Tin Cup

If somebody watches Tin Cup and does not find this movie a "must-see", it might be either because you don't know golf, or because you take life too easy. This film is nothing but irresistible. It combines those tiny-little-moments that we golfers must face every time we are in the golf course (yes, we may not be facing the US Open title, but golf gives us a chance to know ourselves every time we hit the ball: Do I play safe or do I take chances? Am I a winner, or am I a loser? Do I have nerves, or do I simply breakdown?). Tin Cup goes insight all of that, and it shows it to us, in such a simple form through the eyes and life of Roy McAvoy and his buddies, that at the end you find yourself with nothing but the urge to rent it again. Forget for a while about the romance and the girl, if so you want, but don't deny that the songs, the views, and the dialogue are superb. See it as a great sport movie, with a clear lesson to all of us: In life as in Golf, it is you who make that final call. A good call means success; a bad one, well I guess you know where the rest goes.

Underdog sports movies walk a fine line with clichés; romantic comedies walk a fine line with clichés. "Tin Cup" is both these things and walks the finest of the fine lines, and though it leans toward the cliché, it never completely loses its balance. Its likable swagger behind star Kevin Costner -- a similar swagger to that of "Bull Durham," also directed by Ron Shelton -- is what makes it one of the more memorable fault-filled sports movies.

Like the previous (and slightly better) Costner-Shelton collaboration of "Durham," this film is a romantic sports comedy about a trashy/washed-up athlete who wastes a lot of talent and somehow manages to attract sexual attention.

Costner stars as West Texan Roy McAvoy, referred to sometimes as 'Tin Cup,' a talented college golfer who somehow ended up a golf pro at a downtrodden driving range with his amigo Romeo (Cheech Marin) while his college teammate David Simms (Don Johnson) went on to be a star. Roy is a betting man who goes with his gut, ignores reason and uses golf metaphors to make sense of life. When an anal retentive psychiatrist named Molly (Rene Russo) shows up at his range for lessons, Roy is smitten, only to find she's with Simms. Of course the only way to win her over is to try and make the U.S. Open, right?

Costner and Russo have forced character chemistry. There's no reason for either of them to be interested in each other, save that Roy wants a challenge compared to the white trash women he's interested in. There's certainly no reason for Molly to leave her tournament- winning boyfriend for a sleazeball. And you know it's true when the dialogue directly addresses why they fell for the other like it's justification or something.

The machismo fueling Roy and his buddies in the movie, constantly betting each other and insulting the other when he lays up and plays it safe is childish, but it brings the film its humor and keeps it from being a straight through underdog movie. Its more interested in its characters than building up plot suspense, which is a good thing, if only the characters behaved in realistic ways.

"Tin Cup" is a giant golf metaphor for life, about how taking risks -- no matter how many times you fail -- is always worth it. Shelton's film is gutsy in the same way, finding different ways of telling a sports story that will make it feel different. It goes about it in an amateur way, but it's the bravado that it will be remembered for. Shelton's films have this miraculous tendency to only let their best parts stick with you. They're the kinds of movies that make for great channel-surfing finds on TV. That's really what "Tin Cup" is.

~Steven C

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While it may never be as famous as its forerunner Bull Durham (which also starred Costner and was also written and directed by Shelton) Tin Cup has legs of its own to stand on. With a brilliant soundtrack, excellent support from Russo, Johnson, Marin and others (including two Costners) and the writing and direction of Ron Shelton, this is a winner - an incredibly funny and gripping comedy with a smashing bit of irresistible bravado thrown in for good measure. Where Bull Durham didn't have a climax per se, Tin Cup does - and what a climax that is. And although you may in retrospect see the outcome as predictable, odds are you won't guess this by a mile working into it the first time: the suspense really works too.

For what it's worth, the riddle the movie starts on has been traced as far back as The Cosby Show.

A definite keeper.

The game of golf never looked so exciting until Shelton came up with this little gem about a stubborn golfer and his peculiar approach to the game. Costner really works under Shelton's direction and snappy dialogue. The romance with Russo does not ring true but you somehow overlook it because of the convincing performances.

Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, The Untouchables) is a great actor, in my opinion, but most critics and some people don't like him because he takes too many "hero" roles. For those people, Tin Cup is a movie you will like, for those who like Costner, you will love this film. Cosnter plays a local star golfer in Texas who runs a driving range that isn't doing well. He's a good golfer, but because of some poor decisions never turned professional. He has a lazy life goofing around with his friends and caddy, wonderfully played by Cheech Marin (Paulie, From Dusk Til Dawn). One day when a beautiful psychiatrist, played by Rene Russo (Ransom, Major League), comes in to take lessons from him, he decides to go after her. The problem is that she isn't grungy and lazy like he is and she's dating a professional golfer who went to college with Costner. He is well-played by Don Johnson (Dead Bang, Guilty as Sin). Costner and Johnson hate each other and soon get into competitions to impress Russo. Eventually, Costner decides to impress her he'll try and qualify for the US Open golf tournament. This is a very funny film and was not a "chick-flick" like I was worried it would be. Costner is excellent in the lead playing a completely likable slob. Russo is solid as his love interest. Highly recommended.