Wednesday, April 25, 2007
BALLS
Today's movie was Bill Paxton's
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
We watched it because I wanted to see Shia LaBoeuf who stars as Francis Ouimet who wins the 1913 American Open from the golf great Harry Vardon.
Ouimet has a great life story as does his caddy Eddy Lowery. Both are enshrined in a statue at the Brookline Country Club that depicts this photo.
Now I do not do golf in any form but this is one hell of a movie.
It is a great story and the special effects with the ball and the course and the players add to the drama. They do not distract. I think that Paxton has managed to take what could have been an interminable set of golf course shots and made it compelling and full of energy.
I do not know how a dedicated golfer would view it. I asked one today. We will see what he says.
In the meantime, I will be giving this film a 4 out of Netflix5. The story is great and the actors do a sufficient job but they never come up to the golf itself.
Except, of course, for Shia LaBouef and Stephen Dullane who play the principals; Ouimet and Vardon.
They are not played as rivals so much as brothers under the skin.
Both are lower class, both play from the inner golfer, Ouimet's rise is inspired by Vardon and so on.
The 'villain's, such as there are, are the upper class bastards who controlled the game at that time and the hangers on.
The background story about Ouimet and his father are first rate and not all soppy. I love Dad stuff.
I had a good time and I will not be taking up golf anytime soon.
