'Red Dawn' movie review

Red Dawn: Good use of time and money

By Denise Rasche ‘13

         The new version of the film Red Dawn recently hit the big screen. The movie is good on action but had a few things that I did not understand.  For instance, there is a part where a guy gets thrown from a car through the windshield and they do not explain what happened to him.

I liked the first version of Red Dawn with Patrick Swayze better, but I think Chris Hemsworth is a worthy competitor in the lead role. He adds lots of action to the movie and makes you feel like you are living it.

The basic story line is that the U.S. gets attacked by the North Koreans and they take over the country. The sons of a police officer, Jed and Matt, rally some fellow high school students and their friends to fight the leader of their district.

They call themselves the Wolverines, named after their high school mascot. They gather supplies and guns thanks to the training Jed has received when he was in the marines. The entire movie is about them attacking the North Koreans and trying to survive on what they have.

I won't spoil it for you but it has a very disappointing conclusion. The best thing about it was the amount of action and the reality it presents to the audience. I really felt like I was in the movie. Altogether though, seeing Red Dawn was a very good use of my time and money.

Interview with Jordan Tri-Rudolf

Ten Questions with Jordan Tri-Rudolf

(plus one for extra credit)

By Alisha Bradbury ‘13

We asked senior Jordan Tri-Rudolf to talk about his Badin experience, his future and life in general. Here are his thoughts …

 

1.                  What does Badin mean to you?  

Badin to me is second home, a place where I can be with all my friends.

2.                  What is your favorite class?

My favorite class would be the guitar class and the Badin Rocks class.

3.                  How long have you been playing guitar?

I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12. I started playing as a lefty and I tried to teach myself for awhile but I soon gave up on trying to read guitar tabs backwards. So when I join the guitar class I was taught to play as a right-hand player. And now I'm playing in the school band and for all the Badin games in the halftime show.

4.                  Do you play any other instruments?

Like everyone did in grade school the recorder, but other than that guitar is the main instrument I play.

5.                  Besides playing the guitar, what other things do you enjoy doing?

Many other things, but if it was anything, it would be cars. I enjoy the hobby of working on a car, whether it's the body of the car or the engine.

6.                  What colleges are you applying to? 

            I was planning on going to the University of Cincinnati, but I soon found that UC did not have the majors I wanted to take. So I have found a college I am applying to and it is Cincinnati State.

7.                  What do you want to major in? Guitar?

No, I will most likely not major in guitar but I will most likely continue taking class with Mr. McCormick.

8.                  If your best friends had to describe you in three words, what would they say?

Random, crazy, energetic .

9.                  Give us one phrase that keeps you motivated?

A phase that keeps me motivated is a quote I have as a background on my phone so I always see it: "Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.”

10.              If there’s one thing you could change about Badin, what would it be?

The amount of home work I get.

Extra credit:

Tell us one thing that people don’t know about you …

I've been through seven cars, but I've only wrecked one. The others I have traded to get a different car.

Election follow-up

Badin seniors view the presidential election

By Patrick Kuhl ‘13

            It was Election Day Nov. 6 and I took the time to ask some students some questions about the outcome. The students I interviewed were Austin Rieman, Mike Davis, Mike Lakomy, Loren Waner, Sarah Flum, and Alexa Krusenklaus. I got a variety of answers.

            "I think the country as a whole, should still support the president," said Loren Warner.  I agree with this statement, because no matter who wins they won and it's a tough job.

There were many controversial issues in this election and I feel that true colors came out about both candidates, President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney. Some of the issues were Obamacare (health care coverage), gay rights, abortion, and the economy.

            I asked students, “Do you think President Obama will be a good president?”

 Sarah Flum said, "I don’t see how he can change anything in the next four years unless he makes some big changes on how he runs our country." That is my main issue: How will he run the government?

            "The first thing I would like to see him do is to make abortion illegal and to work on the unemployment rate,’’ Sarah Flum added.

This reminds me of a quote from President Reagan: “The government doesn’t fix problems, it subsidizes them.”

Sarah Flum said she loved voting for the first time, as did I.

I was nervous and excited at the same time. I went early and the lines were long … it was horrible. Our school was mainly conservative, which wasn’t surprising to me because the school took a straw poll and Mitt Romney won.

In closing, I would like to say we must respect President Obama because it is a tough job and I wouldn't want to do it. Plus he won the election and he deserves our respect.

