Early Greatest Game Review

Bill 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."