The Greatest Game Ever Played

Plot synopsis:
Set mainly in 1913, the film is about Francis Ouimet, the first amateur to win a U.S. Open. Amateur golf in that era was then a sport only for the wealthy, and Ouimet came from an immigrant family that was part of the working class. Ouimet watches an exhibition by legendary British golf pro Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) as a 7-year-old boy, and becomes very interested in golf. He begins as a caddy at The Country Club, a posh enclave located across the street from his home in suburban Brookline, Massachusetts, while making friends with the other caddies. He works on his own golf game at every chance, and gradually accumulates his own set of clubs. Francis practices putting at night in his room. He wins the Massachusetts Schoolboy Championship.
One day, a Club member, Mr. Hastings, asks Ouimet to play with him over The Country Club course, where caddies have almost no access of their own, and he shoots a fine round of 81 despite a 9 on one hole. His talent, composure, and good manners earn admirers and interest. With the help of Mr. Hastings and the Club Caddiemaster, Francis gets a chance to play in an upcoming tournament, the U.S. Amateur, the local qualifying for which is to be held at the very same Country Club course. However, his father Arthur (Elias Koteas) tells his son to quit golf and get a "real job". Ouimet needs $50 for the entry fee, and so agrees to get a real job and never play golf again if he could not qualify; his father lends him the money. On the 18th, Francis faces a three-foot putt that would secure him a spot in the championship, but he looks over and his father is watching. Ouimet is distracted, misses and falls one stroke short of qualifying for the championship proper.
With much jeer from the rich folk, Ouimet, now 20, fulfills his promise to his dad and works at a sporting goods shop, while continuing to live at home. After some time with his golf forgotten, Ouimet is still at the bottom of the working class. But one day, the president of the United States Golf Association enters the store and personally invites him to play in the upcoming U.S. Open. After some maneuvering and consideration from his employer, Ouimet secures entry. His father informs Ouimet that he must find his own place to live after the tournament; Ouimet agrees. However, his mother has been supportive of his golf from the start.
Ouimet competes in the 1913 U.S. Open that takes place at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, the familiar course located across the street from his home. Against all odds, with ten-year-old Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter) playing hookey from school to caddy for him, he beats the British champions Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, then considered the world's best golfers, in an 18-hole playoff, following their three-way tie after the regulation 72 holes, and becomes the first amateur ever to win the U.S. Open. His extraordinary feat even wins over his father.

Tags: flashback

Review:
With this backdrop, this based-on-a-true-story unfolds with a young, working class boy who takes on the golf establishment and the greatest golfer in the world, Harry Vardon.And the story is inspirational.
Against all odds, Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf of "Holes") gets to compete against the greatest golfers of the U.S. and Great Britain at the 1913 U.S. Open.
(The caddy is hilarious and motivational and steals every scene he appears in.) But despite these handicaps, Francis displays courage, spirit, heroism, and humility at this world class event.And, we learn a lot about the early years of golf; for example, the use of small wooden clubs, the layout of the short holes, the manual scoreboard, the golfers swinging with pipes in their mouths, the terrible conditions of the greens and fairways, and the play not being canceled even in torrential rain.This film has stunning cinematography and art direction and editing.
And with no big movie stars, the story is somehow more believable.This adds to the inventory of great sports movies in the vein of "Miracle" and "Remember the Titans."FYI - There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past winners going back 70 years..
Actor turned director Bill Paxton follows up his promising debut, the Gothic-horror "Frailty", with this family friendly sports drama about the 1913 U.S. Open where a young American caddy rises from his humble background to play against his Bristish idol in what was dubbed as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." I'm no fan of golf, and these scrappy underdog sports flicks are a dime a dozen (most recently done to grand effect with "Miracle" and "Cinderella Man"), but some how this film was enthralling all the same.The film starts with some creative opening credits (imagine a Disneyfied version of the animated opening credits of HBO's "Carnivale" and "Rome"), but lumbers along slowly for its first by-the-numbers hour.
