It is rare that I go to a theatre to see a movie of which I have never heard anything, but that is the case with The Phantom of the Open, a British comedy based upon true events of the 1970s and 1980s which is just reaching American movie screens now for a brief run.  Moreover, I have no memory of ever hearing of the true story upon which this film is based, nor of the main character, who achieved a great deal of notoriety at the time.  It’s probably because I am not a golf fan, or player; I have played twice in my life and was so bad no one has ever invited me to play again.

Craig Roberts’ film follows Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance), a British crane operator soon to be laid off in the mid-1970s.  Maurice is looking for a new challenge in life; he takes one look at the British Open on the telly and decides that golf is the game for him.  He wangles an invite to the 1976 event and, having only had a bit of practice on local beaches, shoots the highest score ever recorded in a major tournament.  His play and perseverance make him a folk hero, but it angers the tournament officials, who not only ban him from entry again, but also force every golf club in Britain to turn him away.  But that doesn’t deter Maurice; with the help of his family, he keeps at it.  For years.

Audiences find this a charming, funny, absolutely wild story which nobody recalls from the time it actually occurred.  It certainly has crowd-pleasing elements, strong performances and an underdog angle reminiscent of Cool Runnings or Eddie the Eagle.  It also treads a fine line between mocking its often clueless protagonist and elevating him onto a pedestal he may not deserve.  I found the first half of the film hard to watch at times because Maurice’s approach to the tournament is so naïve and boneheaded.  I didn’t think he belonged there, so the reaction of the tournament officials (chiefly Rhys Ifans) is perfectly understandable.  I don’t care for embarrassment comedy, and there is plenty of embarrassment in Maurice’s first tournament.

Yet the film has greater designs, and it takes the stance that there is really nothing for Maurice to be embarrassed about.  He found something he wanted to try, and he did his best.  Furthermore, he keeps at it.  The second half of the story, which seems even more unbelievable than the first part, finds and maintains a tone that universalizes Maurice’s position and makes it powerfully relatable, mainly through his family.  It also helps that Maurice became a far better golfer.  And the capper is the Flitcroft family’s trip to Michigan for a reason I won’t spoil.  It gets a little sentimental, but this story earns its sentiment the hard way.  It is little wonder that audiences find it charming and worthwhile.  You probably will too.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  19 June 2022.