, to those who like the old songs best. It may confuse those who, because they like the characters, think it is good. It is not good. It is skillful. Learning the difference between good movies and skillful ones is an early step in becoming a moviegoer.