Black Friday revisited

Remember your priorities

during the Christmas rush

By Denise Rasche ‘13

            Well, it’s that time again! Christmas is a little under a month away and the stores are being flooded with holiday shoppers. One day started off all this madness. Black Friday has passed and now things have calmed down.

The night that started it all was very hectic in my experience. And there is always one incident that happens to me each year. Last year, a woman stole my shopping cart and I had to chase after her to get it back.

This year was much worse. I was in the Bed Bath and Beyond on Colerain Avenue. I was trying to get a comforter off of a high shelf when another lady was standing close behind me.

I accidentally dropped the comforter and it landed on her head. She screamed at me and shoved me into a wall that was behind me. I yelled and then sneaked away while she was complaining to some of her friends.

Now, I love Black Friday -- but this year was very competitive and hectic compared to other years that I have gone shopping with my family. I will still go next year … but some people take this waaaaaay too seriously.

The day after we give thanks for what we have, we fight over the newest TV or video game console! People need to cool their jets and have fun with their families on this day. They should be thankful because not everyone has what they do.

We need to get our priorities tuned to the things we can't replace with money. I know that's what matters the most to me.

One Act plays this weekend

Badin to present two One Act plays

By Matilde Starklit ‘14

This coming weekend, Badin will present two One Act plays in the Little Theater. Directors Christopher Pickerill and Morgan Walker have been hard at work perfecting one show – Harry’s Hotter at Twilight -- for the past several weeks.

The background of the first play is a mash-up between Twilight and Harry Potter. In the play, sophomore Lauren Ahr plays the main star, Stella. Two guys, freshman Robert Weatherington and senior Christopher Pickerill, play Edward and The Hot Shirtless Guy who fight for Stella’s love. There is a lot of drama and action that goes down in this one act followed by many comical lines. Make sure you don’t miss whom Stella picks in the end!

That is one of two plays that will be presented. The other is entitled “How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying”, directed by seniors Colleen Monaghan and Daniel Fabelo. This play is put on by the Speech and Drama class of Mr. O’Hara.

The plays are scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights, Nov. 29-30, at 7:30 p.m. There is a matinee on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. The theater is dark on Saturday. Cost of the show is $5. Tickets are sold at the door.

Hockey talks back on

Things looking up for NHL?

By Emily Swanson ‘14

The National Hockey League has been on a lockout for about two months now and things are starting to look up.

The lockout for the 2012-2013 season began on Sept.16 at 12:01 AM. The issue is still the same, splitting up the $3.3 billion revenue between the players and the owners. Over 100 games have now been canceled since the stalemate began in September.

On Oct. 16 the NHL presented a new deal to the players, hoping to end the lockout. The proposal split the revenue 50-50, and included the fact that players would not see a rollback of existing deals. Two days later, on Oct. 18, the NHL Players Association made three counter-proposals that were quickly dismissed by the league.

            Through Nov. 1, a grand total of 135 games had been scratched. There is no room left to play a full 82-game season.

 Full negotiations took place between the two sides in New York on Nov. 6-7. This created some optimism for the league and a glimmer of hope for die-hard fans. Up to that point, the NHL and the players union hadn’t talked since Oct. 18 when both sides turned down offers.

            People are hopeful when negotiators believe the NHL labor agreement can be quickly wrapped up once both sides have some sort of breakthrough in talks.

'Rock of Ages' rocks!

Cruise makes ‘Rock of Ages’ a hit!

By Denise Rasche ‘13

            Tom Cruise stars in an older new movie where he plays the famous rocker Stacie Jaxx who inspires two teenagers, Drew and Sherrie, to pursue their dreams of being rock and roll stars.

The story also includes a bar owner named Dennis who is played by Alec Baldwin and his lover Lonny played by Russell Brand.

The movie includes remixes of classic rock songs by Jon Bon Jovi, Journey, and many other great bands. The songs are done the same way they were recorded but with different voices. Most of the characters sing, which is surprising because actors like Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise do not usually sing in their careers.

I was a little scared of Tom Cruise's character, Stacie Jaxx, because he is constantly with women and frightening his groupies just with his personality. In one scene, I was pretty sure Jaxx was going to rape one of the characters!

It was very creepy but worthwhile if you like classic rock.

