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AT THE MOVIES A Charmer From Great Britain and a Troubling Documentary About Private Education by Mike Canning
“Phantom of the Open”
This light comedy works because of Rylance, who shows both the simple How often do you see a comguile and the earnest effort edy movie about golf ? Rethe character demands. One cent years have seen a few of the world’s most accompopular US movies like plished Shakespearean acthe madcap “Caddyshack” tors (and the first director of (1980), featuring goofballs the New Globe Theatre), Rylike Bill Murray and Rodney lance was born in 1960 and Dangerfield, and “Tin Cup” educated in the US. He began (1995), a semi-serious satire his acting career in the late about the PGA tour starring 1980s, always balancing theKevin Costner. Another ribater and film work. He came ald farce, “Happy Gilmore” to be best known to American (1996), is an Adam Sandler audiences through his leading vehicle about a lousy hockey role as Thomas Cromwell in player who stumbles onto the two lauded BBC series based professional golf tour. on the novel “Wolf Hall” Now we have a sweet (2015), the same year he won Mark Rylance, as Maurice Flitcroft, lines up a putt in “The Phantom of the Open.” Photo: Nick Wall, British golf comedy with a courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics an Oscar for his role as a spy decidedly whimsical tone in the Steven Spielberg drama and, moreover, a saga that reWhile watching the 1975 British Open on “Bridge of Spies.” ally happened. It is a heartthe telly, Maurice has an epiphany about himself Since those breakthroughs, Rylance has piled warming tale of an everyman attempting to compete playing golf and triumphing in the Open (as it up laurels in other major pictures as a local seain the most prestigious tournament in the sport, the is called in England). This vision leads him to man in “Dunkirk” (2017), defense attorney William British Open, with a heart-warming performance announce that he will enter the tournament, to Kunstler in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020), a by its lead, Mark Rylance. (Rated PG-13, the movthe shock and chagrin of family and friends. After bonkers scientist in “Don’t Look Up” (2021) and ie runs 106 minutes.) all, the man has never played a round of golf in his a mysterious tailor in the just released “The Out“Phantom of the Open,” directed by Craig life! A total naif, he appears before the authorities, fit.” “Phantom of the Open” confirms the range and Roberts, relates the story of one Maurice Flitcroft only to be rejected by the tournament director excellence of his work. (Rylance), a fortyish crane operator in a north (Rhys Ifan) as having no credentials. Still, by an English shipyard who lives a routine life in a gritty administrative fluke, he somehow enrolls and duly “Accepted” city with his supportive wife Jean (Sally Hawkins) tees off. He then proceeds to play the worst round “Accepted” offers a unique and intriguing look at the and three boys. The eldest is Michael (Jake Dain tournament history ‒ 121 strokes. world of college admissions and the true cost of getvies), ashamed of his family’s origins and looking Flitcroft thus becomes infamous (famous) as the ting that first foothold into elite American society. to turn his life around as a respectable business“worst golfer in history” but also gains national noThis surprising documentary promises a heartening man. The other two boys, twins James and Gene toriety as a representative of two figures often bestory of education for the beleaguered, when director (Jonah and Christian Lees), are lovers of disco muloved by the British public: the charming underdog and co-cinematographer Dan Chen introduces us to sic with dreams of becoming a popular dance duo. and the dogged dreamer. By the way, he stuck to his the promise and predicaments of the T.M. Landry Maurice once promised his wife that their marriage dream: he tried to enter the Open multiple times, College Prepatory school in rural Breaux Bridge, would be “champagne, caviar, and diamonds,” but including one episode, shown in the film, where he Louisiana. (The film, released in the DC area on July that didn’t quite work out. used a disguise as a cheesy French golfer. 1, runs 92 minutes and is not rated.) 84 H HILLRAG.COM
