History Film / TheRookie2002

* TheCaseyEffect: Played straight when the Owls win the district championship, since it comes down to their pitcher getting a strikeout in the bottom of the last inning. Averted at the end of the movie with Morris's major league debut, since he was only brought into the game because the Devil Rays were losing badly. This counts as an aversion rather than a subversion because the point of the second half of the movie wasn't to show Jim Morris being successful as a major league baseball pitcher, but simply achieving his lifelong dream of becoming one.

''The Rookie'' is a 2002 film directed by John Lee Hancock, written by Mike Rich and featuring Creator/DennisQuaid as real-life former pitcher Jim Morris who began his pitching career in 1999 at the late age of 35 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Morris, a high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach when the movie opens, is a former Major League baseball prospect whose injuries sidelined him. In an effort to inspire his team to victory, Morris makes a bet stating he will try again to make it into the Majors if his team wins Regionals. So when they do just that, Morris has no choice but to keep his end of the bargain and pursue his dream. Along the way, Morris must come to terms with his past life and his non-supportive father Jim Sr. (Creator/BrianCox), who never appreciated his ambitions.

* CareerEndingInjury: After being initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers while in the minor leagues, Jim ends up tearing his shoulder. Though not depicted in the movie, he eventually re-injured the shoulder ''again'' after making it to the major leagues.

''The Rookie'' is a 2002 film directed by John Lee Hancock, written by Mike Rich and featuring Creator/DennisQuaid as real-life former pitcher Jim Morris who began his pitching career in 1999 at the late age of 35 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Morris, a high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach when the movie opens, is a former Major League baseball prospect whose injuries sidelined him. In an effort to inspire his team to victory, Morris makes a bet stating he will try again to make it into the Majors if his team wins Regionals. So when they do just that, Morris has no choice but to keep his end of the bargain and pursue his dream. Along the way, Morris must come to terms with his past life and an non-supportive father who never appreciated his ambitions.

The film also stars Creator/RachelGriffiths as Lorri Morris, Creator/JayHernandez as Joaquin "Wack" Campos and Creator/BrianCox as Jim Morris Sr. It was released on March 29, 2002.

The film also stars Rachel Griffiths as Lorri Morris, Creator/JayHernandez as Joaquin "Wack" Campos and Brian Cox as Jim Morris Sr. It was released on March 29, 2002.

''The Rookie'' is a 2002 film directed by John Lee Hancock, written by Mike Rich and featuring Creator/DennisQuaid as real-life former pitcher Jim Morris who began his pitching career at the late age of 35 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Morris, a high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach when the movie opens, is a former Major League baseball prospect whose injuries sidelined him. In an effort to inspire his team to victory, Morris makes a bet stating he will try again to make it into the Majors if his team wins Regionals. So when they do just that, Morris has no choice but to keep his end of the bargain and pursue his dream. Along the way, Morris must come to terms with his past life and an non-supportive father who never appreciated his ambitions.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Jim is played by Creator/DennisQuaid in the film; looks [[{{Understatement}} a bit different]] [[http://awesomestories.com/images/user/778d44c209.jpg in real life]].

* ForegoneConclusion: Anyone who knows about baseball would know that Jim Morris does become a player for the Major League Baseball for two seasons.

* GenreShift: The first half of the movie chronicles Jim Morris leading his his high-school team to the regional championship, in a familiar Disney-sports-movie fashion. The second half follows Morris' journey from tryouts to the minors to the big leagues, in a style more akin to a {{Docudrama}}.

* MidMovieGenreShift: The first half of the movie chronicles Jim Morris leading his his high-school team to the regional championship, in a familiar Disney-sports-movie fashion. The second half follows Morris' journey from tryouts to the minors to the big leagues, in a style more akin to a {{Docudrama}}.

* CareerEndingInjury: After being initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers while in the minor leagues, Jim ends up tearing his shoulder. Eventually, he re-injures that shoulder ''again'' after making it to the major leagues.

* HistoricalBeautyUpgrade: Dennis Quaid is much more conventionally handsome than the real Morris.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Suprisingly averted, considering this is a Creator/{{Disney}} production. [[WordOfGod Jim Morris]] has said that the only part which absolutely did not happen was the bit with the radar sign.

The film also stars Rachel Griffiths as Lorri Morris, Jay Hernandez as Joaquin "Wack" Campos and Brian Cox as Jim Morris Sr. It was released on March 29, 2002.

* HistoricalBeautyUpgrade: Dennis Quaid as Morris.

Not to be confused with the 1990 Creator/ClintEastwood film of the same name.

* CelebrityParadox: Immediately after the scene where a smiling Morris tells Brooks "You know what we get to do today, Brooks? We get to play baseball.", there's a scene where Morris is pitching his third strikeout in a game for a Triple-A ball team. The real Jim Morris is the red-shirted home plate umpire.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Averted. [[WordOfGod Jim Morris]] has said that the only part which absolutely did not happen was the bit with the radar sign.

* CareerEndingInjury: After being initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers while in the minor leagues, Jim ends up tearing his shoulder. Eventually, he re-injures the shoulder ''again'' after making it to the major leagues.

A 2002 film featuring Creator/DennisQuaid as real-life former pitcher Jim Morris who began his pitching career at the late age of 35 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Morris, a high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach when the movie opens, is a former Major League baseball prospect whose injuries sidelined him. In an effort to inspire his team to victory, Morris makes a bet stating he will try again to make it into the Majors if his team wins Regionals. So when they do just that, Morris has no choice but to keep his end of the bargain and pursue his dream. Along the way, Morris must come to terms with his past life and an non-supportive father who never appreciated his ambitions.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: When Morris comes out after his first MLB game and sees the entire town waiting for him.

* GameBreakingInjury: After being initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, Jim ends up tearing his arm

* OpposingSportsTeam: The team the Owls play against in the Regional Final, complete with {{jerks}} power hitter.

* OpposingSportsTeam: The team the Owls play against in the Regional Final, complete with JerkAss power hitter.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Much of Morris' lack of self-motivation comes from his father who never took an interest.

* TheCaseyEffect: Played straight when the Owls win the district championship, since it comes down to their pitcher getting a strikeout in the bottom of the last inning. Averted at the end of the movie with Morris's major league debut, since he was only brought into the game because the Devil Rays were losing badly. This counts as an aversion rather than a subversion because the point of the second half of the movie wasn't to show Jim Morris being successful as a major league baseball pitcher, but simply achieving his lifelong dream of becoming one.