The songs were fantastic with the voices of Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige -- and surprisingly Tom Cruise was also one of my favorite singers! All of the singers do their songs without a voiceover.

The entire story is about the battle between the local churches and politicians, and the rock and roll groupies. The mayor's wife even protests Stacie Jaxx's rule over the music industry, claiming that his music is bad for the society.

Altogether this was a great film for teenagers who want to learn more about classic rock music!

Liturgical Music Group returns

Liturgical Music Group

brings perfect pitch to Badin Masses

By Denise Rasche ‘13

The Liturgical Music Group is at it again!

 They were stopped when Mrs. Connie Ehrnschwender, the group’s leader for the past few years, retired when her daughter, Molly, graduated in 2012.

The group fell apart at the beginning of this year when they struggled to find a leader. There was even mention of trying to get Mr. Dexter Carpenter, the wrestling coach, to lead the group because of his fantastic singing skills. The final result was to get Ms. Elaina Brown, the music teacher, to lead and organize the Liturgical Music Group.

 They have now played twice, and I believe the new leader will be welcomed and thanked for leading this fun and exciting group! They made their comeback when they made their debut at the Unity Mass. They played a variety of songs like "God Has Chosen Me", the "Alleluia", and "Take this Bread". Singers include seniors Tori Getz and Colleen Monaghan, junior Emily Ullman, and sophomore Anna Schindler. Senior Jacob Richter is on guitar.

I think that they are definitely better than last year. The group is more unified even though one of our major guitarists, the ukuleles, and especially one of the voices is gone from Badin due to graduation last year. But they have also picked up two new sound system guys that will surely help out a lot at Mass this year.

The Unity Mass was certainly a good kickoff for the Liturgical Music Group! I think that I will try to return to my former group soon!

(Denise Rasche played guitar in the group for the past three years.)

10 Questions with Jacob Meinzer

10 Questions with Jake Meinzer

Jacob “Jake” Meinzer is the president of the senior class. Emily Swanson asked him 10 questions so we could get to know him better.

By Emily Swanson ‘14

1. What do you like most about being senior class president?
 “What I like most is the sense of accomplishment. There’s a great feeling that comes along with working with the leaders of my class and knowing that I got to play a significant role.”

2.What do you find most challenging about being class president?
 “Trying to find a general consensus on dates and times for working on class activities is definitely the most challenging. I’ve learned how involved everyone at Badin is and it makes bringing everyone together at once difficult.”

3.What’s your favorite memory from Badin?
“My favorite memory of Badin is from freshman year. It was our first home game and I wasn’t sure what to expect -- but that is when I really learned what Badin is all about. I saw the upperclassmen leading cheers and everyone was united behind our town and it was then that I realized that Badin was a family. I had always heard it, but that was the first time that I understood it.”

4.What will you miss about Badin when you graduate?
 “Badin has become my home, and I am very comfortable here. As much as I want to experience college, I know that I’m going to miss being in a place that’s so familiar.”

5. What do you like to do when you’re not busy with school?
 “When I’m not busy with school I do what most people do and hang out with my friends. If I’m not with them then I’m usually trying to catch up on sleep.”

6. How do you balance school and personal life?

“It’s difficult to balance school and personal life, and occasionally one or the other suffers if I’m not careful. I have found, though, that if I don’t procrastinate on my work then I usually have fairly open weekends.”

7. What’s one thing most people might not know about you?
“One thing that most people probably don’t know about me is that I like to cook.”

8. Do you have any plans for college yet?
 “As of now I’m going to Miami Oxford but I haven’t decided on a major yet.”

9. Favorites - tv, movies, sports etc?
 “I don’t have a favorite movie but if I get the opportunity to pick I’ll always choose a comedy.”

10. Any advice for underclassmen?
 “If I could give one piece of advice to underclassmen it would be to get involved early. I didn’t get involved until sophomore year and I regret it. Go to games, join clubs, and do what sounds interesting because you will realize it’s ultimately what makes you happy.”
  

Another hit by Mumford & Sons!

Mumford and Sons release another hit album!

By Denise Rasche ‘13

Mumford and Sons’ new album is a hit! The new album “Bable” came out Sept. 24 and is already flying off the shelves!

Most of their music is considered to be folk but this album should be labeled as mostly lullabies and fight songs. Mumford came out with their first album "The Cave" in January 2010. This music is obviously catching on.

