Tommy's Honor 2016

     This film is based on the novel Tommy’s Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris by Pamela Marin and Kevin Cook.  The beginning of this film is set in the early days of golf in 1866.  Old Tom Morris works as a golf caddy in Scotland and he expects his son 15-year-old Young Tommy to also be a golf caddy.  A father and son in Scotland know their station and it won’t do in this society to rise above your station.  Your peers will not condone this and neither with those above and below you.  Young Tommy starts to challenge the situation.  He’s a very good golfer and he doesn’t want to remain a caddy for the rest of his life like his father.  The aristocracy gives Tommy the opportunity to play but only on their terms.

     I thought this was good, the story line is good and the golf history is interesting too.  It is a real picture of life in this time period with a wide gulf between the nobility and the regular people.  The biggest difference is status and wealth or poverty.  Of course, those who have want to hold down those who have not!!  Personally, I have to admit that I don’t know anything about golf and I really don’t want to play or know very much!!  All of this is not needed to enjoy this film and it reminds be of the film Dream Alliance also titled Dark Horse of 2015 about a race horse in Wales.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

112 min, Bio directed by Jason Connery with Sam Neill, Ophelia Lovibond, Peter Mullan, Jack Lowden, Peter Ferdinando, Max Deacon, Paul Reid, Ian Pirie, Therese Bradley, Paul Tinto, James Smillie, Paul Tinto, Kylie Hart, Benjamin Wainwright.

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10, 67% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 22 critics, Amazon 4.1 out of 5* with 80 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Scotland, UK.  This film won Best Feature Film at the 2016 British Academy Scotland Awards.  Old Tommy is the two-time winner of the first major golf tournament, The Open Championship which he founded in 1860.  He also established golf’s standard round of 18 holes.  Young Tommy won The Open three times in a row while in his teens.