I thought the consistent parallel between Quimet and Vardon's background were very interesting and intelligent. I think Disney is on a good trail creating these inspiration true sports stories, including "Miracle" and the upcoming "Glory Road."

I think director Bill Paxton (Frailty) did a great job making this golf movie unique. I particularly enjoyed his decisions to show passage of time over the course of the tournaments depicted, including the Open. Paxton also did well to show how both characters focused when on the green for an important swing.

The screenplay, penned by Mark Frost, who wrote the novel it was based on, did a good job of humanizing the picture nemesis, which ultimately became Vardon. However, you could look at the picture differently and say that Vardon and Quimet were equally cheerable, but the class issues and discrimination both of them endured was the actual nemesis of the story.

The history of the game of golf was also interesting to watch, including the lack of technology in the sport--I mean the clubs they used to use, the conditions of the links back then and the US Golf Association's rules of the game. At one point, they even played in a downpour, whereas today, they delay the tournament until the rain is over. Very interesting.

There were several fine performances in the picture, but my favorite came from Elias Koteas (TV's Law and Order) as Francis' Irish immigrated father Arthur Quimet. I saw Koteas' name in the main titles, watched the movie and wondered where he was in it. I read the end credits and saw he played the father. He was unrecognizable to me and very good.

Overall, I think the picture does well to make itself about its people and social problems they faced, rather than being a movie only golf lovers would enjoy. It's a feel-good movie top to bottom and worth the price of admission. This will be the only golf movie I actually look to put in my DVD collection.