The new album is a sure-fire good album. The only thing that I think is wrong with it is that some of the songs are really long and they get boring sometimes -- but if you are a really big fan of Mumford, you will love this album. The new release includes the songs, Holland Road, I Will Wait, and Babel.

Mumford and Sons is one of the best artists in today's music in my opinion. It is inspirational, sad, calming, and dancing music. Mumford definitely will fit anyone's style of music.

I understand that in this economy, not many people will go out and buy the new music -- but if I had to choose what I would buy, Mumford would definitely be my first choice. This is altogether a very worthwhile album to listen to.

10 questions with Mrs. Ficorilli

10 questions with Mrs. Ficorilli

Mrs. Dawn Ficorilli is a new math teacher at Badin High School this year. Senior Alisha Bradbury asked her 10 questions:

By Alisha Bradbury ‘13

1. How long have you been teaching?
This is my first year teaching.

2. What got you interested in teaching?
Teaching combines two of my passions: I love to work with students and I love math.

3. Why did you pick Badin High School to start teaching?

When I was looking for a school to work at, I was impressed by the amount of service done by the student body and I liked the smaller school environment.

4. What college did you attend to get your degree in teaching?

I got my undergraduate degree in math at John Carroll University in Cleveland and got my licensure to teach through Xavier University.

5. Your experience so far at Badin, how has it been?
My experience at Badin has been great so far. The faculty and students are very welcoming and give the school a family feeling. I have great students.

6. What makes you different from other math teachers?
I don’t think I am really any different from other math teachers. I want students to know that I care about them as more than a math student, but as people too. Many students don’t like math, so I hope they will have some success in my class that might make them like math a little more when they leave my class than they did when they started.

7.  When you were in high school, were you involved in extracurricular activities?

In high school, I played volleyball and swam. I was also in our choral group and in National Honor Society.

8. Do you have a favorite song?

I don’t have a favorite song, but my favorite artist right now is Britt Nicole.

9 .What is your favorite place to go on vacation?

Anywhere with sun and water where there is no laundry for me to do.

10. Is there one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?

I have always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride. 

Service, Faith at CMC

The Community Meal Center:

 An Experience to Grow in Faith

By Patrick Kuhl ‘13

            The Community Meal Center is not just a chance to get service hours, it is also a chance to grow in faith.

With the different backgrounds and every creed and color, it is a chance to experience many faiths to help you grow. It is at the corner of Front and Court streets in Hamilton. It’s not affiliated with the Front Street Presbyterian Church, but they do allow us to have our services there.

            I am not a stranger to the C.M.C. I started working there through the Cub Scouts at the age of 7. I am now a member of the C.M.C. board and I am the youngest member ever. I bring this up to talk about the many faiths and friends I have met working at the C.M.C.

            I have made many friends just in the past two years. Many of them are involved in different faiths. One is Mormon. One is Baptist. And another is my own faith, a Catholic. I have learned a lot about these three faiths and many more. I talk about these three because these are three of my strongest friends. But more importantly, every time I go I have a discussion about these faiths and their beliefs.

            I feel this has made me grow in my faith and help me decide who I am as a Catholic. I really encourage you to take time out of your Friday and help serve at the Community Meal Center from 4 to 7:30 p.m. You can start by helping on Badin’s night, which is the second Friday of the month. If you like that, you can help on any Friday of the month

'Pitch Perfect' a good laugh

‘Pitch Perfect’ worth a good laugh

By Matilde Starklit ‘14

In the new movie, "Pitch Perfect", Beca (actress Anna Kendrick) is a girl who would rather listen to what comes out of her headphones than what comes out of a mouth.

She arrives at her new college where her father works. She doesn’t want to go to this college, but she wants to go to Los Angeles and work as a DJ. She cannot find a clique for her, so Beca and her dad make a deal. If she hasn't found a clique and made memories at the end of the year, he’ll help her get a job in L.A.

She joins a group she would never think she would and meets some pretty people, funny people and weird people. It’s all about what comes out of their mouths. She’ll go through a lot, and meet people. We will follow her growth as the year goes by.

But will she like it or will she quit college and go to L.A?  

This movie was very funny – sometimes I could not stop laughing. I would recommend people to go see this movie if they would like to get a good laugh.

'Looper' full of action!

‘Looper’ keeps you on the edge of your seat

By Denise Rasche ‘13

         Looper is a great movie if you like action and violence but it is an R-rated movie. It was really confusing in the beginning but it is later explained.

