The Greatest Game Ever Played

In the genre of sports films there are very few that an entire audience can agree whether the movie is good or bad, and most of the time the only way the story can be received favorably is if it's a comedy. Yet there are some that take a serious tone and try to show the emotion of the game and the heartfelt feelings of the characters. Disney has always been able to tap into the emotional side of a story, whether its an animated feature or a live action movie, they always give the audience something to enjoy and think about.
A fairly unknown amateur golfer, Francis Ouimet, plays in the 1913 U.S. Open against the British champ Harry Vardon, and brings it down to a final shoot out to win the Open. With the two young lead actors here, Shia LaBeouf and Joshua Flitter, we given a commanding performance where their characters come across so strong that you are left wondering what will they do next. To show the moments of the feelings of solitude of the golfers on the course a unique use of special effects melted the spectators and other props out of the shot.
Given that the story is about the sport of golf, and the best golf movies have all been comedies, it's refreshing that Disney was able to develop this story into a drama and keep the comic relief to a minimum. With Bill Paxton at the helm, we're given an example of his ability to direct which is as good as his acting talents. And where this is such a fell good movie based on a true story hopefully we'll see more of this type of work from him in the future. Like so many sports films if their done the right way your left with the feelings that you would like to try your hand at the sport and see if you could do it. This movie does that and more, not only do you want to play the game afterwards but if your not that good just like Ouimet in the film you can get better with some practice.