The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Director:

Bill Paxton

Writers (WGA):

Mark Frost (book)
Mark Frost (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Sport

Plot:

A golf drama based on the true story of the 1913 US Open, where 20-year-old Francis Ouimet defeated his idol, 1900 US Open champion, Englishman, Harry Vardon.

Plot Keywords:

Champion | Golfer | Golf | Barroom Brawl | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

James Paxton	...	Young Harry Vardon
Tom Rack	...	Black Top Hatted Man
Armand Laroche	...	Black Top Hatted Man
Peter Hurley	...	Black Top Hatted Man
Gregory Terlecki	...	Black Top Hatted Man
Jonathan Higgins	...	Embry Wallis
Matthew Knight	...	Young Francis Ouimet
Luke Askew	...	Alec Campbell
Amanda Tilson	...	Young Sarah Wallis
Elias Koteas	...	Arthur Ouimet
Jamie Merling	...	Young Louise Ouimet
Eugenio Esposito	...	Young Raymond Ouimet
Marnie McPhail	...	Mary Ouimet
Stephen Dillane	...	Harry Vardon
Robin Wilcock	...	Bernard Darwin

MPAA:

Rated PG for some brief mild language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | USA:PG (certificate #41843) | Germany:o.Al. | Denmark:7 | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (all jurisdictions)

Filming Locations:

Kahnawake, Québec, Canada

Company:

Fairway Films

Trivia:

The real Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery remained life long friends. When Ouimet died in 1967, Lowery was one of the pall-bearers.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Francis is shown looking at a yardage book, or a series of hand drawn diagrams of every hole at The Country Club. In reality, yardage books did not come into use until the 1960's, first by Deane Beman and later popularized by Jack Nicklaus. Harry Vardon is shown laying Francis a "stymie" during the playoff. A stymie occurred when a player's ball blocked the path of his opponent's ball on the green (the balls not being within six inches of each other). This only applied to singles match play. The playoff for the 1913 US Open was medal (stroke) play and the stymie rule would not have been in effect. This rule was eliminated in 1952 by the USGA.

Quotes:

Ted Ray: Morning, Harry. Dreadful English weather.
Harry Vardon: How'd you sleep?
Ted Ray: Like a baby. Woke up every two hours and cried.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: (2005-09-23)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

A great, great movie even for those (like me) who don't like golf!

Bill Paxton has taken the true story of the 1913 US golf open and made a film that is about much more than an extra-ordinary game of golf. The film also deals directly with the class tensions of the early twentieth century and touches upon the profound anti-Catholic prejudices of both the British and American establishments. But at heart the film is about that perennial favourite of triumph against the odds.

The acting is exemplary throughout. Stephen Dillane is excellent as usual, but the revelation of the movie is Shia LaBoeuf who delivers a disciplined, dignified and highly sympathetic performance as a working class Franco-Irish kid fighting his way through the prejudices of the New England WASP establishment. For those who are only familiar with his slap-stick performances in "Even Stevens" this demonstration of his maturity is a delightful surprise. And Josh Flitter as the ten year old caddy threatens to steal every scene in which he appears.

A old fashioned movie in the best sense of the word: fine acting, clear directing and a great story that grips to the end - the final scene an affectionate nod to Casablanca is just one of the many pleasures that fill a great movie.