Main Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Josh Flitter, Peyton List, Elias Koteas
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
The true story of an upset victory that helped change the sport of golf forever provides the basis for this period drama. Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf) was born in 1893 to a working-class family in Massachusetts, and grew up fascinated by golf. However, at that time golf was considered a pastime of the wealthy and privileged, and British and Scottish players dominated the professional game. Ouimet's familial home was near the Brookline, MA, Country Club, and over the stern objections of his father, Francis got a job there as a caddy. Honing his skill in his spare time, Francis displayed a tremendous natural talent for the game and an understanding of its strategies, and 1913 he became the first amateur to play in the U.S. Open, held at the Brookline Country Club. Ouimet's presence was considered little more than a novelty at the time; Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), a British champion with six tournament victories under his belt, was considered a shoo-in to win, with Ted Ray (Stephen Marcus) his only serious competition. However, Vardon, a fellow working-class boy who had overcome tuberculosis to become Britain's premier professional golfer, had more in common with Ouimet than anyone expected, and the tournament unexpectedly became a hard-fought competition between an established star and a promising unknown. Directed by Bill Paxton in his second directorial effort, The Greatest Game Ever Played also stars Elias Koteas as Francis' father, Josh Flitter as the ten-year-old boy who becomes Francis' caddy, and Peyton List as Sarah Wallis, Francis' sweetheart. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Marnie McPhail - Mary Ouimet; Stephen Marcus - Ted Ray; Peter Firth - Lord Northcliffe; Michael Weaver - John McDermott; James Paxton - Young Harry; Matthew Knight - Young Francis Ouimet; Luke Askew - Alec Campbell; Len Cariou - Stedman Comstock; Armand Laroche - Black Top Hatted Man; Walter Massey - President Taft; Tom Rack - Black Top Hatted Man; Howard Ryshpan - Gallery Member; Michael Sinelnikoff - Lord Bullock; Dawn Upshaw - Soprano; James Bradford - Robert Watson; Arthur Holden - Club Secretary; Philip Pretten - Comstock's Assistant; Joe Jackson - Pub Pianist; Charles S. Doucet - Irish Crew Boss; Justin Ashforth - Ted Hastings; Robin Wilcock - Darwin, Bernard; George Asprey - Wilfred Reid; Luke Kirby - Frank Hoyt; Mike Nahrgang - Baritone; Jonathan Higgins - Embry Wallis; Dennis St. John - Wallis' Butler; Brian Wrench - Know-It-All Gallery Member; Max Kasch - Freddie Wallis; Melissa Carter - Reid's Escort; Johnny Griffin - Jack Lowery; Steven Wallace Lowe - Reporter; Marcel Jeannin - Office Worker; Danette MacKay - Mrs. Wallis; Nicolas Wright - Phillip Wainwright; Frank Fontaine - Wallis' Chauffeur; Peter Hurley - Black Top Hatted Man; Gregory Terlecki - Black Top Hatted Man; Amanda Tilson - Young Sarah Wallace; Jamie Merling - Young Louise Ouimet; Eugenio Esposito - Young Raymond Ouimet; Scott Faulconbridge - Billy; Tim Peper - Walter Gibbs (as Timothy W. Peper); Marc James Beauchamp - Assistant Pro; Pierre Boudreau - Nothcliffe's Valet; Terry Reid - Vardon's Caddy- Tommy; Stephen Spreekmeester - Ted's Caddy; Patrick Whitebean - McDermott's Caddy; Melanie Beauline - Reid's Escort; Jeremy Thibodeau - Raymond Ouimet; Alexina Cowan - Louise Ouimet; Nicole Braber - Know-It-All Girlfriend; Kyle Macdougall - Vardon's Assistant; Jesse Rath - Runner; Domenico Salvaggio - Bartender; James Scovone - Copy Boy; Paul Cagelet - Man Passing By
Credit