Many reviews say it is hard to follow. The movie shows a man named Joe (actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is a “looper.” Thirty years in the future the crime syndicate cannot hide bodies that they kill so they send them back in time to the loopers who kill them and hide them.

         When the loopers are no longer needed, the people from the future take them 30 years later and send them back to the looper to kill. Then the loopers end up killing themselves and they enjoy the next 30 years.

 Joe has a friend named Seth who lets his loop run (he let his older self go because he recognized him). Seth’s boss ends up torturing Seth’s older self by finding his younger self and cutting off some of his fingers. This is one of the parts where it gets really gory.

         Joe ends up trying to hide Seth but he is threatened by his boss so he tells the boss where Seth is because the boss promises him they won’t kill Seth. They are lying to him, though. Soon after that Joe ends up finding his loop (Bruce Willis) and is forced to let him run.

 The entire movie is about Joe trying to find his loop and kill him so he can go back to living his life. It is full of action and excitement. Looper surely does keep you on the edge of your seat.

No NHL for now

NHL postpones start of season

By Emily Swanson ‘14

            It looks like this National Hockey League hockey season will be a short one. The NHL has officially canceled the first two weeks of the regular season. The season was supposed to start October 14, but that isn’t going to happen.

The NHL lockout went into effect on September 16 at 12:01 a.m., when the NHL and the NHL Players Association remained stalled over the issue of dividing $3.3 billion in revenue. The NHL wants to cut back player salaries immediately while the players have offered to take lower future revenues.

On September 24, day 8 of the lockout, the remaining 46 preseason games were cancelled. The big issue now is deciding how the owners and the players split the huge sum of money.

On October 4, day 19 of the lockout, it was officially announced that all games from October 11-24 were canceled. That’s a total of 82 games and a paycheck for each player. The next negotiations are set for October 10 and 11 in New York. On the agenda for this week’s negotiations is for each side to figure out how to divide up the money to bring an end to this unwanted lockout.

Whenever there is a lockout, there are always angry fans who speak their mind. First the preseason, now the regular season is being cut short and fans are not happy about it, especially those who already bought tickets and made travel plans.

So far the NHL has said nothing about refunding tickets for cancelled games. Besides upset  fans, the lockout is holding up other events as well -- the Los Angeles Kings’ Stanley Cup banner raising, set for October 12, is now on hold.

The last NHL lockout was during the 2004-05 season; there was fighting over whether there should be a salary cap. The entire season was lost. The cap is now in place and it’s a matter of dividing up revenue. Until then, no hockey.

10 Questions with Sarah Flum

10 questions with Sarah Flum

By Matilde Starklit ‘14

Badin senior Sarah Flum is president of Student Council and very active in the school. We sat down and asked her 10 questions. Here is what she had to say:

Q. What is your best memory from Badin High School?

A. My favorite memory of Badin is Mrs. Niehaus. She taught sophomore geometry.

Q. What will you miss most about Badin?

A. I will miss most the school spirit, family atmosphere and the relationships between the teachers and students

Q. Where will you be attending college?

A. I hope to attend Ohio University.

Q. What is your grade point average?

A. My weighted GPA is 4.05 and my non-weighted is 3.86.

Q. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

A. My sister and I dance to Richard Simmons in our family room.

Q. What is your ultimate goal in life?

A. My ultimate goal is to be successful in college and find a good job.

Q. What is your dream vacation spot?

A. My dream vacation would be Ireland because I have an Irish background.

Q. A good quote?

A. “Let go and let God.”

Q. What do you think about being the Student Council president?

A. Being Student Council president is very stressful but I take a lot of pride in this role because it shows that my peers think I am capable of leading our entire student body.

Q. Can you tell us a little about what plans you have for this year?

A. My plans for this year mainly include the Homecoming dance being a success with our Waves of Hope theme and our fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We will be collecting money for the hospital at a certain game for each sport as well as collecting money during lunch.

Ms. Lyons joins Badin faculty

Ms. Lyons joins Badin faculty

By Patrick Kuhl '13

            This past August, Badin welcomed a new Spanish teacher to the family. In addition to being new to Badin, Ms. Cristina Lyons is still somewhat new to teaching.  In fact this is the beginning of her first full year of teaching. Ms. Lyons previously taught one semester at Athens High School in Athens, Ohio.

