El juego que hizo historia

I was extraordinarily impressed by this film. It's one of the best sports films I've every seen. The visuals in this film are outstanding. I love the sequences in which the camera tracks the ball as it flies through the air or into the cup. The film moves well, offering both excitement and drama. The cinematography was fantastic.

The acting performances are great. I was surprised by young Shia LaBeouf.He does well in this role. Stephen Dillane is also good as the brooding Harry Vardon. Peter Firth, Justin Ashforth, and Elias Koteas offer able support. The film is gripping and entertaining and for the first time in my life actually made me want to watch a golf tournament.

As you know "The Greatest Game Ever Played" is about golf. I used to snicker at the over-dramatic title, but through great visual display credited to director Bill Paxton (better known for his acting in Twister and hilarious supporting roles in Aliens and True Lies) we find out that this has much more meaning than a game.

Though the movie is about golf, it seems as though the sport is just the framework for what is really going on. What is really going on is a story of individuals being told they can't fulfill their dreams, be it age or social status. A conflict between a son's wishes and a father's demands. An English golf legend looking to bring the title home with the country breathing down his neck.

Shia LaBeouf (Even Stevens) plays Francis Ouimet, a caddy with a God-given talent who was never permitted to play golf in the first place. Despite the resentment of the upper class "gentlemen," it was undeniable that Francis had a gift. What posed a greater threat was the discouragement of his father played by Elias Koteas (Sugartime, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) who felt that playing a mere game will never improve their poor living conditions. With the continued support of his mother, Francis eventually comes face to face with his idol, the golf legend Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane).

More impressive than the game itself, was the movie's cinematic achievement. This proved that storytelling is successful through pure cinema. The entire movie could've been told without dialog. There are scenes in the movie that build strong suspense and powerful emotion with only pictures. In one particular scene, Francis Ouimet swings and the entire crowd turn their heads to watch the ball fly into the distance, all but the face of Harry Vardon looking intensely at Ouimet without a flinch. The ways in which the golfers visualize the course offer more aesthetic enjoyment.

A pleasant supporting cast completes the whole. Peyton List plays the love interest and looks worth playing for, and Josh Flitter plays a lovable caddy that keeps Ouimet focused as the pressure bogs him down. Golf fan or not, you'll appreciate the film for its beauty and its reminder that cinema can be a great medium to tell any story.

This movie gives golf a high mark, it was well acted and well directed. Giving you a view of history that some non-sports fans will enjoy. The historic factor alone gives it a high rating, the Brookline golf course was really done well. I am in the northeast and have seen Brookline as a fan, and as someone who loves the game. The movie was well done on all levels. A MUST SEE 5 stars. The acting was superb, Disney has another winner in its bag of Great movies. If for no other reason watch the film to give hope and encouragement to young people whom may not see the hope in their life. I would tell you that the setting, while in the late 1800's and early 1900's is very realistic. The costumes and dialect were right on the mark as well. Above and beyond the call of duty for a golf film. A Must see for fans and non-fans alike.

I saw this film in a sneak preview, and it is delightful. The cinematography is unusually creative, the acting is good, and the story is fabulous. If this movie does not do well, it won't be because it doesn't deserve to. Before this film, I didn't realize how charming Shia Lebouf could be. He does a marvelous, self-contained, job as the lead. There's something incredibly sweet about him, and it makes the movie even better. The other actors do a good job as well, and the film contains moments of really high suspense, more than one might expect from a movie about golf. Sports movies are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out.

This is one I'd recommend to anyone.

The Greatest Game Ever Played loses points for having a terrible title. But it is an inspirational "true" story from Walt Disney studios and so every inch of melodrama is squeezed from it accompanied by appropriately "swelling" music. Which is not to say I didn't like the movie. I did enjoy it for what it was.

As a person who golfs it was both interesting and frustrating to see how golf was played in the early part of the century but much more could have been done with the game of golf itself in the film. (I think that non-golfers who don't know the game will find it hard to keep track of who is ahead in the matches which is a problem in the film's editing.) Instead, the story concentrates on two sub plots. The conflict between Shia LaBeouf and his father Elias Koteas. Shia is a natural golfer but his father is totally against it. The other sub plot is the desire to win back the US Open cup for England. This pits world famous champion Stephen Dillane against influential lords who are portrayed as gross, oyster-slurping, upper-class snobs. There is also a small love story aside between Shia and Payton List. A standout in the film is little Josh Flitter who plays Shia's plucky caddy in a comic relief role which I found amusing but other may find annoying.

As for the film-making, the colors of the film are muted which gives it a nice look and since it's a period piece the costumes are interesting. Since golf itself is not very visually exciting the director chose to use Matrix style visuals such as having the camera fly behind the golf ball as it sails to the hole accompanied by a really huge swishing sound. There is one shot as if taken underneath glass looking up at a putt.

If you can forgive the melodramatic musical swells, you can find this film an enjoyable 2 hours and if you have any interest in golf it's one of the few movies about golf. If you are in the mood for an underdog film this one makes par.