Pierre Perrault - Art Director, Daniel Mizuguchi - Animator, Michael Mulock - Animator, Matt Ralph - Animator, Karl Sisson - Animator, Maxime Ferland - Boom Operator, Mary Gail Artz - Casting, Andrea Kenyon - Casting, Barbara Cohen - Casting, Brian Tyler - Conductor, Renee April - Costume Designer, Henri Aubertin - Costume Designer, Marie Bellemare - Costume Designer, Lisange Boulais - Costume Designer, Sylvie Charbonneau - Costume Designer, Chantal Di Filippo - Costume Designer, Lynda Doubille - Costume Designer, Marie-Josée Dumont - Costume Designer, Liane Garneau - Costume Designer, Emma Meloche - Costume Designer, Émilie Perrault - Costume Designer, Viriya Say - Costume Designer, Buck Deachman - First Assistant Director, Bill Paxton - Director, Elliot Graham - Editor, Elizabeth Ross - Editor, David Steinberg - Executive Producer, Chantal Bergeron - Hair Styles, Madeleine Bourassa - Hair Styles, Sandro Di Gioacchino - Hair Styles, Dominique Dupras - Hair Styles, Lorraine Le Comte - Hair Styles, Denis Parent - Hair Styles, Michele St-Arnaud - Location Manager, Benoit Mathieu - Location Manager, Sean Cohen - Lighting, Aaron Pozzer - Lighting, Mark Stepanek - Lighting, Fred Chu - Lighting, Jeremy Dineen - Lighting, Geoff Scott - Lighting, Hoa Tran - Lighting, Brian Tyler - Composer (Music Score), Catherine Lavoie - Makeup, Alex Lambert - Makeup, Nancy Ferlatte - Makeup, Melanie Guimont - Makeup, Julie Mignot - Makeup, Stephen Campanelli - Camera Operator, Roberto De Angelis - Camera Operator, Robert Stecko - Camera Operator, Emmanuel Previnaire - Camera Operator, François Séguin - Production Designer, Shane Hurlbut - Cinematographer, Bert Tougas - Cinematographer, Manon Bougie - Production Manager, David Blocker - Producer, Larry Brezner - Producer, Mark Frost - Producer, Joel Iwataki - Recording, Gabriel Guy - Recording, Jennifer Bydwell - Research, Dawn Upshaw - Singer, Raymond Larose - Set Designer, Felix Lariviere-Charron - Set Designer, Celine Lampron - Set Designer, Lucie Tremblay - Set Designer, Patrick Rousseau - Sound Mixer, Scott Wolf - Sound/Sound Designer, Peter Michael Sullivan - Sound/Sound Designer, Mark Ormandy - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul Poduska - Sound/Sound Designer, Soundelux - Sound Editor, Bob Beher - Sound Editor, Dave McKeown - Stunts, Mike Chute - Stunts, Ben Gauthier - Stunts, Francois Gauthier - Stunts, Alain Bérard - Stunts, Stephane Byl - Stunts, Jere Gillis - Stunts, Karine Lemieux - Stunts, Patrick Kerton - Stunts, Marcello Bezina - Stunts, Alex Cadieux - Stunts, Dominique Charete - Stunts, Helena Laliberté - Stunts, André Laperriere - Stunts, Maxime Vallée-Désourdy - Stunts, Marc Desourdy - Stunts Coordinator, David Blocker - Unit Production Manager, Daniel Auclair - Unit Production Manager, Patrick Legault - Unit Production Manager, Mark Frost - Screenwriter, Dennis Berardi - Visual Effects Supervisor, Randy Kelley - Sound Effects Editor, Brian Anderson - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Bernard Landry - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Cara Leibovitz - Unit Publicist, Robert Brakey - Additional Editing, Phillip J. Bartell - Additional Editing, Flying-Cam Inc. - Aerial Photography, Vincent Chase - Dialogue Coach, Nicolas Marion - First Assistant Camera, Yves Drapeau - First Assistant Camera, Philippe Prud'homme - First Assistant Camera, Stéphane Leblanc - Gaffer, Alain Massé - Key Grip, Stéphane Pilon - Key Grip, Jeff Nichol - Key Grip, Richard Ford - Music Editor, Joe Lisanti - Music Editor, Gary L. Krause - Music Editor, Adam Samlley - Music Editor, Joel T. Pashby - Post Production Supervisor, Helene Muller - Production Coordinator, Etienne Proulx - Properties Master, David E. Fluhr - Re-Recording Mixer, Dean A. Zupancic - Re-Recording Mixer, Christian P. Minkler - Re-Recording Mixer, Kimi Webber - Script Supervisor, Dandy Thibodeau - Second Assistant Director, Pierre Rivard - Special Effects Coordinator, Stephen Campanelli - Steadicam Operator, Roberto De Angelis - Steadicam Operator, Robert Stecko - Steadicam Operator, Jonathan Wenk - Still Photographer, Michael Wilhoit - Supervising Sound Editor, Scott Shapiro - Visual Effects Producer, Fiona Campbell Westgate - Visual Effects Producer, David Yrisarri - Visual Effects Producer, Chris Jargo - ADR Editor, Michelle Pazer - ADR Editor, Doc Kane - ADR Mixer, Jeannette Browning - ADR Recordist, Donal Maccormack - Assistant Art Director, Martine Gagnon - Assistant Costumer Designer, Jeff Scott - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Michel Léonard - Assistant Location Manager, Yves Desjardins - Assistant Production Coordinator, Nicolas