While LaBeouf's character, Francis Ouimet, is most definitely the focus of the film, Ouimet's idol, Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) has quite a lot of screen time and back story as well. At the turn of the century (err... the 20th Century), Golf was considered a gentleman's sport. And while it still has that moniker, during that time, they meant it was for gentleman only, breeding and money were what got you respect in the sport as well as a place in the various prestigious country clubs. That's what The Greatest Game Ever Played is about. Between Vardon and Ouimet, these non-gentlemen would show that the quality of the game has nothing to do with your place in society.
Vardon grew up in England, and his first encounter with the sport involved some rich people forcing he and his family to move so that they could put a country club up instead. In that encounter, he was told matter-of-factly that golf was a support for the rich and he shouldn't even bother trying to learn what it was since the best he could hope to be is a caddy. Fast-forward some 20 years or so and Vardon is Britian's best professional golfer. His record number of winning opens grows constantly, but even though he is considered the best, the gentlemen still refuse to let him join a club. Instead, they ask him to work for the club and teach them. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with him.
What he doesn't realize is that on one of his tours to the U.S., a little boy, Ouimet, met him and was inspired by the man's abilities, and even though Ouimet's father, played by Elias Koteas (Casey Jones from the Ninja Turtle movies), sees golf as a complete waste of time, little Francis spends all of his free time practicing. The older Ouimet grows more and more impatient at his son's lack of desire to learn a useful trade, especially since the family lives across the street from The Country Club in Brookline [sic], Massachusetts. The closest Francis comes to the golf course itself is caddying for its members, that is, until one of the golfers wants to sponsor him for a local armature tournament. This first official outing into the golf world ends up starting off a series of events that will eventually lead to young Ouimet qualifying for the 1913 U.S. Open, which will have him playing alongside Vardon.
What I found really interesting about this movie was how they depicted just how much of golf is mental. When Vardon tees up, he stands in front of his ball, calms down and the movie shows the crowds fading away along with the scenery and it simply leaves Vardon alone with his club, ball and the course. We also get to see a bit of Ouimet's own view of the game. Several times, when he steps up, he stares at the flag, and the camera distorts so that the hole appears to be closer than it actually is. This mental game is also apparent when the characters are out of sorts. Vardon is constantly haunted by the men who first told him about the game, while Ouimet loses control every time he realizes how far he climbs (like when President Taft waves at him).
The movie's supporting cast does a pretty solid job as well. Francis' 10 year-old caddy, Eddie Lowery, is played by Josh Fitter (Nancy Drew), and he does a great job as a bit of comedic relief as well as keeping Ouimet's head in the game. There is even a bit of a love interest in the rich Sarah Wallis (Peyton List), but this aspect of the movie is very much dwarfed by everything else and seems to be put in there more out of some contractual obligation rather then actually helping the story.
The special features on The Greatest Game Ever Played are great for anyone interested in the actual events and people involved. Besides the standard behind-the-scenes stuff with Director Bill Paxton, there is also a nice documentary about the 1913 U.S. Open as well as an interview with Francis Ouimet from 1963. While I wish there was a bit more on this Blu-ray release, the upgrade in visuals, as well as the surround sound quality go a long way. I would never have thought I would have praised a golf movie for these aspects, but they really help to immerse yourself in the film.
For even the most causal sports fans (or sports-movie fans), The Greatest Game Ever Played is something that should be seen at least once. For golf fans, this is simply a must buy, especially if you are already familiar or interested in Ouimet's tale. Based on what research I've done on the subject since seeing the movie, it seems to be fairly accurate and the underdog story is always a good one that will lift your spirits.
