Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

SPOILER: Overall, I liked the film, primarily on the strength of Stephen Dillane's and Shia LeBeouf's performances. Simple truths are completely ignored. For example Francis' father (Elias Koteas) is a ditch digger. I cannot think of a lower paying wage one could have. That noted, he has a nice home, raises a family of 5, go to the opera (!), etc. I found this ridiculous.Also Peter Firth's (playing a British Lord) character arc as the most antagonistic person is much too heavy handed. It goes far beyond class differences and into the realm of comedy. I won't even mention his lines; one can simply look at his clothing and makeup and find it laughable. A silly, pasted on mustache coupled with a hat 2 sizes too large are outrageous. Worst of all is the absolute angelic quality of Francis. In the real world, this young man would rebel to some degree. Th worst thing he does is tell his father "fine" after being told he will have to live elsewhere. There is no way one can have this much ability, be aware of it and (of course) have strong passion about it. It is ridiculous; especially in a 20 year old man. I find it unbelievable on many levels. And to think they write "This is a true story". It is not. In reality, he beat Vardon by several strokes and it was far back to 4th place in the 1913 US Open after 4 rounds were played.As usual, in became a "docudrama"; Bill Paxton or Disney should have written (at the beginning) BASED on a true story.

I cannot believe it has been so many years ago that I first rated this movie (TEN! I would give it an eleven if I could!) but never wrote a review. First off, I will admit to some biases. I have played and adored golf for almost 60 yrs, since I was 7. Secondly, I was born and raised in the Boston area. Third, I DESPISE arrogant, holier-than-thou, self-righteous people, and am glad that among lots of western nations, the US is or at least was one of the least-conscious class societies. Fourth, Francis' incredibly loving mom reminds me of my mom. So if you share some of these things, and have never seen this movie, you may just LOVE IT!!! I found myself wanting to rip out the throat of INCREDIBLY ARROGANT Lord Northcliffe, played magnificently by Peter Firth. And best of all, this flick is based on a true event. Ouimet's (pronounced WEE-met) big upset win in 1913 US Open Golf. How big an upset was it? In 2005 when flick was released, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were two of top 3 golfers (1st and 2nd?) in world. This 1913 upset was as if the Massachusetts State Amateur champ defeated Tiger and Phil at US Open. I consider it THE greatest upset ever in sports. Even more than the 1980 (and 1960) wins by the US Olympic hockey teams over the Soviet Union.

I really enjoyed this film, it was creative and perfectly edited. Lead actors, Stephen (Harry) and Shia (Francis) fall into their roles very well with spectacular performances. Especially the cheeky little caddie boy, he lightened up the film with his adorable performance. The golf matches that take up most of the film are exciting to watch. 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' gives insight on two very different characters but with a similar background...Harry Verdon and Francis faced similar obstacles on their way. Both came from impoverished background, just from different timelines. Although I think it would have been fair if Harry Verdon had more screen time. It would have been nice if they showed Vardon's childhood and his life in the countryside and how the mysterious men in top hats changed his life forever. Francis, like Vardon weren't welcome in the gentleman's clubs and it took them a lot of courage to make it as professional golfers, the game after all was highly discriminatory and I think Harry wanted Francis to take over the mantle, mostly because he didn't want to be the only guy from impoverished background? And actor costumes were great! Loved Stephen's natty wardrobe...looks classy!

I actually trawled through the entire set of reviews, searching for the ones which gave this film less than 5 stars. They were few and far between. Which is utterly baffling! Yes, I know it's a Disney film and it isn't directed by Christopher Nolan, but good Lord. This is straight-to-the-bargain-bucket nonsense. They should've had done with it and animated the bloody thing.And what's even worse is the fact that IMDb won't let me simply finish my rant there, because my review needs to be longer! The "Awesome" in-game camera shots are LITERALLY taken from Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf on the Playstation, the story plods like a sulking school boy, the multi-stranded character and plot development cripples an already weak setup, and the grand finale is plain boring.Aside from that, it really was the greatest film I've ever seen in my entire life. Good, authentic-looking costumes, sets and sports equipment. There, I said it.