For parents looking to take their young children to a movie the whole family can enjoy, "The Rookie" is a blessing. You quickly come to care about the characters Laurie and Jim Morris (Rachel Griffiths of HBO’s "Six Feet Under" and Dennis Quaid) and the relationship with their three children, especially eight year old Jessie (Brian Cox).

"The Rookie" is based upon a book, "The Oldest Rookie," the true story of high school science teacher and baseball coach Jim Morris who at the age of 35, became the oldest major league rookie in nearly 30 years.

As a youngster, Jim had a love for baseball; he’d practice in any kind of weather, snow or rain, any month of the year. Jimmy grew up in Texas and because of an injury never made it to the big leagues. Many others in the town of Big Lake worked the oil fields and made the best of life that they could. In Jim’s case he became a baseball coach and science teacher.

His team seems to be in a perpetual rut, winning only one game a year, Jim gives them the old pep talk that turns into a double-edged sword. The boys feel that the coach never really gave the big leagues his best shot and they develop an arrangement–if the team wins the District championship, the coach will try out for a major league farm club. Jimmy never really gives this much thought because although he knows the team can be a lot better, he doesn’t think they can go all the way. But they do…and off he goes to the farm club tryouts. When the scouts see Jim’s fast ball repeatedly clocked at 98 mph, he’s asked to come back for a second look.

Jim gets an offer to pitch first for an AA club and then AAA, which is just below the big leagues. Although he is good, his teammate Brooks (Russell Richardson) is better and history indicated that only one person would get called up. Jimmy’s resignation from his teaching position puts the family in a financial bind. He really misses his wife and his son Jessie needs him to help with his homework and just growing up. Traveling from one town to another on a bus to depressing hotels is a miserable existence. When Jim is ready to throw in the towel, his wife encourages him to hang in there a little longer and see the season out. Jim is called up to the major league team and plays for two years before retiring to again become a teacher.

"The Rookie" is much better than I expected it to be. It intentionally pulls at our emotions, and I like it. Real life at times allows us to see the best in people. The love and responsibility shown in Jim and Laurie’s marriage is heart warming and might be a modern day version of "Father/Mother Knows Best." Yet the story is not so sugar coated that it is hard to believe. While Jim and Laurie are near-perfect parents, Jim’s father in particular was so focused on doing what was best for the military that his son and wife suffered. Some may think "The Rookie" is a little corny but I feel that its message of real family values, always pursuing your dreams and never giving up makes for the sweetest corn you can buy.