Murray Blames Golf For His Cart Driving DUI

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We can only hope he's prepping for a reprisal of the Spackler role with talk like this. Apparently the cart was used during a pro-am and he just kept on driving with it until...

I ended up stopping and dropping people off on the way like a bus. I had about six people in the thing and I dropped them off one at a time and as the last couple were getting out, who wished to be dropped off at a 7-Eleven. ... I didn't know they had 7-Elevens in Stockholm," said Murray, who turns 57 on Sept. 21.

 

O'Hara, Gamble, Fisher Tabbed For Golf In The Kingdom; Straight To Video Release Pegged For Summer '08

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bk-1114.gifGolfweek's Scott Hamilton reports that the infamous Michael Murphy book is finally set for production and (spoiler alert) I've learned some key plot details. First, Hamilton writes:

Production of “Golf in the Kingdom” is scheduled to begin shortly after summer, with the entire shoot taking place in Oregon.

The movie version of Michael Murphy’s book of the same title has been tabbed with a modest $3 million budget. Production company Golf in the Kingdom LLC has enrolled sports marketing and management company Octagon to enlist corporate sponsors and handle all licensing and product placement for the film. John Ashworth is overseeing costume design, while Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas’ special-effects firm, has signed on as the film’s visual designers.

What, no Marty Hackel?

Shooting is scheduled to wrap Dec. 1 with a release date planned to coincide with the 2008 U.S. Open or British Open. Golf scenes will be shot on location at Bandon Dunes with other scenes to be filmed in a Eugene, Ore, studio.

The cast includes David O’Hara, Mason Gamble, Frances Fisher and Malcolm McDowell. Mindy Affirme, the film’s producer, also said several actors have been approached for cameos, including Sean Connery and Hugh Grant.

Industry sources the delays were influenced by the book's lack of a second or third act.

However after veteran scribe Paul Haggis (Crash, Letters From Iwo Jima, thirtysomething (three story arc in 1987)) brushed up the script, a rivetting finale will now include Michael Murphy scaling the Golden Gate Bridge to talk Jim Flick (the Connery cameo) down from jumping after learning another of his students has adopted Stack and Tilt.

That will be followed by a dramatic chase through the streets of Palm Desert in which Shivas (now caddying at San Francisco Golf Club and reunited with Murphy in a quest for the meaning of life/golf) helps the author's character track down Mac O'Grady at Mesquite Country Club for a final instructional sequence that will leave audiences questioning everything they've ever read in Golf Magazine, while also marking the long-awaited digital media release of O'Grady's instruction thoughts.

It's Baggar Vance meets Memoirs of a Geisha in the vein of Traffic. 

Sideways Golf Trip

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rec01.jpgRex Pickett, author of the fun novel Sideways, writes about how the film adaption of his book changed his life and the fortunes of central California's wine country.

He also provides tips on where to play and stay in this lengthy TL Golf story..

The novel has much more golf in it than the film, including some pretty detailed (and accurate) scenes at La Purisma. I posted an Amazon link in the lefthand column if you want to read more.

Greatest Game Ever Played At The Box Office

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The bad news about The Greatest Game Ever Played's poor box office showing is that it will probably make it that much tougher for golf films to be green lit.

The good news is that in Hollywood's new quick turnaround model, we may get it on DVD by Christmas!

From boxofficeguru.com: 

Disney's golf drama The Greatest Game Ever Played held up well in its second swing dipping only 29% to an estimated $2.6M thanks to an additional 796 theaters. With the per-theater average falling 60% and the ten-day total sitting at $7.4M, look for a weak $12-13M final.

Teebiscuit

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greatestgameeverplayedthe.jpgFrom Jeff Silverman in this weeks SI Golf Plus (subscription req.): "The high point of the movie adaptation of The Greatest Game Ever Played comes early -- before the opening credits." Ouch. And: "If the movie couldn't fully uphold its oath, it should have at least improved its lies."

Most of the newspaper and trade reviews are quite good though. Here are some: Arizona Republic, AP, Seattle Press Intell whatever, New York Times, Variety and the lukewarms from MSNBC and the Chicago Tribune.

Here's the IMDB page with the full cast and crew listing and other information. 

Early Greatest Game Review

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greatestgameeverplayedthe.jpgBill Huffman in the East Valley Tribune looks what makes a golf movie work and he reviews The Greatest Game Ever Played, with quotes from the film's participants that would make the marketing department proud:

We met — which is how you phonetically pronounce Ouimet — Paxton during a party prior to the screening. Paxton knew one member of our foursome of amateur critics from their past days at Whispering Palms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

"It’s a movie that (golfers) will appreciate, and women will love,’’ said Paxton, who is better known as an actor for his roles in such films as "Apollo 13,’’ "Tombstone,’’ and "Weird Science."

We also met Frost, whose previous claim to fame came as a writer for the hit TV series "Hill Street Blues.’’ Frost said the movie was a "time machine" dating back to when "the athlete was a role model, which is not always the case in America these days."

Both Paxton and Frost were center-cut with their explanations of what to expect. Now, the question became, did the chemistry of the actors and plot in "The Greatest" work in a way that left people as moved as they were after watching "The Rookie?"

Well, one of our foursome did cry — and clap! — at the conclusion. But the best comment came from the other female member of the foursome, who said of "The Greatest": "If it came down to buying a movie ticket or renting the DVD, I’d wait for the rental."