Yesterday, I took my sons to see the new Disney movie “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
Even if you have never hit a golf ball, you?ll want to see this movie. It?s simply one of the best sports movies ever made.
The movie is about the victory of a young amateur golfer, Francis Ouimet from Brookline, Mass. in the 1913 U.S. Open. As a youngster, Francis caddied at the ritzy course where the tournament was played. With almost no coaching and despite the obstacle of his father?s opposition to golf (?Not a game for people like us?), Francis became a stellar player. He was offered the chance to compete in the qualifying round for the U.S. Amateur, but had to beg for the $50 entry fee from his hard-working immigrant father. The deal was that he had to promise to give up golf if he didn?t make the field. By a shot, he failed, and true to his word, gave up the game.
A year or two later (the movie doesn?t provide the exact chronology, but it doesn?t matter), he was approached by two members of The Country Club, who asked if he would like to have the chance to compete in the Open. At first, he turned them down on the basis of his promise. But a day later, the lure of the game overcame him and he was included in the field ? a field dominated by the two leading golfers of the era, Britishers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. At the end of 72 holes, the three of them were tied. In the 18 hole playoff, Ouimet prevailed by a shot over Vardon.
The filming is wonderful, right down to the hickory shafts and gutta percha balls. There?s a sometimes humorous, sometimes touching relationship between Ouimet and his little caddy, a kid who plays hooky from 5th grade to caddy. And Ouimet?s refusal to let class snobbery keep him from participating in the great meritocracy of sport is deeply satisfying.
A movie for everyone to enjoy!
