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The Greatest Game Ever
Played
Directed by: Bill Paxton
Starring: Shia Le Beouf
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 120
min.
Release Date:
September 2005
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Watching a movie about a
kid's struggle to play golf I'd assumed would be about as appealing as
sticking hot needles in my eyes. But I'd heard a few good things about
THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED and found out that it was directed by Bill
Paxton (ALIENS, 1986) so decided to give it a go. I ordered it from my
online rental company and, to my additional horror once it arrived,
discovered that it was a Disney film. Oh Lord, no! Not having anything
else to watch, I swallowed my Mouseketeer bile and slid it into the DVD
player.
Well, it ain't too bad. Shia Le Beouf (A
GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS) stars as 20-year-old
Francis
Ouimet, the historically amazing young man who had a knack for the game
of golf and beat out two "veteran" British players (Harry Vardon
and Ted Ray) for the U.S. Open, and did so using a preteen caddy with a
loud personality but a love for the game.
There have been a lot of films made featuring golf at their cores and
I've seen many of them. TIN CUP was probably my favorite. HAPPY GILMORE
was funny but in a gruff, teenage sort of way. CADDYSHACK: 'nough said.
THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE was modestly entertaining. And now we have
this one. Being "Disneyfied," the film takes this
historical golfing event and puts a gushing feel-good face on it. This
isn't necessarily a bad thing; just something you might want to brace
yourself for. Francis is at odds with his father, who believes that golf
is a waste of time and is outside their class. Francis and his family
aren't wealthy and struggle to get by. So the tensions get moved up a
few notches as Francis and his father find themselves in the middle of a
generation gap. There's a love interest in a woman who's waaaay beyond
Francis' means. And there's the growing attraction of the down-and-out
toward Francis as they read about his success in the papers during these
pre-depression times.
The acting was okay. Nothing outstanding with the exception of Francis'
little caddy, Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE
SPOTLESS MIND) who steals almost every scene he's in.
What made this film a success was how it was filmed. Cameras perched on
top of golf balls as they're hit. Special effects that make the crowds
vanish and leave the golfer all alone on the fairway with nothing
between him and the green. The slow-motion swings of these men and how
clean they were. That's what really helped move this flick along and
didn't linger on putts, bad lays, or other golfing intricacies that
easily could put many watchers to sleep.
If you're a Disney fan you'll probably fall on your knees and give
praise to such a high quality film. And even if you're not a big bolster
of the Mouse Man, you might find this to be a relative gem amongst their
more overly-sweet works.
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Image from The Greatest
Game Ever Played
DVD cost: $15.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The film's screenplay was
adapted by Mark Frost from his book, The Greatest Game Ever Played:
Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, and the Birth of Modern Golf.
Movie Quote: "Golf
is a game for gentlemen. It's not for your kind."
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Greatest Game Ever Played
   |
