America ...what a Country!!!!!

Thank you Yakov Smirnoff ......

but seriously folks America truly is a Great country! In what other country could a small-town small-time, part time writer of an irregularly written Blog become a Powerful Member of the Public Press dispensing wisdom and advice to those who seek after truth?

Thus it was that i found myself in the "Reserved for Members of the Press" section yet again to provide my loyal readers with a glimpse into the little known world of the movie preview .... and so in payment for the ability to see into the future of movies i now present for one and all ... a true and exacting critical review of Thursday night's grand adventure in theater -- the invitation only screening of "The Greatest Game Ever Played."

Directed by Bill Paxton (of Apollo 13 and Twister fame), it was easy for me to see where his directorial genre was influenced by the great Opie Taylor .... while Ron Howard was not mentioned in the credits at all and as far as i understand it had absolutely nothing to do with the film and its making ... even a completely unknowning eye could see his fingerprints all over this theatric adventure.

While the film has a tendancy to go just a bit over the top in the creation of its dramatic themes and situations, that minor disconcerting factor in no way detracts from the awesomeness and spirit of the story of two men who, despite having nothing in common but their common working class backgrounds in a world of the "gentlemen's game, become locked in a parallel sort of universal struggle -- each fighting his own personal and innermost demons and the world around them as well. One the acknowledged "greatest player" of his time (a self-made champion from the wrong side of the class barrier in England) -- the other, a mere boy, barely out of adolescence, fighting not only the class-barrier in Brookline MA in the early 1900's but the disapproval of his father as well.

Each finds himself pushed by the memories of their own struggles and the societal mores of their respective worlds, to accomplish the feat of overcoming all obstacles to be crowned as Champion of the U S Open Golf Tournament.

The true story of young 20 yr old Francis Ouimet's absolutely impossible and immprobable one-stroke victory over his hero and mentor the great Harry Vardon is an absolute MUST SEE for anyone who either loves the sport of golf, or who just wants to see an extremely well-presented film about a heart-warming and true story of two men chasing and achieving their dreams; of true friendships that last lifetimes; and mostly how sometimes all you need to do is play the game of life with all your heart ...not for money, or for pride of country, or even for those who call themselves our friends ... but simply to play ... because we love the game for the game's sake.

Mr. Paxton presents this epic and monumental endeavour brilliantly (the note about over doing some dramatics notwithstanding).

The "Greatest Game Ever Played" opens September 30th nation wide ... if you only see one or two movies a year please make this one of them. I promise you that you will enjoy this film immensely even if you are not a golf or even any kind of sports fan.

I give it Five Pocket Protectors out of Five on "The Geek"-o-meter rating scale.