Sports Never Die

From Walt Disney Pictures comes THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED . . . the crowd-pleasing underdog epic that's based on an inspirational true story! Young amateur golfer Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf -- HOLES, I ROBOT) has nothing but talent and a seemingly impossible dream to challenge the world's greatest player, his idol Harry Vardon. Soon, with the help of his spunky 10-year-old caddy Eddie, Francis boldly breaks down all barriers with a thrilling display of unrivaled drive, skill, and heart . . . and challenges the golf pro for the U.S. Open Championship!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

By Delirium "Star" (St. Louis, MO USA)
5.0 out of 5 stars Great family movie., April 11, 2006

We watched this movie in the theaters with the whole family, including two kids under 10. I'm not a golfer, but my husband loves the sport. The movie has great story line, funny moments, a bit of romance and some thrilling episodes. It would make for a nice evening of quality family time.

Please note that the DVD is in widescreen format. That's the only reason I'm not buying it at this time, I'm hoping for a full screen version.

By chefdevergue (Spokane, WA United States)
4.0 out of 5 stars A stirring slice of golf history, well-rendered on film, October 1, 2005
By chefdevergue (Spokane, WA United States)

One doesn't have to have read Mark Frost's book (he adapted his book for the screenplay) to enjoy this movie. Obviously, the book contains much more detail regarding the personal histories of Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, JJ McDermott & others leading up to (and following) the 1913 US Open, and there was no way that Frost could have included all of the minute detail without at least doubling the length of the movie. One also misses the discussion of the technology available to the turn-of-the-century golfer, as well as some of the geo-political forces that led to Vardon & Ted Ray making their tour of the United States.

However, what one does get is a beautifully filmed story that has the predictable feel-good nature one would expect from a Disney film, without being sappy. The principals bear a striking resemblance to the historical figures (right down to Eddie the caddie), and the historical match is accurately rendered. While one doesn't get the book's stroke by stroke narrative, one does get to enjoy the energy of the galleries as well as the immense pressures bearing down on the tournament leaders.

I only have a couple of significant complaints about the movie. One is with the wholy fictional relationship (concocted for the purposes of this film) between Francis Ouimet and the upper class young lady. It smacks uncomfortably of Jack-Rose relationship in Titanic, and when the movie focuses on this relationship, it skates dangerously close to outright corniness. Fortunately, once the tournament begins, this subplot is thankfully relegated to the background. By & large it interferes only minimally with the story.

My other beef is with the fact that Harry Vardon comes off as a far too one-dimensional character, as he as portrayed as an ambitious, single-minded, golfing machine, very nearly bereft of passion or emotion. Frost's book provides far more depth to Vardon than one will find here. One would not know from the movie that his American tour came not long after his recovery from a bout with tuberculosis (first striking in 1903, after his 4th British Open) which not only derailed his career (and almost ended it) for several years, but came close to killing him. If the audience could more fully appreciate all of the tremendous obstacles Vardon had overcome, they might be more sympathetic towards him. While not cast as a villain, Vardon's role in this film definitely is that of Ouimet's nemesis more than anything else, which strikes me as unfair.

The one other thing which strikes as unfair is the fact that the audience really has no idea just how tremendously talented these men were. Frost's book devotes considerable space to the equipment of the time, which was downright primative compared to the clubs and balls today's players use. I can only imagine the kinds of scores Vardon & Ouimet might post with today's equipment. However, audiences who don't understand the nature of golf technology in 1913 may only see shots that can be seen a hundred times or more on any PGA tour event on any given weekend, and they may not appreciate the true greatness of these earlier players. Having made this complaint, I have to admit that I don't know how the film could improve in this area. I would suggest that you read the book.

However, this is a movie that one can enjoy without having any knowledge of golf in general or the 1913 US Open in particular. Unlike so many films that claim to be "based on" or "inspired by" true events (but in fact have almost no resemblance to historical events), what you see in this film by & large is what actually happened. Most people should find this to be enjoyable.