            Ms. Lyons was born in Virginia and then moved to the Cincinnati area when she was 8-years old. She attended Lakota East High School and then continued her studies at Ohio University. Her job at Badin isn’t the only thing new in her life – she is also new to parenting.  She has a 1-year-old, Holden.

            So far, Ms. Lyons has really enjoyed Badin High School. It’s different from other schools, she said. “From the get-go, you feel the presence of the family atmosphere at Badin,” she said. Ms. Lyons also likes the fact that it seemed that the teachers were so willing to help each other out. There is not much segregation between groups of people, she added.

            There are many other things that Ms. Lyons likes at Badin. She likes the smaller school size as well as the fact that everyone knows each other. She enjoys the people she works with and the class sizes she teaches are great. Her favorite things about Badin are the cafeteria ladies and the good food they make. She also enjoys walking around on the campus. Ms. Lyons thinks it’s wonderful that so many people put time into taking care of it.

            The community service aspect of Badin has made her feel like getting involved outside of school besides in sports.  Hopefully we will see her pop in at the Community Meal Center some Friday night to lend a hand.

            Outside of school, Ms. Lyons loves to spend time with her family. She also likes to find new Spanish singers and writers.  She enjoys cooking, baking and gardening. Also, Ms. Lyons likes to go to concerts hosted by local bands.

Growing up, she always wanted to be a teacher. She didn’t really learn as much Spanish in grade school and high school as she hoped, so she continued her studies in college.  She wanted to teach Spanish to help others learn Spanish. 

“Aunt Vicky” was her role model, but she didn’t really realize it while she was growing up.  When she looked back, she saw the way that she raised her children and the way she learned and helped others. She also picked up her love of traveling.

Review: Trouble with the Curve

‘Trouble with the Curve’ strikes out at box office

By Emily Swanson ‘14

Clint Eastwood stars alongside Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake in “Trouble with the Curve”, his first film since “Gran Torino” back in 2008. Having only opened at $4 million, it did not live up to critics’ expectations.

Gus Lobel (Eastwood) is one of the best scouts baseball has ever seen, but all his years of hard work and dedication had cost him his relationship with daughter, Mickey (Adams).

Mickey’s mother died when she was young and that left her father, the stand-offish baseball scout, to raise her on his own. Mickey traveled with her father at first, then he sent Mickey to live with relatives she barely knew and was not a big part of her teen and college years. Mickey felt abandoned by her father and thought he didn’t want her around; their relationship had been strained ever since.

Mickey is now a powerful and successful lawyer who’s up for partner at her firm. Gus is still a stubborn baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves, but is being watched carefully by corporate and the Braves’ GM. Gus doesn’t believe in using computers to assess and possibly sign a player; he’s considered old fashioned by most of the younger scouts and agents. Still, Gus always picks the best players and believes a computer full of stats tells you nothing about America’s Pastime.

Gus has a scouting assignment in North Carolina to evaluate a possible first pick of the draft from the minor leagues. However, Gus’s eyesight is fading fast and he can barely see the pitchers mound. Gus is too stubborn and strong headed to try and get treatment for his eyes or change for his daughter Mickey.  

Mickey, being worried about her father, accompanies him to North Carolina. She, like her father, is a baseball expert, and assists in scouting this star player. Her knowledge of baseball was the only thing her father ever taught her. A player formerly signed by Gus,  Johnny (Timberlake), is now a scout for the Red Sox and is also in town to get a glimpse of this “unstoppable” player.

Over the course of the games, Mickey and her father develop a better relationship and she finally knows why he left her all those years ago. Together Mickey and Gus try and show the Braves’ GM that you can’t tell a person’s character or instinct based on stats calculated in a computer. The heart of the player is what matters to Gus the most.

Contrary to the critics, I enjoyed this film and would go see it again. Clint Eastwood’s acting is familiar, natural, and sometimes humorous. For a guy pushing 82 years of age, he’s still got it.

Amy Adams’ portrayal of Mickey is sweet and lovable; throughout the whole movie the audience is rooting for her and her father to finally have a stable relationship.

Former N’Sync pop star Justin Timberlake gave a great performance that was both charming and comedic. He has broken out of his boy band persona and is now taken seriously as an actor.

This coming of age story shows that you’re never too old to grow up, or play baseball.