The Long Game is a sports film and, like most sports film, it’s a crowd-pleaser despite being predictable.

The film opens in South Texas in the 50s.  World War II vet JB Pena (Jay Hernandez) has been hired as the new superintendent of the school district.  Haunted by his experiences in the war, Pena now works out his emotions by hitting golf balls.  Despite being sponsored by his former commanding officer, retired golf pro Frank Mitchell (Dennis Quaid), Pena is turned down for membership in the wealthy Del Rio Country Club.  It’s suggested that he might fit in better at the all-Mexican country club a few towns away.

Pena discovers that five caddies at the country club have built their own golf course.  (He discovers this when one of them hits a golf ball through his car window while Pena is driving.)  Pena also discovers that the caddies are all students at the local high school.  Pena decides to recruit the caddies into the high school’s first ever golf team.  Under the guidance of both JB Pena and Frank Mitchell, the Mavericks make it to the Texas High School Golf championship and …. wouldn’t you know it! — they find themselves playing at the same country club that previously refused to allow Pena to join.

Sports films are interesting.  Critics and audiences tend to make a big deal about wanting to be surprised by movies.  We complain about the lack of originality that is present in most modern-day films.  But we make an exception when it comes to sports films because we understand that, at their best, sports film appeal to some very basic but very important emotions.  We go into sports film with the understanding that the underdogs are going to win, despite all of the obstacles that have been put in their way.  We go into sports films with the understanding that the team’s best player is going to be a troubled soul who has to be talked into competing.  We go into sports films knowing that the coach is going to start out pushing one method, just to realize the error of his ways.  We go into sports films knowing that there’s going to be a wise mentor.  (In fact, The Long Game gives us two, with both Dennis Quaid and Cheech Marin offering up advice.)  Sports film tend to be very predictable but you know what?  It doesn’t matter.  Everybody appreciates a story about underdogs proving that they can go the distance and compete with the best.  Everybody loves a story where the contender that no one took seriously comes from behind and wins.  There’s a reason why the Rocky films didn’t end with the first one.  After our heroes prove they’ve got the heart of a champion, we then like to see them win.  These stories are totally predictable but damn if they don’t bring a tear to my eye every time.

The Long Game certainly inspired a few tears.  It’s a well-made sports film, one that features heartfelt performances from Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, and all of the young actors playing the members of the Mavericks.  It’s predictable but it’s also well-made and there’s an aching sincerity the whole thing that is just impossible to resist.  (It also helps that the film itself is wonderful to look at, with the cinematography truly capturing the beauty of my home state.)  The film is based on a true story.  I imagine that a few liberties were taken, as they always are with a film like this.  But still, when the film ended with grainy images of the real-life golfers, it was impossible not to be moved by their story and proud of their accomplishments.

Go Mavericks!