The Rookie

Play trailer

The Rookie

G

2002

2h 7m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

152 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Jack Mathews

New York Daily News

05/12/2014

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.

Go to Full Review

David Germain

Associated Press

05/12/2014

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.

Go to Full Review

Scott Tobias

AV Club

05/12/2014

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.

Go to Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

09/21/2020

3.5/4.0

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

Go to Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

11/09/2019

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.

Go to Full Review

Leah Rozen

People Magazine

05/12/2014

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

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Owen I

@OwenTheCritic May 20

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.

See more

Mike T.

@wmtackett May 18

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

See more

Keriel T.

@kerielflacoboy Apr 23

Love the emotions in this movie, so heartwarming

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Feb 9

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

See more

Joel H

@786Joel Dec 29

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.

See more

Ethan S

@RT81945943 Aug 24

One of the most re-watchable movies ever made. Love it. Comfort in movie form.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John Lee Hancock

Director

Dennis Quaid

Jim Morris

Rachel Griffiths

Lorri

Jay Hernandez

Joaquin "Wack" Campos

Beth Grant

Jimmy's Mother

Angus T. Jones

Hunter

Endurance

50%

52%

Endurance

Watchlist

The Straight Story

95%

91%

The Straight Story

Watchlist

Joshua

22%

77%

Joshua

Watchlist

Seven Days in Utopia

23%

68%

Seven Days in Utopia

Watchlist

The Road Home

89%

90%

The Road Home

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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)