June 22, 2009

In the very early 1900's, golf was a “gentleman's game”. It was played by the rich. The game was a high society affair where the working class could only carry their bags. Then Harry Vardon came along. Harry was gifted. So gifted that despite his working class poverty lineage, he was permitted to play... and win. He won the British Open, the US Open and others.

Along the way, a working class youngster crossed his path. Francis Ouimet was a kid with dreams. He was also gifted. As with any gifted artist, when he had the right tool in his hands, he was amazing. He gripped a golf club and it just fit.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is the true story of golfers Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) and Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf). I never really cared to see this movie. I have played golf, just as I have played baseball. I just never cared for the game. The club just didn't fit. I'm also not a fan of Shia LaBeouf. So a movie about golf starring Shia LaBeouf didn't excite me enough to go see or rent it. But the Blu-Ray version landed in my review box and I am glad it did.

This is probably one of my top 5 sports movies ever made. The backstory of normal working class people working their way to be the best they can be in a sport and society that would kick them back down.

Filmmaking: 10
Director Bill Paxton (best known as an actor in Twister and Apollo 13) does a masterful job of storytelling in this film. The details of the time period are surprisingly accurate right down to the lump of dirt used as a golf tee. His choices for quick cuts and zooms at first seemed a little distracting, but his choices for illustrating the conditions, scores, and even the frame of mind of the golfers was wonderful and unique.

The casting was superb. I have seen Shia LaBeouf in several films and was not impressed. But for the first time, I saw subtle facial expressions that communicated far beyond the words of the script. The same could be said of Stephen Dillane and others. Everything from the restrained anger of the oppressed to the delight in Francis' mothers face as she put another newspaper clipping in her scrapbook is captured. This isn't how you have ever seen golf before.

Visuals: 9
The Greatest Game Every Played has golf themed menus from the time period. Video is presented in 1.85:1 in 1080p, which is nearly perfect. Colors are somewhat drab in illustrating the 1900’s, as it should be. The detail level is amazing, right down to the blades of grass. The visual choices of director Bill Paxton are unusual. This is not anything like watching Tiger Woods play on TV. Paxton and his production team are visionaries and this film certainly deserved more attention than it received when it was released.

Sound: 8
The Greatest Game Every Played contains English 5.1 DTS-HD master audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital audio. The heavily orchestrated soundtrack heightens the tension during golf matches. Brian Tyler's music score adds feeling and depth to an already good movie. Dialog is strongly heard so even the actors with accents are easily understood.

Value: 8
There are some considerable extras on The Greatest Game Ever Played. Unfortunately they are short and, SD. Don't expect the details of Lord of the Rings box sets. But these are an adequate overview of the history and the filming process.

A View from the Gallery: On the Set of The Greatest Game Ever Played (15:22, SD) Interviews several of the main actors and many of the production team. It's a fairly standard EPK piece that studios do for most films. Two Legends and the Greatest Game (6:50 SD) is a historical look back at the 1913 underdog story of Francis Ouimet. This is probably the most interesting of the extras on this disc. It gives a quick but much needed history of the real people in the story and what happened to them after their historic “greatest game”.

From Caddie to Champion: Francis Ouimet (25:15 SD) is a 1963 conversation with Francis Ouimet and host Fred Cusik, shot at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Shot in black & white, this is of course shot and edited with the technology of 1963 so don't expect a lot. Significant grain and dirt is on the clip, but it is a fascinating piece and a welcome addition to this movie. Ouimet gives us a short history of pictures on the Country Club walls and some of the clubs of the time. He also goes for a stroll around the grounds and gives his recollections of the story of his improbably win in 1913.

The Greatest Game Ever Played has two feature-length commentarys; the first with director Bill Paxton who gives some great insights on his vision and choices for the film. There are silent gaps but the insight Paxton provides on his visual techniques for the story are amazingly different than I've ever heard before. He gives credit where credit is due and makes several funny reverences to other movies he's been in, including The Terminator. This commentary is essential for any film making student or fan. The second audio commentary with author, screenwriter, and producer Mark Frost gives more insight in the historical background of the lives of the men and the game. Frost provides some great historical insight as well as interesting background of the actual game, shot by shot. He provides context for the film, and again is essential viewing for any student or fan.

The disc also includes sneak peek video clips of Race to Witch Mountain, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Earth, Disney XD, G-Force, Morning Light, and a Blu-Ray Disney Movie Rewards promo.

Overall: 9.1
This film has left me stunned. I had no idea what I was missing. While I am still not a golf fan, I love this movie and dedication and passion of its producers. I feel like I missed so much in the first viewing that I must watch this film again... and so should you.