Ben Hogan once quipped, “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” Director Jason Connery knows precisely how to apportion the right amounts of sunshine and gloom to mute the Scottish skies with a singularly overcast variant on twilight time. Old Tommy (a never-better Peter Mullan) was a modest greens-keeper who became the founding father of the modern game. Young Tommy (Jack Lowden) laughed in the face of those who cautioned against swinging above one’s station in life. To this day, the 17-year-old holds the title of the youngest Major Champion of all time. Seven years after winning the acclaim, he was dead. Connery’s reverential recognition of the father and son team who, after the game had been around for over 500 years, changed the rules and came up with the modern version, wisely spends time away from the links and in the company of women, in particular, one with a shocking secret to hide (Ophelia Lovibond). A surprisingly better-than-average sports biopic with standout performances. (2016) — Scott Marks
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