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www.hollywoodreporter.com - : The true story of golf's 1913 U.S. Open is full of the stuff inspiring movies are made of: underdog triumph, the breaking of class barriers, a down-to-the-wire showdown. In his first nonfiction book, ''The Greatest Game Ever Played,'' writer-producer Mark Frost exhumed the event that once riveted the nation -- an unlikely match between a 20-year-old amateur and the game's reigning champ. He adapts the tale to the big screen with economy but not without conceding to certain rules of the genre; there's a familiarity to the saga as it hits predictable plot points. Still, actor-turned-helmer Bill Paxton has fashioned solid family entertainment in this well-cast feature, which in turn should provide solid boxoffice returns. more...
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www.eonline.com - : Disney has mined just about every sport for the big screen: Baseball (The Rookie), football (Remember the Titans), hockey (Miracle) and even figure skating (Ice Princess) had a go-round. It's an easy formula: Insert underdog story, add villains, remarkable comebacks and the requisite soaring music (whammo) and sometimes you get a good movie. This is not the case when golf gets the treatment (with golf villains!), as a caddie (Shia LaBeouf) finds himself competing against some of the greatest players in the world in the 1913 U.S. Open. While the based-on-a-true-story plot is intriguing, the Disney-fication process brings it down to a third-grade level. Painted too broadly by actor turned director Bill Paxton, few of the characters offer any dimension. And no matter how many camera angles you use, there's only so many ways to dramatize a well-played five iron. Worse yet, there's no Bill Murray (as Carl the groundskeeper) in sight. more...
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