A rich girl whose family summers on Cape Cod has a romance with a local poor boy who hopes to become a major league baseball player.A rich girl whose family summers on Cape Cod has a romance with a local poor boy who hopes to become a major league baseball player.A rich girl whose family summers on Cape Cod has a romance with a local poor boy who hopes to become a major league baseball player.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Featured reviews
`Summer Catch' is yet ANOTHER `coming of age' movie, albiet with a attractive cast and some pretty funny humor. Freddie Prinze, Jr. leads an attractive, talented cast in a story which is one third `Bull Durham, one third `Porky's' and one third `every boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets rich girl movie you've ever seen." Considering it's pedigree, it's surprising this movie was made within the bounds of a PG-13 rating. Perhaps, that's part of the problem. Just when you are expecting it to open up and get REALLY raunchy, it backs away. Certainly, there is NO problem with the cast. Freddy Prinze, Jr. is quite earnest as Ryan Dunne, the `yard boy' turned pitcher; however, despite the slight accent, he's not particularly believable as an Irishman. As Prinze's love interest, Tenley Parrish, Jessica Biel brings the same qualities to the screen as Jamie Lee Curtis, in more ways than two. Once you get past the stunning figure (well showcased, briefly, in a bikini), you realize she's a real person, and a quite likeable one. Matthew Lillard is very funny as Billy Brubaker, as is Marc Blucas as Miles Dalrymple, Gabriel Mann as Auggie and Jed Rhein as Pete. Brittany Murphy makes an appropriately "local bar tramp," and Beverly D'Angelo (an incredibly well preserved 48) as the movie's `Mrs. Robinson'. Zita Gray is cute as Jessica Biel's little sister, Katie. Even Randi Layne makes a favorable impression in a VERY small role as Jessica's mother. Please don't let me forget the contributions of Brian Dennehy, Fred Ward, Bruce Davison and Jason Getrick.
One of the BIG problems with `Summer Catch' is the repetitiveness of the subplotting. You don't get just ONE example of the `boy virgin meets Mrs. Robinson,' you get FIVE. The same goes for the `big talk about your career problems scene,' `local bar tramp causes the jock to miss his appointment,' etc. Perhaps that's why the movie seems overlong, which is a killer for a comedy. HOWEVER, I can't remember another movie I've seen recently in which I can remember the names of so many of the characters. That counts for a lot with me...
One of the BIG problems with `Summer Catch' is the repetitiveness of the subplotting. You don't get just ONE example of the `boy virgin meets Mrs. Robinson,' you get FIVE. The same goes for the `big talk about your career problems scene,' `local bar tramp causes the jock to miss his appointment,' etc. Perhaps that's why the movie seems overlong, which is a killer for a comedy. HOWEVER, I can't remember another movie I've seen recently in which I can remember the names of so many of the characters. That counts for a lot with me...
I grew up on Cape Cod. First of all Summer Catch was filmed in North Carolina not the Cape. One Crazy Summer (John Cusack/Demi Moore) was filmed in my hometown on the Cape but I hear the unions make it near impossible to film in Massachusetts now. Some of the pictures of fields and buildings were really from Chatham however. Much of Summer Catch rings true. Very few Cape kids actually have ever played in the Cape League. It is elite baseball. The summer on the Cape is full of babes and booze just like the film shows. The rich of the rich have summer homes on Cape Cod (like Rand in the film)and I was a "lawn boy" just like Freddie Prinz back in the 80s but not good enough to make the Cape League baseball. I could relate to this film and enjoyed it thoroughly. It brought me back to the parties and warm summer nights on the Cape that have a feeling like no where else on Earth. Rent it or catch it on HBO like I did. As for Ms Biel I am a fan for life and I hope she has a great career and maybe comes down to the Cape and parties with us sometime. She burns up the screen. I saw Scooby Doo before this film so seeing Shaggy catching and Fred pitch it made movie a little funny and I ws waiting for Scooby to run on field. Final Analysis...Summer Catch is a Grand Slam!!!
The first aired previews of Summer Catch only showed the bits with Freddie Prinze , Jr. and Jessica Biel and those did not interest me. Only when I saw that the movie cast included Matthew Lillard, Marc Blucas, and Brittany Murphy did I even want to see it. I had low expectations from the outset and so I wasn't disappointed when the bulk of the movie centered on two very attractive, terribly blank actors such as Jessica Biel and Freddie Prinze, Jr. Mr. Prinze seems like a nice enough guy, but he does not project real emotion. Ms.Biel is appealingly American in her stance but her acting lacks conviction.
The script for the movie is pretty banal. The viewer doesn't really care about the primary and secondary struggles of the central characters because we absolutely know that things will work out just fine.
