The Greatest Game Ever Played
August 22, 2007
If I were cool enough to have a well-thought-out and creative scheme for rating movies, I would give a somewhat lengthy exposé on this film I watched last night. Instead I’m just going to tell you why I liked it. Since I’ve taken up a somewhat recent interest in golf, it was more enjoyable from that standpoint. But do you know what I liked most about it? It was just good, clean fun. How many movies can you say that about these days? Especially the ‘clean’ part.
The story adheres to an extremely common archetype in film that I like to call the ‘Young boy dreams of becoming or doing something great someday despite cantankerous traditional hard working father who plans for him to do as the family men have always done and work for an honest and decent wage to support a family, but the boy follows his dream anyway and angers his father, fails along the way but persists and succeeds in the end to do something that is either historically significant or completely innovative while also being very heroic, to the applause of an admiring crowd which includes his father who has had a change of heart and is there to witness his boy’s triumph…oh and the boy gets the pretty girl in the end’ …genre.
You will see this archetype everywhere: “October Sky”, “Zoolander” (“MerMAN! MerMAN!”), “A Bridge to Terebithia” along with the hit spinoff “Abridged Rivervalia”, and even in “The Neverending Story”.
Much like ‘October Sky’ and ‘Rivervalia’ this film is also based on a true story.
I am sure there are many more in this same genre out there, so if you can think of any please share.
I’m jealous of your new hobby. Every time Phil goes golfing I secretly wish I still played like when I was in high school. I received the “Best Sportsmanship” award my senior year. That’s code for “Worst Player”, by the way.
That’s funny. I recieved the same award my junior year for soccer.
Well whaddya know. Tess and I just watched this a couple nights ago too! And I thought it was pretty good too. Crazy to think it was a true story.. and some of his records still stand? C’mon Tiger!
Crazy how that happens, eh? Speaking of…have you watched the ‘Mission’ yet?
I just saw Bourne Ultimatum tonight and it was ARRRSOME!!!!
“Shine” is a good one in that genre. Except he is kind of doing what his dad wanted him to, I guess. But it’s still a good movie.
The Little Mermaid is also a bit like that, but from the female perspective. Does Tommy Boy count? Probably not.
Haha. I just realized I had “Every” instead of “Ever” in the title. Why didn’t anybody every tell me?
Art. The Little Mermaid is an intersting choice; I think it works. Nicely done. I’m really peeved right now that I can’t think of any other movies. I know they’re out there.
Interestingly, I think “Searching For Bobby Fischer” is a reversal of roles, where the kid has his passion in chess but his father pushes him too hard to succeed. The little boy just wants to be normal, but his dad wants him to be a great champion.