kemmerer-68094 The Greatest Game Ever Played takes the true story of the US Open Championship in 1913 and creates an incredible underdog story that anyone could enjoy. Bill Paxton uses the perfect angles to intensify shots and create an atmosphere that leaves viewers on the edge of their seat. The soundtrack also compliments the film seamlessly, but the critical moments of the film are exemplified because the viewer only hears silence. The movie creates a an accurate representation of the early 1900s by introducing class conflict and anti-Catholic prejudices represented through Francis Ouimet and other characters. Ouimet, played by Shia LaBeouf is an Irish, working-class caddy fighting for his dream against the prejudices of the British and country club members. Throughout the tournament, Ouimet's caddy is a ten year old boy, played by Josh Flitter, whose witty lines and catch-phrases steal the scene almost every time. Stephen Dillane is also exceptional as he depicts Ouimet's lifelong idol, Harry Vardon. Vardon has demons of his own from childhood that he fights against and prevents him from being an equal within the English Society. Almost every viewer will be able to find a character within the film to identify with.There are very few weaknesses to this film, if any being the length. However, it seems almost necessary to accurately represent the magnitude of the situation and the story. Francis Ouimet's journey throughout the US Open will hold the viewers' attention until the last minute and is a must see for all audiences.

blanche-2 Disney tells a wonderful underdog saga with "The Greatest Game Ever Played," the true story of Francis Ouimet, the father of amateur golf, directed by Bill Paxton, starring Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Marnie McPhail, Elias Koteas, Josh Flitter, and Stephen Marcus.The Massachusetts-born Ouimet was the child of a Canadian father and Irish mother, who grew up across the street from a country club, where he started caddying at the age of 11. Golf at that time was prominent in Britain, and the British were the world's best golfers. It was a sport of the rich. Francis Ouimet, like the great British golfer, Harry Vardon, came from poor circumstances. In one of the first scenes, Vardon is summoned to an exclusive club. He believes, as a golf champion, that he is being invited to become a member; instead, the club wants him to work for them.Against his father's wishes, Ouimet begins to compete as an amateur golfer, ultimately qualifying for the U.S. Open in 1913. The championship resulted in a three-way playoff between Vardon, Ted Roy, and Ouimet. Ouimet's upset win popularized amateur golf in the United States.Ouimet's caddie was a ten-year-old boy, Eddie Lowery, whose brother couldn't caddie because he was caught by a truant officer.Bill Paxton has done a great job directing this rousing film, giving the viewer the feeling that his is there on the course, watching the various shots as they travel across the green.The performances are excellent, with LaLaBeouf doing an amazing job as Ouimet, who puts up with prejudice and hardship to live his dream. As Eddie, Josh Flitter is fantastic as Eddie, a little adult with sage advice. Standouts in the rest of the cast are Stephen Dillane as Harry Vardon, and the actors who play Ouimet's parents, Elias Koteas in a very emotional, heartfelt performance as Francis' tough, protective father, and Marnie McPhail, a pretty woman who exudes warmth as Francis' loving and encouraging mother.Highly recommended - this is an inspiring film for the whole family, beautifully produced and acted.

saicharantej99 Let me get this straight - I hate golf. I hate it to the core. I decided to watch this movie purely because of the acting talent on show. Even after the first 5 mins, I was still unable to prevent my preconceived notions of golf from affecting my movie-viewing experience. But after two hours - BOYY..I've never been so wrong about something before..This movie is an EPIC..The very best Sports MOVIE I've ever seen..Some of the scenes are truly sensational..The one where Vardon stares straight at Francis when the entire crowd was looking in the direction the ball went off Francis' tee..And the scene where Francis comes to the support of his truly adorable cute little Caddie(By far the cutest child actor I've ever seen)..They were priceless..The emotional depth of the story involving various struggles..The father-son relationship..The fractious upper and lower class relationships..The struggle to realize one's dreams - make this a movie everyone can relate to. After watching the intricacies involved in playing the sport of Golf, I have only one word to describe my changed perspective towards it - "RESPECT".

Joe McDonnell I actually trawled through the entire set of reviews, searching for the ones which gave this film less than 5 stars. They were few and far between. Which is utterly baffling! Yes, I know it's a Disney film and it isn't directed by Christopher Nolan, but good Lord. This is straight-to-the-bargain-bucket nonsense. They should've had done with it and animated the bloody thing.And what's even worse is the fact that IMDb won't let me simply finish my rant there, because my review needs to be longer! The "Awesome" in-game camera shots are LITERALLY taken from Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf on the Playstation, the story plods like a sulking school boy, the multi-stranded character and plot development cripples an already weak setup, and the grand finale is plain boring.Aside from that, it really was the greatest film I've ever seen in my entire life. Good, authentic-looking costumes, sets and sports equipment. There, I said it.