Godbout - Assistant Properties, Sylvie Desmarais - Assistant Properties, Vincent Aird - Assistant Properties, Katia-Kim Depatie - Assistant Properties, Katrina Siegmund - Assistant Sound Editor, Michael Boulonne - Best Boy Electric, Claude Sauvageau - Best Boy Grip, Daniel Robidoux - Best Boy Grip, Alain Bisson-Doyal - Best Boy Grip, Shawn Roberts - Casting Assistant, Farrah Fox-Collis - Casting Assistant, Mia Levinson Wheeler - Casting Associate, John Lewin - Chief Lighting Technician, A&R Brouchu Construction - Construction Coordinator, Michael Hertlein - Dialogue Editor, Kimaree Long - Dialogue Editor, Patrick J. Foley - Dialogue Editor, Laura R. Harris - Dialogue Editor, Rick Kangrga - Dolly Grip, Rick Boucher - Dolly Grip, Robert Lapierre - Dolly Grip, Patrice Lapointe - Dolly Grip, Leslie Roycroft - Extra Casting, Randi Wells - Extra Casting, Carl Emond - First Assistant Accountant, Jason Otis Dale - First Assistant Editor, Kristine Mcpherson - First Assistant Editor, James Moriana - Foley Artist, Jeffrey Wilhoit - Foley Artist, Lisa Arsenault - Greensman, Jonas Bouchard - Greensman, Solange Lapierre - Greensman, Eva Medina - Greensman, Roger Paquin - Greensman, Philippe Patenaude - Greensman, Véronique Piché - Greensman, Éric Rathé - Greensman, Janice Tayler - Greensman, Étienne Tremblay - Greensman, Linda Gordon - Key Hairstylist, Marie-France Cardinal - Key Hairstylist, Réjean Goderre - Key Hairstylist, Micheline Trepanier - Key Make-up, Christophe Giraud - Key Make-up, Charles Jodoin-Keaton - Personal Assistant, Nutan Khanna - Personal Assistant, Julie Mongeau - Personal Assistant, Samantha Porteous - Personal Assistant, Shannon Kane - Post Production Accountant, Kam Stocks - Post Production Assistant, John Gaskin - Production Accountant, Jocelyne Gagné - Second Assistant Accountant, Silvy Kim - Second Assistant Accountant, Roch Boucher - Second Assistant Camera, Eric Aubin - Second Assistant Camera, Thierry Fargeau - Second Assistant Camera, Roxanna Macedo - Second Second Assistant Director, Kenneth Gagné - Set Dresser, Paul-François Sampson - Set Dresser, Marc Chicoine - Set Dresser, Sylvie Dagenais - Set Dresser, Daniel Ross - Transportation Coordinator, Mr. X Inc. - Visual Effects, Anne Galea - Set Decorator, Suzanne Cloutier - Set Decorator, Louis Dandonneau - Set Decorator, Normand Robitaille - Set Decorator, Dominique Gosselin - Set Decorator, Mark Frost - Book Author, Sandy Holt - ADR Voice Casting, Alexis Duceppe - Cable Person, Jean-Phillippe Bérubé - Cable Person, Audrey David - Clapper Loader, Karine Zerbé - Clapper Loader, Michel Bachand - Craft Service/Catering, Michel Vaudrin - Craft Service/Catering, Michèle-Barbara Pelletier - Driver, Maxime Bérubé - Driver, Nick Carasoulis - Driver, Philippe Gilbert - Driver, Bernard Lizé - Driver, Anastasias Mathiopoulos - Driver, André Michaud - Driver, Luc Paradis - Driver, Tony Pelletier - Driver, Manon Rufer - Driver, Marie-Andrée Turgeon - Driver, Jérôme Wheeler - Driver, Nerses Gezalyan - Foley Mixer, Jean Decarie - Generator Operator, Buena Vista Negative Cutting - Negative Cutter, David Darrell Storey - Pilot, Erick Hebert - Special Effects Technician, Julie Garceau - Video Assist, Karine Simard - Video Assist, Eric Fitzgerald - Title Design, Hollywood Titles Inc. - Title Design, Mick Reinman - Title Design, Pedro Gandol - Assistant Director, Marc-André Goyer - Assistant Unit Manager
Set in 1913, the film is about golferFrancis Ouimet, an amateur who was expected to fare poorly at the 1913 U.S. Open, and who was supposedly incapable of competing against professionals. Additionally, to discontinue an ongoing feud with his father, Francis had agreed to get a real job and never play golf again.
However, after getting a once-in-a-lifetime offer, Francis goes back on his word and competes in the U.S. Open that was taking place at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, literally across the street from the house in which he lived. Against all odds, he manages to beat the British champions Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, considered the world's best golfers, and become the first amateur to ever win the U.S. Open.
