Summer Catch 2001

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: It is to movies what expansion is to baseball: You've built the parks; now you have to have something to put in them. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: Neither drama nor comedy, Summer Catch is a long, slow lob of a movie that never crosses the plate. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: The interplay of Ryan's professional and romantic challenges rings true, but unfortunately the writers pile on contrivances and needless distractions that seriously diminish the film's overall effect. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: A half-hearted baseball romance full of weak reminders of better films. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Predictable and slight. Read more

Pam Sitt, Seattle Times: Part of the problem with Summer Catch is that it can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Summer Catch has neither the weight nor flying power of a softball. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: Though Summer Catch contains no dazzling special effects, it still pushes the envelope of computer magic in moviemaking. That's because this film is so mediocre and formulaic, it seems to have been generated by a software program. Read more

Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times: Figuratively and literally a minor league movie. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: There aren't enough metaphors of lousy baseball play to adequately describe this lackluster summer romance. Read more

Jonathan Foreman, New York Post: Offensively bad teen movie that makes a bore of both baseball and sex. Read more

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader: [An] awful light drama. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (strike one), features more male virgins trying to lose it (strike two) and disses the legendary baseball league in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by filming this mess in North Carolina (strike three). Read more

Malcolm Ritter, Associated Press: Maybe the filmmakers figured that the audience for Summer Catch is too young to have seen Bull Durham. Read more

Joe Leydon, Variety: When it comes to funny business, Tollin's got game, and he makes the most of some talented supporting players on his bench. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: As the script works toward its big-game finale, it pauses now and then to rip off Bull Durham, to let Biel spout Successories-worthy words of encouragement, and to touch on subplots involving Prinze's familiar-faced teammates. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Summer Catch is supposed to be end-of -summer fun, but it's about as fun as learning to eat your spinach. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The wanly watchable Summer Catch ... could mark the official commencement of Prinze's Nelson-ization. Read more

Ray Conlogue, Globe and Mail: This one, though awkward and derivative, has a modest charm and is not entirely populated with howling simians. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: It's a movie that should have been called on account of boredom. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Because I'm a baseball fan, I tend to be an easy mark for baseball-themed movies, but something as badly focused and feebly scripted as Summer Catch just makes me wish for the Fall. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Summer Catch is the equivalent of a full-course meal with no calories. It is a mirage of a movie, 100 minutes of nothing. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Long on cliched plotting and short on exciting ball playing. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Depending wholly upon the blinkered empathy of daydreamy teen viewers, a typical FPJ movie skims over character, plot, and dialogue. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Will Ryan get signed by the majors? Will he win Tenley's heart? If you're even wondering, this movie's for you. Read more