By Carolyn Rowe Hill "author of 'The Dead Angel" (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully crafted, heartwarming film: 5+, May 15, 2006

If you love golf, you'll love this movie. Even if you don't love golf, you'll enjoy it. The cinematography is phenomenal. The makers of this movie used a specially designed camera in many scenes to follow the ball from shot to stop. One of my favorite shots was Ted Ray's blast through the woods, between the trees, and onto the green with the camera following the ball all the way! As others have said, it's the best golf movie yet, largely because the camera work and film editing added much to the magic of this true come-from-behind story. I also think the close working relationship between director Bill Paxton and the author of the book, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Mark Frost, added to the movie's charm and authenticity.

Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon had something in common. They were `common', according to the societal standards of their respective times. One is American, the other English, born a generation apart. Vardon grew up to become a world-renowned golfer, but could never join "the club" in his own homeland because he came from the underclass. However, he did become a hero to growing boys in Europe and America, including young Francis Ouimet, who grew up across the street from the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Francis began caddying at a tender age, and there were those who saw something special in him. These gentlemen, and Ouimet's mother (at least in the movie), encouraged him to take his love of golf from the caddie stage to the player's arena. With the odds against him from several directions, he played his way into the hearts and minds of his American countrymen and the world, and into the record books, by playing as an amateur in the 1913 U.S. Open and winning.

Shia LaBoeuf (Holes) is perfect as Ouimet, and Stephen Dillane portrays the stoic, haunted Vardon. The movie overall was well-cast, and Josh Flitter, who plays Eddie Lowery, almost stole the show!! It's a good bet you'll be mesmerized by this wonderful film. Just remember, in the immortal words of 10-year-old Eddie, when holding onto that golf club "Easy squeezy, lemon freezy!"

Intech's travel cover offers a protective compartment for your clubs while also making it easy and comfortable to transport through the airport. Featuring wheels and padded shoulder straps for added convenience and comfort, this bag also has internal padding to minimize the impact of bumps and scratches to your clubs. A handy shoe pocket offers extra storage for your lucky golf shoes. This cover also includes identification tags and locks to keep your clubs labeled and safe.

By: P. Mason (Chicago)

Although I was a little mis-led by the images of this item, which make the bag seem a little more sturdy than it is, I'm still pleased with the purchase.

The zippers, handles, roller-wheels all seem to be made of sturdy materials, and I've used the bag a couple times with good results. It's relatively easy to wheel this through the airport. However, the tiny padlocks that come with the bag are unimpressive -- I can't imagine they truly protect much of anything -- I definitely recommend replacing them with a TSA-approved Master Lock luggage lock.

The top of the bag sort of loses its shape and "hangs" on your club heads a little more than the accompanying pictures would lead you to believe. An uninformed 1st time buyer of a soft case, I actually thought the rounded top of the case was a little more firm, included padding, and would protect clubs from being smushed in an airplane cargo space. Instead the top, like much of the bag is simply a very firm, durable fabric, sort of like a stiffened duffel bag. Padding throughout the bag is really pretty minimal, but is adequate.

I wrapped my club heads with socks to prevent scratches during transport, and I also affixed the rain guard over-top my regular golf bag to help keep the clubs in place. Just like that, I loaded my golf bag in here and felt pretty secure about sending it all on a plane.

Also worth noting that this bag fit a full set of clubs with an oversized Taylormade r7 460 with ease.

Now, my clubs are probably only $500-600 in total value, so if you're travelling with a top-end set I'd probably recommend a firm case. Or, at least a complementing club "spacer" that extends like a small umbrella to the top of the bag and keeps it in shape, helping to preventing the club heads from being bent or mashed while in stow.

But, for the price, this bag is totally worth it. You can hardly rent a decent set of clubs for the same price as this item, and it gives you the much more desirable option of playing with your own clubs while traveling.