Greatest Game Ever

Golf enthusiasts
Best movie if you like golf. Has some funny moments and is a true story. Loved it!

Good movie
Good movie

Mildly inspiring Disney film on 1913 U.S. Open
This 121-minute Disney film (2006) tells the true story of amateur U.S. golfer Francis Ouimet’s upset victory in the 1913 U.S. Open over British champion Harry Vardon. Like most Disney sports films, it errs on the side of goofy sentiment, rolling out the usual cliches of class warfare (poverty triumphing over uncaring tycoons) and daddy issues (the uncaring and harsh dad initially opposed to his son’s athletic dreams) in addition to over-reliance on a cute child actor. Much like “The Rookie” and “Glory Road,” it is a decent flick that comes across a tad bland and generic, being more pleasant in tone than memorable, but it also boasts some bright spots.On the positive side, director Bill Paxton has given his film an unusually strong cast and production values, as the period authenticity and performances are especially sharp. Young Shia Labeouf acquits himself serviceably as the determined young man, but Stephen Dillane steals the show from him as Harry Vardon, the reigning golf champion with similar working-class roots who turns out to be a class act himself. Unlike Ron Howard’s film “Cinderella Man,” where Russell Crowe’s Jewish boxing opponent was portrayed as a deplorable thug much to the consternation of his descendants, this film scores points for giving us the real-life Vardon rather than a “bad guy” caricature. Paxton films the golf sequences with a welcome visual flare, using bright colors and some neat digital effects (particularly the sequences where Vardon “zones out” distractions and demons before taking a shot) to present the game of golf in a fresh way.On the negative side, Disneyfied cliches still abound here. Elias Koteas does a nice job in his underwritten role as Labeouf’s working-class French Canadian father, but their relationship is under-explored as the “daddy issues” cliche is worked out in the most unimaginative way possible, almost seeming lifted from “The Rookie.” The father-mother dynamics (Ouimet’s mother was Irish) are likewise presented in a predictable fashion, without any sense that we are watching a real family interact. Finally, the British nobility who support Vardon are portrayed as moustache-twirling villains who are dead set on using golf to assert their superiority over the lower classes, over-playing the film’s underlying stereotypes of the noble poor and uncaring rich. Finally, the absolute worst aspect of the movie is Ouimet’s 10-year old caddy, a real-life touch that is initially amusing before the screenplay sets him up as the all-wise sage who continually gives Ouimet the right advice about how to play — even in the film’s climactic scene on the last hole. After awhile, this kid’s frequent 21st century-style wisecracks become a frequent distraction and reminder that we are watching a calculated product of Disney’s manufactured inspiration factory. A little bit less from the caddy would have gone a long way here, keeping the audience from being pulled out of the movie’s otherwise meticulous world. The religious aspect (both Vardon and Ouimet were Catholics) is also underplayed, being dropped after an early reference to Vardon’s membership in the “Church of Rome” being an obstacle to his club membership in Britain.The DVD is a nice edition that features numerous commentaries and making-of videos, including a neat B&W documentary featuring the real Ouimet talking about his victory in later life. It’s not a great film, but it’s decent. If you’re a golf lover, you might particularly enjoy it, as it’s certainly the closest thing to an exciting golf movie you’ll find.

Good movie
Best movie ever

I loved it, so many great actors playing great parts

Eine inspirierende Geschichte über Leidenschaft, Durchhaltevermögen und den Glauben an sich selbst. Das größte Spiel seines Lebens fesselt mit tiefgründigen Charakteren und einer beeindruckenden Botschaft: Träume sind erreichbar, wenn man bereit ist, alles zu geben. Ein Muss für Fans von Geschichten, die das Herz berühren!