Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

barrybeaven Good little British film, you don't need to be golf fan as the story is about class and family as much as golf. Certainly gives a bit of perspective to modern sports.

Ian (Flash Review)If you are not a golf fan now, this film won't win over new fans from viewing this. It doesn't focus on why golf caught on or how its appreciation truly grew. Rather if focuses on the man who shepherded into wider popularity in the 1860's, Tom Morris, while his son, Tommy Morris, became a multiple early Open Champion. For me, too many scenes revolve around father and son as well as early golf country members as they all squabble about social classes and how big a slice of the purse the winning golfer should get compared to the tournament organizers. I wish they could have better intertwined into the story more interesting historical golf factoids of the early game of golf. I didn't connect with any of the characters as they were far from warm so when strife hit them my emotional reaction was minimal. It was moderately interesting as it was shot very professionally but I wish the script had adjusted its focus better for my interests as the core drama was of marginal intrigue.

CineMuseFilms With sixty million golfers on the planet, you would expect a movie about the early history of golf to delight audiences all over the world. The game is rich in tradition and a spectacle for big-money professional sport. The historical drama Tommy's Honour (2016) has much to offer for die-hard lovers of the sport, but most other audiences may find it rather dull.The twin narrative inter-weaves the story of golf with the legend of the 'Two Tommies', the father and son team credited with launching the modern version of the sport. Set in 1860s Scotland, gruff Old Tom Morris (Peter Mullan) is groundsman for the famous St. Andrews Golf Club and he pioneered the early rules of the game including the 18-hole course standard. His 15-year old son Young Tommy (Jack Lowden) has grown up with game and becomes a better golfer than his record-holding father. When he beats his father's record, tensions boil over and Tommy wants to go his own way while Tom clings to past ways. The young champion tours the country winning match after match, and collecting more prizemoney and social respectability than his father ever dreamed of. When Tommy falls for Meg (Ophelia Lovibond), an 'older woman with a past', the family is torn apart.The story reveals several fascinating things about golf, including how the once-exclusive Gentleman's Club sport became opened to universal participation and how big-money gambling was integral to the game. The primitive early equipment, the feather-stuffed hand-stitched leather balls, and the cow-paddock roughness of the course are interesting insights into the origins of modern golf. While the period sets, costumes and historical depictions have high production value, the characterisations and melodramatic performances leave the story muddled, tedious and repetitious. Old Tom is portrayed as a cantankerous domineering father who is difficult to like, especially for his regular rants against Tommy's behaviour. His Scottish accent is so strong that many people will miss much of what he says. Young Tommy is the likable one, although his attitudes to parental and aristocratic authority are far too modern for a working-class boy of 19th century Scotland. The dynamic between them is unremarkable and predictable, and the romance is subdued and uninspiring even though Meg provides the film's aesthetic high point. The backbone of the story comprises the various games that Tommy inevitably wins, the monotony of which can quickly wilt the patience of both golfers and non-golfer audiences.The decision to spend so much of the film watching the primitive golf games of yesteryear has robbed the story of any narrative tension. As an historical drama, it shows how sport has potential to break down class barriers although today's private clubs would not agree. Anyone who loves and plays the game will wince at the sight of the early conditions under which it was played, but viewers unconnected with golf may struggle to stay awake with this one.

Mark Turner It's always a good thing when a movie takes on a historical figure or incident and attempts to bring it to life on film. Not only does it give some of us a chance to learn about something that happened in the past it allows us to relive it the best we can in the here and now. In some cases it allows that at a safe distance (any war film) and in others it allows us a more intimate encounter. That intimate encounter is what is at the heart of TOMMY'S HONOUR.While some might say golf was invented in China in the 1200s, most recognize the game as taking hold in Scotland around 1457. The game became more popular in the seventeenth century but it was in the late 1800s that it took off. The most famous course was in St. Andrews and was taken care of by Tom Morris starting in 1865. None of that is provided in the film but it made me interested enough to look it up.That's because the film is about both Tom Morris (Peter Mullen) and his son, Tommy (Jack Lowden). As the film opens Tommy has come into his owns as a golfer, matching and beating the abilities of his father. Tom has long been the groundskeeper by this time and makes a living by taking care of the course, running the shop that makes the clubs and balls and on the side playing as what goes for a pro at the time. What that involved then was to play for the wealthy club members as their representative and if you won they then determined what to give you in return.Tommy is not content to live out his life like his father. He has no interest in remaining at St. Andrew and dreams of the day when he will make a living playing golf for himself and not at the whim of an English gentleman. But times then were not like now and he's told more than once to remember his station in life and that he'll never rise above it. At the same time no one can question his skill and ability.As Tommy begins his ascendance on the links he meets a woman working as a waitress. Meg Drinnen (Ophelia Lovibond) catches his eye but she's much older than him. She also has a secret she keeps to herself that is revealed in time. The two fall in love and begin seeing one another. Her secret is revealed and rather than abandon her, the pair marry.Tommy's headstrong attitude can only allow him to go so far. He clashes often with his father about his future and about taking care of his family, both the one he intends to create as well as the one he comes from. The film focuses on all aspects of his life but revolves mostly around three items: his golfing ability, his relationship with his father and his wife. All three are tied together in an interesting tale that holds your interest from start to finish.Some may watch the game of golf and find it incredibly boring. If you've ever played golf you realize the skill that it actually takes to do so. Watching the games taking place in this film is more intriguing than most games today. In part that's because we begin to care about the characters involved. But the way the film is written, shot and directed makes it more interesting as well. Jason Connery (son of Sean) has done a fantastic job of capturing the suspense that each stroke creates as games are played with only one stroke determining the winner or loser.Going into this film I had no idea who Tom or Tommy Morris was. After watching it I found them to be incredibly sympathetic men who achieved greatness on their own terms in a time when the distinctions between classes was so heavy it burdened those with a dream. There are no lasers, no guns and no chase scenes in this film and yet it will hold your attention till the end credits.I've noted the skills of those behind the camera but those in front do a great service to the story as well. As Old Tom, Mullen speaks only when necessary and uses his skills as an actor to portray the emotions and thoughts of his character instead, doing an amazing job. Lowden is more in your face as Tommy, displaying the exuberance of youth and the dire consequences it can bring. And Lovibond (recently seen on the TV series ELEMENTARY) shows that she is capable of matching the abilities of her co-stars. Here's hoping we see more from all three.This is not a movie that will catch the eye of most who visit a nearby Redbox looking for a movie to rent. It won't be hyped and it won't be one that most will have heard of. That's a shame because it is one worth making the effort to watch, a dramatic tale of a young man who actually lived and is not quite as well remembered as he should be. What more can someone ask for in a movie based on history that tells his tale? This one is definitely worth watching.