dirkgifford It has a wonderful cast. Stephen Dillane and Shia LeBeouf each play a character I cared deeply about. The competition was believable as were the twists in the plot. I don't golf, but that didn't matter. It's a story about competing with others and with oneself. Mark Frost, the author of the original book and the screenwriter, is a wonderful storyteller.

LittleFerdinand 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!

cynthmet66 I happened upon this movie through On Demand and it grabbed my attention and did not disappoint. It goes for 2 hours and possibly the editing could have been tightened up but the story line is compelling, and so one has to see it to the end. I enjoyed Eddie Lowery who played Francis Ouimet's caddie by default, but he proved to be a great adviser, friend and encourager. My favorite line of Eddie's was: "Read it, roll it, hole it," on the last hole of the playoff at the US Open in 1913. Vardon was classy as the British opponent who also came from humble beginnings, and as it said holds the record for winning six British Opens. I think most anyone would enjoy this movie. I liked Shia LeBeouf as Francis. Shia considered this part as his first coming of age role.

leonblackwood Review: After many years of this movies release, I finally got to watch it and I quite enjoyed it. It is your typical feel good Disney movie but I did like the cast and the usual zero to hero concept. Its about a golf caddie, Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) who has a dream to become the best golfer in the world but he hasn't got the money to enter the sport. After getting the backing from some people who believe in his talent, he works his way up the ranks to take on the best players in the world. Its not the most original storyline but there are some other elements which made the movie interesting. All of the performances were great, especially from a young LaBeouf who showed up some of the older actors. I personally liked the coolness of Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) who was fighting against the politics in the sport during that period. I also liked Francis's caddie and Ted Ray who was the larger English golfer. Anyway, there is some intensity throughout the golf matches which actually made the game quite interesting, for once. It reminded me a lot of the Rookie, which had the same type of concept were his dad wanted him to make an honest living to put food on the table. Although the concept is basic, it's still a watchable movie which we all can relate to and the fact that it's based on real characters, made it a joy to watch. Enjoyable!Round-Up: Shia LaBeouf, 29, is another one of those actors that started his acting career at a young age. His first film was in 1986 in a film called Monkey Business but he hit it big when this film was released. He had small roles in I, Robot, Constantine, Dumb and Dumberer, Charlie Angels: Full Throttle and Bobby but he hasn't stopped working since he played the lead in Disturbia in 2007. He then got the lead in the Transformers franchise alongside Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was very disappointing and he also played the lead in the Wall Street remake which was no way as good as the original. Anyway, his movies have grossed over $2Billion at the box office so at 29, he's achieved a lot in his career. This movie was directed by the great Bill Paxton whose famous for his one liners in Aliens and Predator 2. This is the second movie he has directed, after the 2001 movie Frailty which he also starred in, so he hasn't got that much experience behind the camera but he still done a good job with this film. He covered the period well and his great cast choice made this movie a hit at the box office. There are some little touches, like the caterpillar on the golf ball, which were great so it's definitely worth a watch.Budget: $25million Worldwide Gross: $53millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/history/sports movies about a young caddie who uses his golfing skills to take on some of the biggest golf players in the world. 5/10