The Greatest Game Ever Played: Sports with Sportman Spirit

Before he fought with the decepticons in Transformers, before he rode on a motorcycle with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones, Shia LaBeouf played a character called ‘Francis Ouimet’  in the movie ‘The greatest game ever played’ , a 20 year old boy form a humble background with aspiration to become a golf player.

Since the boy loves the game so much, he works as a caddy (person who carries player bag and clubs) at a golf course. But financial difficulties, added with a disapproving father, make him a probable candidate of being another victim of unfulfilled dreams. However watching his dedication to the game a regular player at the golf course offers him an opportunity to enter in an amateur golf contest, as his father won’t agree, he becomes so desperate in his attempt to become a regular player that he makes a deal with his father, that he won’t look back at being a player if he loses the contest. As destiny has it, he loses and starts working at a shop, as agreed with his father.

Opportunity knocks again, as the US Open Golf Tournament is being held, and one amateur player will be allowed to play with the champions from around the world. Reluctant at first, Francis however agrees to participate. As he can’t pay a caddy for himself, he is stuck with a 10 year old, a very adorable golf fan who agrees to do the work without any remuneration as he will get an opportunity to be on the golf field with all the champions of the game, he apart from being a caddy becomes Francis’s guide, the smaller boy has a simple enough strategy for Francis, ‘They play their game, we play our game’.

The tournament becomes the prestige point of Americans and British, as the British are considered to be the best players of the game, but an American had won the tournament the last year. So British are adamant to prove their dominance and Americans are trying hard to make sure that the last won was not a fluke.

But the unexpected happens, and there are only three players are left on the final day of the game, the two British players and Francis as the only American. What follows is considered to be the greatest game ever played. Where an amateur player defeats the big guns of the game in an astonishing playoff.

P.S – The movie is based on actual events that took place in 1913.

The movie has amazing cinematography, with good performances and believable narrative. It is one of those films, which makes going to cinema an experience.

A must watch with every standard.

Rating ****.