Credit should also be given the set designers and costume department for creating an engaging period-piece atmosphere of London and Boston at the beginning of the twentieth century.You know how this is going to end not only because it's based on a true story but also because films in this genre follow the same template over and over, but Paxton puts on a better than average show and perhaps indicates more talent behind the camera than he ever had in front of it.
Look at the immense body of fine work that Ron did after moving behind the camera.Bill like Ron was a great actor, but will be a superstar director if "Greatest Game Ever" is the indication of things to follow.Wonderful cinematography - fantastic direction - fine acting, especially by Elias Koteas, Shia LeBeouf, Marnie McPhail, Josh Flitter, Stephen Marcus, Justin Ashforth.This is a must see film not just as "feel-good", nor "sports film", this is very good cinema..
Toward the end of this movie, "Seabiscuit" came strongly to mind, although "The Greatest Game Ever Played" is far less complex a story than that film.
The other actors do a good job as well, and the film contains moments of really high suspense, more than one might expect from a movie about golf.
In the 1913 US Open, 20-year-old Francis Ouimet (Shia Labeouf) gets a chance as he played against his idol, 1900 US Open champion , Englishman Harry Vardon (Stephan Dillane) .
Shia LaBeouf delivers an engaging acting as Francis Ouimet ; he is backed by a good supporting cast such as Luke Askew as Alec Campbell , Stephen Marcus as Ted Ray , Peter Firth as Lord Northcliffe , Len Cariou as Stedman , Elias Koteas as his stiff father Arthur Ouimet and special mention to Stephan Dillane as Harry Vardon , protagonist's idol as well as contender .
I used to snicker at the over-dramatic title, but through great visual display credited to director Bill Paxton (better known for his acting in Twister and hilarious supporting roles in Aliens and True Lies) we find out that this has much more meaning than a game.Though the movie is about golf, it seems as though the sport is just the framework for what is really going on.
With the continued support of his mother, Francis eventually comes face to face with his idol, the golf legend Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane).More impressive than the game itself, was the movie's cinematic achievement.
I also loved seeing the old wooden golf clubs and the bag.Director's Work:[70%] Bill Paxton is more associated to acting but this film shows he's got talent.
This movie is so good I am really glad you made this because if you had not then I would have never ever known about this story because I am not a big golf fan and I think it is kinda boring so thank you.
The directing has all sorts of clever golf shots, and the period costumes and sets are really top notch.There are a few small quibbles -- many of the minor characters seem a little too stereotypically cast from the class warfare mold, but this is forgivable with the major characters so well drawn.Shia LaBoeuf playing Francis Ouimet is, as usual, callow and sympathetic.
More specifically, it's based on the book that's based on the true story of Frances Ouimet.The story is so simple that even a Tennessee Vols fan can follow it - boy loves golf, boy becomes caddy, boy begins to play golf, dad isn't happy because he thinks it's a waste of time, boy miraculously overcomes insanely enormous odds, movie gives audience a bunch of warm and fuzzy feelings, the end.
I think this movie is a quality film and definitely worth watching.The story was engaging, the cinematography and effects were a lot of fun and turned even 'normal' scenes into interesting eye candy.I didn't read the book and have yet to research the characters, but I look forward to checking into the story and seeing how accurately the film portrayed it.
It is also based on a true story and is about an underdog coming back to win the U.S. Open This is a must-see for anyone who loves sports movies (golf in particular)or inspirational movies..
I call the genre that this movie belongs in: "the type of movie I can take my 10 & 12 year old kids and still really enjoy myself." Being big fans of the book & movie "Holes," this was a must see for the family, since they share the same lead actor.The cinematography was great - it made the golf scenes exciting (and I don't play anymore).I realize this was based on a true story - which probably means the golf scores were, at least, accurate.
The antagonist is the oppressive "elitism" of the age - which makes one smile considering how far the game has come (can you say "Tiger Woods"?).I highly recommend this movie, if you like a good story or good acting or a well shot movie or golf in general...or all of the above..
The "Awesome" in-game camera shots are LITERALLY taken from Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf on the Playstation, the story plods like a sulking school boy, the multi-stranded character and plot development cripples an already weak setup, and the grand finale is plain boring.Aside from that, it really was the greatest film I've ever seen in my entire life.
