The Long Game Reviews (original) (raw)

Summary In 1955, five young Mexican-American caddies, out of the love for the game, were determined to learn how to play, so they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert.

My Score

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The Long Game is shot well and sounds good, and has potential on its quest to be a first generation American anthem.

For this team and their coach, the long game is about whatever it takes to play and get on track to a championship, even if that means smiling at insults and swallowing their pride when the competition cheats. Ultimately, though, it's not about golf but about dedication, resilience, and the joy of finding you can do better than your dreams.

The Long Game doesn’t push itself far enough, but ultimately, it successfully and truthfully tells the story it set out to tell and has fun along the way.

A light tone, just enough compelling back-stories and just-high-enough stakes make all the difference in the world between formulaic “plucky underdog” sports movies that work, and those that don’t.

The Long Game is determined to ape the tropes of a feel-good sports drama, but only as a means to an end, and its struggle to balance the demands of the genre with the deeper concerns underpinning this story ultimately stops either side of that equation from going the distance.

Went from laughing, to crying, to stunned. This movie hit all the emotions. The camera work was impeccable. Cinematography itself was a 10. Beautiful story line. A must see for all.

IN A NUTSHELL: This inspirational sports story is based on a true story. In 1955, five young Mexican-American caddies were determined to learn how to play, so they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert in a border town. When a high school coach saw their potential, he worked with them to compete in against wealthy white teams, winning the 1957 Texas State High School Golf Championship, breaking barrios for many Latino PGA golfers to follow. The movie is based on the popular self-published book called "Mustang Miracle" by Author Humberto G. Garcia. The director is Cuban American, Julio Quintana, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer C. Stetson and Paco Farias. Already, it has won the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival. THINGS I LIKED: The leading men in the film all do a great job: Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, Julian Works, and Cheech Marin. I loved seeing Jimmy Gonzales in the film, even though he has only a small role. I thought he was fantastic in the movie Blue Miracle. I was also excited to see Gregory Diaz IV. He was completely adorable in the film In The Heights. Fans of the popular TV show The Office will get a kick out of seeing Oscar Nunez in the cast. The fun soundtrack quickly takes you back in time. The film includes humor, drama, golf, and lots of heart. I really like the title because the movie shows that the point wasn't to just win a few golf tournaments but to truly win the respect and acceptance of everyone for Mexican Americans. I'm not a golfer and I still enjoyed this. It's simply the background of the deeper story of acceptance for Mexican Americans in the USA. We hear about how Mexican-American soldiers served the USA in war next to white soldiers and were still not treated with the same respect as others. Stories like this are long overdue. Our country still has a way to go, but I am happy to say we have made a lot of progress since the time period of this movie. I was an exchange student in Mexico when I was in high school and I loved my time there. Mexicans are lovely, warm, and kind people. We get to see video clips of the real people this story is about at the end of the movie. I always love that. THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: For people who think watching people play golf is the most boring thing ever, this is probably a movie they'll want to skip, even though the real story is about so much more than just golf. As far as underdog sports movies go, the film is extremely predictable and formulaic. That's okay though because everyone loves underdog sports movies! TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some violence Bullying and racial slurs We see some blood. A young man pees on someone's car to get revenge. We hear some Spanish without subtitles. Later, we read subtitles on the screen. Some profanity in English and Spanish.

Production Company Fifth Season, Bonniedale, Jaguar Bite, Mucho Mas Media, TBD Post

Release Date Apr 12, 2024

Duration 1 h 46 m

Rating PG

Imagen Foundation Awards

• 3 Wins & 5 Nominations

SXSW Film Festival

• 1 Win & 1 Nomination