Tin Cup (1996)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Ron Shelton

Writers (WGA):

John Norville (written by) and
Ron Shelton (written by)

Release Date:

16 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Golf pro. Love amateur.

Plot:

A washed up golf pro working at a driving range tries to qualify for the US Open in order to win the heart of his succesful rival's girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Golf | Golf Pro | Golfer | Golf Club | Golf Course

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy
Rene Russo	...	Dr. Molly Griswold
Don Johnson	...	David Simms
Cheech Marin	...	Romeo Posar
Linda Hart	...	Doreen
Dennis Burkley	...	Earl
Rex Linn	...	Dewey
Lou Myers	...	Clint
Richard Lineback	...	Curt
George Perez	...	Jose
Mickey Jones	...	Turk
Michael Milhoan	...	Boone
Gary McCord	...	Himself
Craig Stadler	...	Himself
Peter Jacobsen	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Arlington, Texas, USA

Company:

Regency Enterprises

Trivia:

The grandparents and grandchild with a dog in the scene where Simms yells at them after asking for an autograph are played by Kevin Costner's parents, Sharon and Bill Costner. The grandchild is played by his son, Joe Costner.

Goofs:

Continuity: When teeing off on the 18th hole during the final round Turk can be seen in the crowd behind the tee box. Later, during the play of the same hole, he is in the bleachers alongside the 18th green. An incredible sprint for a 300 pound man.

Quotes:

Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: [to Simms, while carrying Molly away from the tournament] Nice par, David.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The N Word (2004)

Soundtrack:

Big Stick

Costner's best movie? Maybe

From an acting standpoint, "Tin Cup" may be Kevin Costner's best movie. Here he plays Roy McAvoy, a burned-out, washed-out, down-n-out golf pro a way out in West Texas. He's broke, drunk most of the time, and convinced of his own worthlessness -- hence his attraction to poetry and a puffed-up opinion of his own heroics on the golf course (he's got to have something hold on to). Roy is just this side of being a complete bum -- this is one of the few movies I've seen on any subject that actually addresses the financial condition of its loose-living hero.

"Tin Cup" is all about the dire straits of this character, and Costner is more than up to the challenge of playing this guy convincingly. Costner for once packs everything into his performance: charm, wit, sarcasm, hopelessness, bitterness, and more than a little arrogance. He is funny, laidback and shows remarkable athletic skill. He tops his career-best work in "Bull Durham" here (not surprising, since this is another Ron Shelton film).

The movie also works great as a classic heroic Quest story. McAvoy is on a mythic quest, not for the perfect 18 holes, certainly not for money, but for love. "Tin Cup" could easily have been titled "Quixote Jousts at Windmills in West Texas." Best of all, McAvoy KNOWS he's on a quest; when he refers to it in his dialogue, it sounds pathtically funny, but when you hold this story up to the ancient pattern of the heroic quest as described by Joseph Campbell, it really rings true.

Probably the most interesting aspect of "Tin Cup" is that it also works as a metaphor for what Costner has done with his career. Here's a guy who could have played it safe and easy after all those Oscars, but took off on crazy flights of fancy like "Waterworld" and lost badly. (He continued to play unsafe shots after 1996, with almost every movie that followed this one.) McAvoy plays the game his way, on a dare, on a bet, with outrageous egotism and a willingness to lose it all -- publicly. That's what Costner has done at his own game. Was "Open Range" the dreaded safe shot that corrected his course?