'The Greatest Game Ever Played' is the story about Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf), one of America's most famous golfers.
Old movies I like but not golf however, within the first scene a young boy (Harry Vardon) is awaken by the voices of men.
The focus of the key relationship in a young man's life, that of his relationship with his father, was excellently portrayed in this movie, "The Greatest Game Ever Played." The movie captured the essence of how important it is for a father to validate his son and let him know that he has what it takes to follow his dream.It didn't matter that economic and social class mores presented obstacles to be overcome by both father and son.
I give it 3 stars (out of 4), but would only recommend it as (1) family fare (makes sense, it's a Disney movie); (2) to golfers who like the historical aspect of the story or (3) to those who might have read the book.
To his credit, Bill Paxton, the director, does a nice job with camera angles, special effects and capturing the personalities of the main characters including two of the real characters in the book, Ted Ray and Eddie Lowery.I can understand why this movie bombed at the BO; golf is difficult to sell when its live and the drama is unfolding, its impossible to sell when watching a guy line up a putt that took place 90 years ago and for which you already know the result.
This victory opened it up to the masses, much the way that Tiger Woods has opened golf to all races.Like Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) said to Lord Northcliffe (Peter Firth): " ...if Mr. Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) wins tomorrow, it's because he's the best, because of who he is.
From the folks who brought us 'The Rookie', 'Remember the Titans' as well as lesser known 'Miracle' comes a true story about golf.he scene is set at the end of the 19th Century, a time of change, then fills in social, historical and personal context over two dozen years that builds to perfection to the 1913 US Open championship, which sorts through a tough field to a playoff between the worlds best and an unknown local talent diverted from his eventual career in business.Pitted against each other the two share some backstory.
There aren't very many golf movies and this one is THE golf movie that seemingly explodes on the screen with an amazing opening series of animated, antiqued colored titles and then with an brilliant display of cinematography and one of the most emotively, provocative musical scores, this almost epic feeling movie about 20-year-old Francis Ouimet ultimately leads to the climatic last third of the movie of the real life 18 U.S. Open Championship that pit young American amateur against the British Open Champion Harry Vardon.
Although a keen golfer myself with a love of the history of the game, perhaps due to not being an American, I somehow didn't know about this wonderful true story of young golfer Walter Ouimet winning the US Open golf championship in a play-off against two British golfing-greats Ted Ray and Harry Vardon, being caddied all the way round by a ten year old boy!
I doubt even Disney could have come up with a story so implausible although it's perhaps no surprise that it was Disney who funded this warm, if sentimental and idealised bringing to life of the tale.Yes, there are some unnecessary touching-ups to the original sequence of events, like the liberty taken with the last-hole winning putt (Ouimet actually won by five strokes) and especially the invention of a society love interest of young Ouimet, not only to add a touch of romance but also, in the form of her snobbish father and brother, some class-conflict, just one more obstacle for the young golfer to take on.
The film wisely chooses not to demonise his two main English opponents Ray and especially all-time great Vardon, indeed the latter is shown to have demons of his own and who apart from one mild example of gamesmanship practiced against an opponent, is shown to be demonstrably fair and sporting, very much upholding the traditions of the game.It does take a bag-full of camera tricks to make golf exciting in a movie and director Bill Paxton uses every one of them to try to do so, using zoom-ins and outs, fast-cutting and slow-motion, at times even sitting the viewer actually on the ball as it flies to its target.
These are perhaps overdone and betray the film's target family audience, but are compensated by good acting by all the main actors, especially young Le Bouef a credit to the memory of the modest but competitive Ouimet and the even younger Josh Flitter as Eddie Lowery, his moxy, pint- sized caddie, who was obviously 10 going on 40 (unsurprisingly the real-life Lowery grew up to become a millionaire).Filmed in warm soft-focus with a pleasant depiction of the era of golf's Golden Age and a stirring soundtrack at its back,this was an entertaining film, which while occasionally taking the circuitous route, managed to get round the course in a little bit better than par, I'd say..
