>>REVIEW
THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED
STARRING Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane and Elias Koteas
DIRECTED BY Bill Paxton
Opens Friday, September 30
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Since golf has generally been portrayed cinematically as one laugh after another (Caddyshack, Happy Gilmore, Tin Cup), the sport really needed a drama. At this point even a Disney version will do.
The Greatest Game Ever Played, the latest fluffy, feel-good sports film from the magic kingdom who made Remember the Titans and The Rookie, replays the drama of the 1913 U.S. Open.
Well shucks, you’re thinking, I already know what happened at the 1913 U.S. Open, now the ending’s ruined. You, my friend, are either a golf history nut or you’re sucking turnips out of a tube at a nursing home somewhere. In either case, you’ll probably like this movie because (a) it shows a genuine appreciation for the game of golf and (b) it’s safe for the whole family.
Shia LaBeouf plays Francis Ouimet, an underprivileged caddy from Brookline, Massachusetts, blessed with one sweet swing. Francis battles one hurdle after another, including going against the objections of his immigrant working class father (Elias Koteas) to earn his way on to the links.
Across the pond in Britain, Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) also grew up poor. While Vardon is a champ celebrated for his abilities, he isn’t entirely free from jabs from the class-conscious snobs who occupy the green, occasionally suffering his own humiliation because of his lower-class upbringing.
Director Bill Paxton (who, if Frailty is any indication, is a darn good filmmaker) busies himself so much during the first half of the film with the back story of these two individuals that it comes as a relief when Ouimet and Vardon finally tee off for their showdown – not that we don’t care what makes Harry and Francis tick, but darn it, some of us came for the golf.
And visually idyllic golf it is. The Greatest Game is a fine-looking period piece from Paxton that thrives on its lush landscape. And truth be told, the action is a whole lot prettier than LaBeouf’s performance. The kid gives it his all, but Dillane is the one who carries this game, putting the heart in a movie where heartfelt is par for the course. |
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