This is one of those stories that you know has to be told and it has to be told right. So why the hell did Disney get Bill ‘Chet’ Paxton to direct it? Paxton’s directing credits include: The Fish Heads Video in 1982 (you remember the Barns and Barns song Fish Heads right?), Frailty and... That’s it! Now, Frailty is a fine film, but I get the feeling that it kind of directed itself. In the case of this film, I think we are similarly lucky since even Paxton couldn’t, entirely, mess it up.

This is the true story (as Paxton so subtly splays across the screen in the opening moments) of Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LeBeouf, which I’m pretty sure means “The Beef” in French), who came out of nowhere, against great odds, to compete in the 1913 US Open. His opponent: Harry Vardon ‘The Stylist’ winner of the British Open and considered the best in the world. The two have a lot in common: a love of the game, excellent focus and humble roots. They had to struggle for every ounce of respect they received. Vardon was the pride of England, the best golfer in the game, yet he couldn’t even get an invitation to join the local country club. Ouimet is a twenty year old, ex-caddy playing way outside of his class, a fact that his father continually reminds him of. His caddy is the 8 year old Eddie (Josh Flitter) who gives him strength, encouragement and keeps him focused. He also steals every scene that he’s in.

There are a lot of facets to this story that only get a cursory glance. The obvious underdog overcoming adversity and rising to greatness plot is the main focus. However some equally interesting elements are touched on. The animosity between the US and the UK, a love story between Ouimet and a young upper class gal named Sara Wallis and of course how much golf has changed! For example, golf used to be extremely competitive! Mind games, team play and down right cheating were pretty common. A great scene happens when Vardon and John J. McDermott (Michael Weaver), the current Open Champ, are paired up at a Par 3 hole. McDermott has honors and glances over at Vardon who’s holding a mid Iron club. Not to be outdone, McDermott goes over to his caddy and trades in his wood for a mid iron. “You can’t get there with that” the caddy says. “If he can, then I can…” He swings and comes up way short. Vardon swaps the iron for the wood he was going to use all along and hits it on the green. Beautiful.

The film is hampered by the special effects. There isn’t a single golf shot that isn’t done digitally. There are crazy camera angles; balls eye view, club eye view, ground eye view, ladybug eye view, it’s distracting and unnecessary. For the most part, it just snapped me out of the experience, so that all I could think of was, “Wow, that’s a bad animation…”

Still though, the story was compelling enough for me to want to rise up in righteous indignation at the inequities of the class struggle, overthrow the bourgeois and then maybe go play the back nine at the local country club.

Dave can be reached at dkerr@detroitbuzz.com .