The Long Game

This 2023 independent film, "The Long Game" released by Mucho Mas Media has Latinx star power of celebrity talent from Jay Hernandez to Cheech Marin set in 1950s Texas golf courses. It's directed by Cuban American director, Julian Quintana, born in Los Angeles but is based in Austin Texas.

This is a film adaption about a segregated golf course, surrounding Mexican American teens, who were caddies. Through their mentorship with an older Mexican American, San Felipe School Superintendent and WW II Marine JP Peña (played by Jay Hernandez) created the San Felipe Mustangs high school golf team.

Incidentally, there's a biographical book, "Mustang Miracle" (2012: Author's Press) by Humberto Garcia. The book documented this history that happened in Bordertown Del Rio, Texas (where he was born and raised). This film and Garcia's book chronicle these teens' discrimination in the late 1950s then became champions in teen golf tournaments.

The film also shows the harsh discrimination toward Mexican Americans in Texan borderland towns. Other actors like Dennis Quaid play Frank Mitchell, a white golfer supporter of the San Felipe Mustangs along with Cheech Marin playing as "Pollo", Del Rio golf course attendant. Amidst the younger cast of Latinx actors is Julian Works who brilliantly plays the role of young golfer Joe Trevino.

"Docudrama" implies to me a certain amount of accuracy.

I would think that making such a point and so many references to the coaches' experience in WWII that someone would have realized a cursory survey of the historical references by someone who was a little bit knowledgeable about the European Theater of Operations would be a worthwhile exercise.

Specifically: Coach Pen~a was shown early in the movie in an Army uniform with a ""Screaming Eagle" patch on his shoulder.

The Screaming Eagles were the 101st Airborne Division ("Band of Brothers").

They are part of the Army and not the Marines.

The Marines didn't fight in the ETO, they were deployed to the Pacific.

The 101st didn't fight at Monte Casino, their first action was Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion.

It would take nothing away from the drama of the story to make a few corrections that wouldn't jar the sensibilities of anyone with a passing knowledge of military history.

A superintendent and five high school students set out to show that everyone, even Mexicans, is welcome on the golf course. They start a golf team with a single goal: to win and reach the state championship. Along the way, they face racism and obstacles but do not waver in their goal.

This is an inspirational true story about a group of teenagers and their coaches going against the odds and societal norms. The film has a bit of comedy, emotion, drama, and golf. The film quickly gets to the main parts of the story, sharing details and backstory along the way. The film is not heavy on golf but has enough to keep golf and non-golf fans interested. The film sheds some light on how non-white American soldiers were treated during and after the war, which is eye-opening and heartbreaking. This is a great sports film, regardless of whether you are a golf fan.

I enjoyed this movie. I was predisposed to because of the parallels in my own life in the 1950s in a small southern town. The nearest golf course was 30 miles away so I built my own clubs from old broom sticks and pieces of 2X4 lumber. I built a small course in our long back yard. At one point my dad bought me a 9-iron and a few real balls. Finally in 1962 I made it to the course, I played with a borrowed set of clubs, it was the beginning of 60+ years of golf for me.

So these rural Texas kids, of Mexican parents, had a similar affinity for the game. Five of them worked as caddies at the local "whites only" country club. But they wanted to play the game so they spent leisure time crafting their own rough golf course, using balls they scavenged after hours and discarded golf clubs.

A new school superintendent who loved golf showed up for the new school year, he too of Mexican ancestry, found out about the five boys, and began the quest to form them into real golfers. Plus dealing with the racism of the time and overcoming it to grow into fine young men.

While the characters and the story are true the screenplay was built from a book written after extensive research and interviews. So it is authentic to the real 1950s story but of course includes fictionalized scenes and dialog to make it an entertaining movie. Much of the movie was shot in the nearby towns of Smithville and Bastrop in the areas west of Houston.

It is a well-crafted and entertaining movie. My wife and I, both avid golfers, enjoyed it, streaming at home.

I could have told you the story after 5 minutes. The familiar story of prejudice discrimination and the underdog. I almost turned off so full of cliches and nothing new. Very Hollywood commercial. I did finish and enjoyed but not original or above average. Discrimination of Mexicans. Lots of hateful people trying to keep Mexicans out of golf tournaments and anything other than subservient positions. Characters realistic and likable. If you need easy mindless entertainment this is it. If you want something more, find an alternative since so many. The world still fractured. People still need to exercise their power over orhers.