The parts that showcase the rest of the cast are pretty fun. Matthew Lillard is fabulous. Marc Blucas is charming with his affection for chubby chicks. Brittany Murphy is great, as ever. It was nice to see Brian Dennehy, Fred Ward, and Jason Gedrick, though the inconsistent New England accents were kind of pointless.
The script for the movie is pretty banal. The viewer doesn't really care about the primary and secondary struggles of the central characters because we absolutely know that things will work out just fine.
The parts that showcase the rest of the cast are pretty fun. Matthew Lillard is fabulous. Marc Blucas is charming with his affection for chubby chicks. Brittany Murphy is great, as ever. It was nice to see Brian Dennehy, Fred Ward, and Jason Gedrick, though the inconsistent New England accents were kind of pointless.
(Plot) A very skilled, but troubled pitcher falls in love with a rich girl (Jessica Biel) The family of the rich girl doesn't approve. Can Freddie Prinze focus to achieve his dreams of pitching in the majors, and win the heart of the woman he loves?
OK. So sue me. I actually had a fairly good time with this movie. I am by no means a fan of Freddie Prinze Jr. He is tolerable here though, and didn't embarrass himself at least. The story is very predictable. You know the drill with these types of films, but it's done in an enjoyable way, so it doesn't really matter in the whole scheme of things. Most Rom-Com's are recycled these days, so I just kick my brain to the curb, and try and enjoy them. What else can you really do? Jessica Biel is great to look at, and does decent as the love interest. I wouldn't say she was great, but she held her own. Matthew Lillard steals some scene's he is in as the loudmouth buddy. Brittany Murphy has a hilarious scene with Freddie Prinze. I won't spoil it, but she was terrific.
Final Thoughts: I don't remember a whole lot about this movie, but I remember enjoying it much more than I thought I would. The cast is game, and I couldn't help but like it. It's not great, but you could do a lot worse for Rom-Com's; worth a look!
6/10
OK. So sue me. I actually had a fairly good time with this movie. I am by no means a fan of Freddie Prinze Jr. He is tolerable here though, and didn't embarrass himself at least. The story is very predictable. You know the drill with these types of films, but it's done in an enjoyable way, so it doesn't really matter in the whole scheme of things. Most Rom-Com's are recycled these days, so I just kick my brain to the curb, and try and enjoy them. What else can you really do? Jessica Biel is great to look at, and does decent as the love interest. I wouldn't say she was great, but she held her own. Matthew Lillard steals some scene's he is in as the loudmouth buddy. Brittany Murphy has a hilarious scene with Freddie Prinze. I won't spoil it, but she was terrific.
Final Thoughts: I don't remember a whole lot about this movie, but I remember enjoying it much more than I thought I would. The cast is game, and I couldn't help but like it. It's not great, but you could do a lot worse for Rom-Com's; worth a look!
6/10
Summer Catch was not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it could have made it there with a little more trying. The best actors in the movie were either given little to work with in trite, cliched roles, or were not given enough screen time to showcase their abilities. Bruce Davison, Brian Dennehey, and Jason Gedrick, as Jessica Biel's snobbish father, the gruff coach with a heart of gold, and Freddie Prinze's older brother, who settled for a career as a bartender instead of aspiring for more, are, respectively, the former. The latter include Marc Blucas (Riley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald on Angel, also Love Song, Crossfire Trail, Broken Hearts Club), and Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show). All three do get to show some of their stuff on the diamond and appear to be athletically talented. But they are wasted otherwise. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel don't seem to generate any real sparks. The little girl (Tenley's little sister) who wants to be the team mascot is cute, and Fred Ward acquits himself well as Freddie's father. Beverly D'Angelo should never, never have participated in the excruciatingly bad imitation (perhaps parody should be the better word) of Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham. However, I will buy this when it comes out on video because I can fast forward through Freddie and see just the parts I want!
Did you know
- TriviaMarc Blucas' character can be seen wearing a Wake Forest basketball cap early in the movie. It is black with a yellow "WF" on the front. Blucas actually attended and played basketball on a full scholarship to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem North Carolina. He started along with Tim Duncan there.
- GoofsDuring the season opener the announcer mentions that hitter Billy Brubaker has been struggling with the wood bats this season. Obviously he would not know this, nor is it possible since this is the season opener.
- Alternate versionsDVD release features 12 minutes of deleted scenes.
- SoundtracksSweet Summer
Written by Aaron Kamin and Alex Band
Produced by Radford and Trent Slatton
Performed by Radford
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label, a Unit of BMG Entertainment
- How long is Summer Catch?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $34,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $19,753,553
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,018,593
- Aug 26, 2001
- Gross worldwide
- $19,772,447
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content