The Rookie

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The Rookie

G

2002

2h 7m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

152 Reviews

70%

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50,000+ Ratings

A true story about a coach who discovers that it's never too late for dreams to come true. Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization.

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Critics Consensus

A heart-warming sports flick, The Rookie greatly benefits from understated direction and the emotional honesty Dennis Quaid brings to the role of Jim Morris.

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Jack Mathews

New York Daily News

May 12, 2014

2.5/4

At two-plus hours, The Rookie is a good 20 minutes too long, but for father-son teams waiting eagerly for the umpire's "Play ball!", it's an uplifting season opener.

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David Germain

Associated Press

May 12, 2014

Morris ultimately lasted two partial seasons in the majors, and the film's rendering of his minor-league struggle is so enjoyable you want to see more of that and less of the everyday life preceding it.

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Scott Tobias

AV Club

May 12, 2014

Though Hancock traffics in a lot of bogus small-town sentiment, The Rookie exhibits a refreshingly honest understanding of baseball as a job, with long road trips away from home and a workmanlike routine.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 21, 2020

3.5/4.0

Welcome back to the cinematic big leagues, Dennis Quaid, we've missed you!

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Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Nov 9, 2019

Fathers and sons and baseball. There's no combination like it. The Rookie -- it's a swing -- it's a hit -- it's going, going, gone!!! A grand slam home run.

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Leah Rozen

People Magazine

May 12, 2014

As Morris, the reliable Quaid throws heat, delivering smoothly in dramatic scenes and convincingly from the mound.

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Ed R

@JustcallmeER Jun 16, 2026

A heart-warming sports flick, The Rookie greatly benefits from understated direction and the emotional honesty Dennis Quaid brings to the role of Jim Morris.

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Owen I

@OwenTheCritic May 20, 2026

This is a very strong movie overall with a lot of heart and genuinely inspiring moments. It made it 10 times better when I found out this movie is based on a true story, which makes the emotional payoff even more rewarding.

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Mike T.

@wmtackett May 18, 2026

Heartwarming story about a man achieving his long lost dream of playing in the major leagues. Brings some tears.

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Keriel T.

@kerielflacoboy Apr 23, 2026

Love the emotions in this movie, so heartwarming

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Feb 9, 2026

Based on a true story in 2 hours and 7 minutes. All ages admitted.

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Joel H

@786Joel Dec 29, 2025

As far as inspirational sports movies go, The Rookie is better than average. This movie starts off pretty strong, but then its momentum begins to dip near the middle of two-hour and eight-minute runtime. The story manages to catch its second wind near the end, though. Dennis Quaid gives a very convincing performance as Jim Morris, ignoring the fact that he is over 10 years older than Morris really was when he was signed. I was also disappointed to read some of the real-life facts about Morris’s marriage. Regardless of the reality, The Rookie is a good movie for the whole family with plenty of heart.

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Synopsis

A true story about a coach who discovers that it's never too late for dreams to come true. Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Producer: Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray, Mark Johnson
Screenwriter: Mike Rich
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co: 98 MPH Productions, Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 8, 2016
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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