"The Greatest Game Ever Played" tells the story of the 1913 U.S. Open, when Francis Ouimet (Shia LeBeouf), the son of French/Irish immigrants, was the first ever amateur to win the event. Legendary British golfer Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), the winner of five British Open championships and the 1900 U.S. Open, is persuaded by his aristocratic colleagues to return to the U.S. to claim their championship for the British and to help solidify British dominance of the sport. Vardon was a poor boy from the Isle of Jersey himself, and is much more interested in playing the game and letting the best golfer win.
Themes of class struggle and an attempt at authenticity to the early 1900s era aesthetic boost the score of this movie for me. It truly is a real life David and Goliath story, and works as a non-fiction version of "Rocky", but it also relies too heavily on sports movie cliches such as moments of despair, montages, and the underdog nobody taking on the world champion of their respective field. It also has some goofy early 2000s CGI that has aged poorly.
Fans of golf, history nerds, and those looking for a family-friendly, feel-good sports movie will have fun with this one.
Themes of class struggle and an attempt at authenticity to the early 1900s era aesthetic boost the score of this movie for me. It truly is a real life David and Goliath story, and works as a non-fiction version of "Rocky", but it also relies too heavily on sports movie cliches such as moments of despair, montages, and the underdog nobody taking on the world champion of their respective field. It also has some goofy early 2000s CGI that has aged poorly.
Fans of golf, history nerds, and those looking for a family-friendly, feel-good sports movie will have fun with this one.