The Greatest Game Ever Played

• IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 30, 2005 The second film directed by actor Bill Paxton is a marked departure--in both form and content--from his debut, 2001's FRAILTY, a shadowy, gothic tale of murder. THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED is a sports movie slash Horatio Alger rags-to-riches tale with undertones of consciousness and social critique. The story is based on a real-life event--the 1913 U.S. Open go

The book that hits the sweet spot is now a major motion picture! Announcing the official movie tie-in edition of Mark Frost+s award-winning The Greatest Game Ever PlayedThe riveting tale of one of golf+s most defining moments comes to life on-screen this fall from Walt Disney Pictures+and is sure to spark renewed interest in Mark Frost+s sensational book of the same name.The movie The Greatest Game Ever Played is directed by Bill Paxton and stars Shia LaBeouf (I, Robot), Stephen Dillane (King Arthur, Th! e Hours), Peter Firth (Pearl Harbor), Elias Koteas, and Peyton List. It will be released in September +05 from Walt Disney Pictures.Francis Ouimet was a working-class immigrant kid who, flanked by a 10-year-old caddie smaller than his golf bag, started with nothing and came out of nowhere to break down the barriers and become America's first golf hero nearly a century before Tiger WooYou wouldn't think a movie that uses the game of golf as a metaphor for class struggle could be so entertaining. The Greatest Game Ever Played stars the charming Shia LaBeouf (Holes) as Francis Ouimet, a golfer who, in 1913, rose from caddy to U.S. Open champion at the age of 20--despite the resistance of the powers that be, who thought it unseemly for a lower-class plebian to play the sport of gentlemen. Ouimet's main competitor is Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane, The Hours), a British professional, still considered one of the greatest players of all time, who fought his own! class battles. The two go head to head in a genuinely grippin! g match, deftly balanced against the juxtapositions of their personal struggles. Is it sentimental and formulaic? Is the outcome a foregone conclusion? Yes, but it doesn't matter--formulas exist because, when executed with verve and dexterity, they work. Bill Paxton, best known as an actor (One False Move, Apollo 13), steps into the director's chair and hits all the right notes, aided by an excellent cast playing colorful characters, a vivid recreation of the time period, glowing cinematography, and an expert pace. The Greatest Game Ever Played works. --Bret Fetzer

In 1913, golf's first superstar went up against a green 20-year-old amateur. It was the birth of modern golf. Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet came from different worlds and different generations, but their passion for golf set them on parallel paths that would collide in the most spectacular match the sport has ever known. Vardon had escaped a life of poverty in Britain to achieve universal ! recognition as the greatest champion in the game's history. Ouimet, a virtual unknown from Massachusetts, was only three years removed from his youthful career as a lowly caddie and worshipped Vardon. When these unlikely opponents finally came together in their legendary battle at the 1913 U.S. Open, the world's reaction to its remarkable drama and heart-stopping climax gave rise to the sport of golf as we know it today.

Weaving together the stories of Vardon and Ouimet to create his narrative, Mark Frost has crafted a uniquely involving, intimate epic: equal parts sports biography, sweeping social history, and emotional human drama.

In 1913, golf's first superstar went up against a green 20-year-old amateur. It was the birth of modern golf. Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet came from different worlds and different generations, but their passion for golf set them on parallel paths that would collide in the most spectacular match the sport has ever known. Vardon had e! scaped a life of poverty in Britain to achieve universal recog! nition a s the greatest champion in the game's history. Ouimet, a virtual unknown from Massachusetts, was only three years removed from his youthful career as a lowly caddie and worshipped Vardon. When these unlikely opponents finally came together in their legendary battle at the 1913 U.S. Open, the world's reaction to its remarkable drama and heart-stopping climax gave rise to the sport of golf as we know it today.

Weaving together the stories of Vardon and Ouimet to create his narrative, Mark Frost has crafted a uniquely involving, intimate epic: equal parts sports biography, sweeping social history, and emotional human drama.

The 1958 NFL championship game is known to football fans as the "Greatest Game Ever Played." Featuring gridiron legends like Johnny Unitas, Frank Gifford, and Vince Lombardi, the Game marked the beginning of America’s infatuation with professional football.

Now, Phil Bildner tells a heartwarming father-and-son story against the backd! rop of this historic moment.When the New York Giants baseball team moves to San Francisco, young Sam discovers the other New York Giantsâ€"the football Giants. He convinces his skeptical Pop to come with him to the Game, and as Johnny Unitas engineers Baltimore’s legendary comeback, Sam and Pop rediscover the joy of rooting on their heroes together.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is a crowd-pleasing underdog epic that's based on an inspirational true story! Young amateur golfer Francis Ouimet has nothing but talent and a seemingly impossible dream to challenge the world's greatest player, his idol Harry Vardon. Soon, with the help of his spunky 10-year-old caddy Eddie, Francis breaks down all barriers with a thrilling display of unrivaled drive, skill, and heart . . . and challenges the golf pro for the U.S. Open Championship!You wouldn't think a movie that uses the game of golf as a metaphor for class struggle could be so entertaining. The Greatest Game Ever ! Played stars the charming Shia LaBeouf (Holes) as F! rancis O uimet, a golfer who, in 1913, rose from caddy to U.S. Open champion at the age of 20--despite the resistance of the powers that be, who thought it unseemly for a lower-class plebian to play the sport of gentlemen. Ouimet's main competitor is Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane, The Hours), a British professional, still considered one of the greatest players of all time, who fought his own class battles. The two go head to head in a genuinely gripping match, deftly balanced against the juxtapositions of their personal struggles. Is it sentimental and formulaic? Is the outcome a foregone conclusion? Yes, but it doesn't matter--formulas exist because, when executed with verve and dexterity, they work. Bill Paxton, best known as an actor (One False Move, Apollo 13), steps into the director's chair and hits all the right notes, aided by an excellent cast playing colorful characters, a vivid recreation of the time period, glowing cinematography, and an expert pace. ! The Greatest Game Ever Played works. --Bret Fetzer