The Rookie
“Sometimes dreams come back to life.”
Synopsis
Jim Morris never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field--until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.
Top Cast
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Dennis Quaid
Jimmy Morris
Rachel Griffiths
Lorri Morris
Jay Hernandez
Joaquin 'Wack' Campos
Beth Grant
Olline
Angus T. Jones
Hunter Morris
Brian Cox
Jim Morris Sr.
Rick Gonzalez
Rudy Bonilla
Chad Lindberg
Joe David West
Angelo Spizzirri
Joel De La Garza
Royce D. Applegate
Henry
Russell Richardson
Brooks
Raynor Scheine
Frank
Chris Sheffield
Catcher
Brandon Smith
Orlando Manager
Trevor Morgan
Young Jimmy
David Blackwell
Cal
Blue Deckert
Baseball Scout Dave Patterson
Danny Kamin
Durham Manager Mac
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 25, 2002
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 27, 2002
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$20M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$75.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.78x
+$55.6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Lee Hancock
- Screenplay & Story
- Mike Rich
- Original Score
- Carter Burwell
- Original Title
- The Rookie
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 7m
- Production Budget
- $20M
- Worldwide Gross
- $75.6M
- Production Studios
- Walt Disney Pictures, Gran Via Productions, 98 MPH Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Lee Hancock
Mike Rich
Carter Burwell
John Schwartzman
Eric L. Beason
Gordon Gray, Philip Steuer, Mark Ciardi, Mark Johnson
Department Leadership Roster
John Lee Hancock
Director
Mike Rich
Writer
Carter Burwell
Original Music Composer
Gordon Gray
Producer
Eric L. Beason
Editor
Barry Robison
Production Design
Bruce Finlayson
Costume Design
John Schwartzman
Director of Photography
Mark Ciardi
Producer
Mark Johnson
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
G: General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 0 — Approved without age restriction.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Rookie.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Rookie.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Rookie
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Rookie about?
Jim Morris never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field--until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.
Who directed The Rookie?
The Rookie was directed by John Lee Hancock.
Who stars in The Rookie?
The principal cast of The Rookie includes Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Beth Grant, Angus T. Jones.
When was The Rookie released and how long is it?
The Rookie was released in 2002 with a total runtime of 2h 7m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Rookie?
The Rookie had a reported production budget of $20M and grossed $75.6M at the worldwide box office (3.78 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Rookie?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Rookie was composed by Carter Burwell.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Rookie?
The Rookie holds official age classifications: DE: 0 (FSK 0 — Approved without age restriction.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: G (General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.).