Review: The Greatest Game Ever Played (on DVD)

The Greatest Game Ever Played
[DVD j Greatest] 

Let’s clear up four things right now:

1. I DO NOT like golf. I like miniature golf with windmills, fake alligators, and other fun obstacles but that’s the extent of it.
2. I’m not a Shia LaBeouf fan.
3. Golf is what you put on the TV to take a nap by.
4. Did I mention I’m not a golf fan?

But I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Based on the novel by Mark Frost (The Greatest Game Ever Played: Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet and the Birth of Modern Golf), who also wrote the screenplay, and directed by the late Bill Paxton, this film is the true story of the 1913 US Open and the upset victory of a poor kid over the top two golfers in the world.

ZZZZZ.

No really, this was exciting. I was so enthralled with Ouimet’s story I even watched all the bonus features and looked him up online. Shia LaBeouf did a fine job in this role.

During this time period golf was the territory of the wealthy, the snobs, the upper class. Former caddies were not allowed to play with their betters. The family was poor, Ouimet had tried to supplement the family income with caddie tips, and his father didn’t approve of him playing golf. After Ouimet won, the number of golf courses tripled in the US.

So many odds were against this kid while he fought against prejudice, the wealthy, and his father to even be allowed to play in the Open. Not to mention, now he’ll be playing against his hero, Vardon.
The human element and drama made this an exciting story. This didn’t have to be a golf story it was simply the background – and you don’t need to know anything about golf, or even care about golf to be pulled into this tale.

This has been catalogued as a juvenile DVD, but it could just as easily be considered an adult, so don’t let the label put you off.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Miracle book series by James Patterson: Miracle on the 17th Green, Miracle at Augusta or Miracle at St. Andrews] [Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official The Greatest Game Ever Played web site ]

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!