Lavish golfing biopic earns a below par £13k
STARRING one of our favourite sports and helmed by a director with the finest Scottish heritage, the film seemed a sure-fire hit.
But golfing drama Tommy’s Honour – which received £400,000 of taxpayers’ cash – has flopped at the cinema, taking little more than £13,000 in its opening weekend.
The film – directed by Sir Sean Connery’s son Jason – is based on the true story of the challenging relationship between father and son ‘Old’ Tom and ‘Young’ Tommy Morris – Scotland’s ‘golf royalty’ of the 1860s who ushered in the modern game.
Filmed in Fife and East Lothian, the production, starring Sam Neill, Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden, received £400,000 from quango Creative Scotland.
But the opening weekend in the UK was less than impressive. The film is showing in six multiplexes in Edinburgh, four in Glasgow, three in Aberdeen and dozens more across Scotland and the UK, with daily screenings.
But Friday to Sunday takings were just £13,265, figures from box office officials ComScore showed yesterday. With the average ticket price being £7.41, it means only 1,790 people chose to see the film.
By comparison, Spiderman: Homecoming pulled in £6.75million at the weekend in the UK.
The world premiere of Tommy’s Honour was at the Edinburgh International Film Festival last summer. Preview ticket sales between then and the nationwide opening on Friday have racked up another £35,244, putting overall earnings at £48,509. In the US, the film hit screens on April 14 and has grossed $569,306 (£442,180).
The film’s total budget has not been made public. But with A-list actors, full period costuming and filming on some of the world’s most exclusive golf courses, it is believed to have been costly.
Critical reception has been mixed. The Radio Times’s Stephen Carty called it ‘solid, well-acted, perfectly enjoyable’, but New York Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis blasted it as ‘redolent of damp wool and dour personalities’.
Creative Scotland declined to comment on funding but a spokesman said: ‘This production showcases Scotland’s creative, craft and technical talent, and our social and sporting history.’
Jason Connery did not respond to a request for comment.