I wasn’t sure if tissues were a requirement for the new movie with Clint Eastwood, Trouble with the Curve, considering his last two films—Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby—had a share of moments that could get a viewer choked up.

While this is a story of a father-daughter relationship that needs some mending, it never gets overly melodramatic or heavy. Thank goodness. Even if it’s really not really among his best work as an actor, Clint Eastwood is still the biggest draw and the best thing about the movie.

Eastwood can effortlessly do the gruff but still somehow lovable loner and old curmudgeon. He lives alone and orders pizza for breakfast or pulls out an open can of Spam from the fridge. In a scene at a hospital check up he gives his trademark “lolo” growl and his sneer.

His character, Gus Lobel is baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. He lost his wife decades ago, never remarried and never really bothered to connect emotionally with his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams).

Lobel is brilliant at finding talent by going out there on the field and studying the players themselves, and what makes them tick—to hell with statistical analysis and number crunching behind a computer. He can tell when a player’s game is off or if, indeed, even the season’s hot shot of a player has a problem with the curve.

Clint Eastwood, however, did not direct the film (his last effort was J. Edgar) instead, it was directed by Robert Lorenz his first assistant director for Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Space Cowboys, True Crime, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil among others.

As the story continues, the alienated Mickey comes back into Gus’ life and from there they negotiate their broken relationship. Gus is a tough nut to crack but to ease the pain, Mickey also conveniently has younger scout Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake) who is over eager about holding her hand through this.

I think throwing in the Flanagan character is pushing the fairy tale factor a bit. Either that or I’ve become a bit cynical about having bright eyed, fit, overly helpful boys with nothing but good intentions fall out of the sky. Not to mention said boy adores dad and is patient. Really?
While it has it’s sweet and triumphant little moments and a feel-good ending, Trouble with the Curve never quite hits it out of the ballpark.