If not the greatest game ever played, certainly the 1913 US Open, where 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) defeated reigning champion Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), would have to rank in the top five.
I am not a golf fan but I found this movie inspiring to young people and I think as a mother it made my heart patter watching the mother of Grancis Ouimet push her son to greatness.
Its about a golf caddie, Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) who has a dream to become the best golfer in the world but he hasn't got the money to enter the sport.
Shia Le Beouf 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 of the game.There have been a lot of films made featuring golf at their cores and I've seen many of them.
The main character is the punk from I Robot and the Project Green Light movie that did not even make the theaters (Thats what you get when you team up with Matt Damon and Beniffer) I love golf and the story is great as everyone knows.
He touches on the class warfare of the time and the family and personal demons that haunt both 20 year old Francis Ouimet (played right down the middle by Shia LaBeouf) and the great Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillone captures the quiet dignity of the champ).
Toss in a pure Disney character in Ouimet's caddie, Eddie (played for all its worth by the interesting looking and full of rhymes Josh Flitter), and you have a mediocre, pleasant film that is going to please most audiences, but will be forgotten the next day.Just for fun, it should be noted that Bill Paxton's real life son plays young Harry Vardon at the beginning of the film and an almost unrecognizable Elias Kotsas plays Francis' father.
Period.------------------------------------------------------------------not only one of the best sports movies of all time, imo, but also one of the finest movies I've watched in years..Disney does make very good films.
Period.------------------------------------------------------------------not only one of the best sports movies of all time, imo, but also one of the finest movies I've watched in years..Disney does make very good films.
However, if one has ever been present at a tournament which is match play, you know that the suspense & tension is such that you can cut it with a knife.My main issue with the film is that, while it spent quite a lot of time dealing with Francis Ouimet's social inferiority in 1913 society, it didn't fully tell the story.
Disney tells a wonderful underdog saga with "The Greatest Game Ever Played," the true story of Francis Ouimet, the father of amateur golf, directed by Bill Paxton, starring Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Marnie McPhail, Elias Koteas, Josh Flitter, and Stephen Marcus.The Massachusetts-born Ouimet was the child of a Canadian father and Irish mother, who grew up across the street from a country club, where he started caddying at the age of 11.
Ouimet's upset win popularized amateur golf in the United States.Ouimet's caddie was a ten-year-old boy, Eddie Lowery, whose brother couldn't caddie because he was caught by a truant officer.Bill Paxton has done a great job directing this rousing film, giving the viewer the feeling that his is there on the course, watching the various shots as they travel across the green.The performances are excellent, with LaLaBeouf doing an amazing job as Ouimet, who puts up with prejudice and hardship to live his dream.
It was the greatest, not simply because an unknown 19 year old amateur, Francis Ouimet upset one of the greatest golfers who ever lived, Harry Vardon, (And another very fine golfer, Ted Ray as well), but because it marked a turning point in the history of golf in America, helping to make the game popular among all Americans.
Shia LaBeouf has impressed me before with his acting ability, but I can honestly say that I very much look forward to his next efforts...his portrayal of Francis Ouimet, a 20 year old caddy who ignores his father's insistence that golf is not his place in life and enters the 1913 US Open tournament in his hometown...the beginning of the movie does drag a bit, but it's necessary to set up the underdog subplot that Shia works so well...the entire cast is well-chosen and they work very well together in a story that, based on the actual event, has an ending everyone can discover before seeing the movie...but even knowing that information doesn't spoil the fun...Josh Flitter is delightful as Eddie Lowery, Francis' caddy, who keeps him grounded and loose while at the same time proving to be an invaluable part of Francis' effort...Stephen Delane is outstanding as Harry Vardon, the legendary British golfer who Francis idolizes yet does not fear...and who knows the background Francis comes from as he, too, had humble beginnings...Bill Paxton takes a formulaic movie and makes it worthwhile...bravo Mr. Paxton, and bravo to the cast...from the imagery to the story to the people who bring it alive, this is a movie to get, enjoy, and revel in...it's nice to have movies like this that we can feel good watching....