Summer Catch MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -2 1/2

What would summer be without a baseball movie? SUMMER CATCH fills that niche this year. Freddie Prinze Jr. plays Ryan Dunne, a talented left-handed pitcher from Cape Code hoping for a baseball career. Each summer college ball players from all over the country come to play in the Cape Cod League and Ryan has been chosen to join them. His summer overflows with angst about performing well on the field, balancing new friendships with his lifelong buddies who are worlds apart, and the complications of falling in love with a rich girl. Ryan's dad (Henry Ward), his coach (Brian Dennehy) and his new girl friend, Vassar graduate Tenley (Jessica Biel) see Ryan's potential even when he bombs on the baseball field. Can he overcome his self-doubt or is he doomed to follow in his father's footsteps as a lawn keeper for the rich? Viewers will laugh as Ryan's friends poke fun at each other, never taking life too seriously. Baseball action, humor and likable characters make SUMMER CATCH a treat for teenagers and adults.

Frequent sexual humor reigns. In the opening scene, Ryan's local girl friend snuggles with him in a sleeping bag on the baseball field. She switches underwear with him the next morning, leaving him to wear her thong underwear. The visiting players stay in local homes, and one innocent boy (Wilmer Valderrama of TV’s That 70’s Show) is the guest of an older "Mrs. Robinson" who introduces him to sex. Another player becomes infatuated with an overweight girl who becomes the brunt of many jokes and crude remarks. Although no actual sex is shown, the film strongly implies these college kids are promiscuous, with the girls in skimpy bathing suits and underwear often the aggressors. Pre-marital sex is given a positive push since no negative consequences ever come into play. Crude, foul language abounds as well, with numerous obscenities and two strong profanities. Even though the coach and parents occasionally express concern, it's almost with a wink. The loyalty of Ryan's hometown friends becomes the catalyst to give him self-confidence and SUMMER CATCH its only good hit. Crude humor, obscenities and promiscuous sex, however, strike out with discerning viewers.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Warner Bros., 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522