Goal in one
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
Cert 12A ★★★★ In cinemas now
God loves a trier, so there must be a special place in heaven for Maurice Flitcroft. Twelve years before hapless ski-jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards failed to break his neck at the 1988 Winter Olympics, Flitcroft was hacking his way through Formby’s 18 holes in the first qualifying round of The Open.
By the end of a remarkable day, the 46-year-old shipyard crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria had chalked up a record-breaking high score.
For those unfamiliar with golf, high scores are bad. “See you next year,” a surprisingly chirpy Maurice told an open-mouthed press pack before picking up his mail-order golf clubs.
This rousing Brit flick from director Craig Roberts and writer Simon Farnaby picks up what happens next.
Golf boss Keith Mackenzie (Rhys Ifans) doesn’t find plucky Maurice (played by a wonderful Mark Rylance) rousing. In fact, he is furious.
Maurice gained entry to the tournament by certifying himself as a professional on the application form, believing that The Open should be open to all, even the hilariously inept. But Mackenzie bans him from every golf course in the country.
Undeterred, Maurice returns to the beaches of northern England, using disguises and fake names to enter four more Open Championships.
The script doesn’t take any big swings with its hero, portraying Maurice as a decent man who genuinely believed “practice is the road to perfection”.
The golf scenes are played for broad comedy but Rylance teases out some sniffles as the hopeless dreamer.
“No one can say you didn’t try,” says his loyal wife Jean (Sally Hawkins) after she discovers Maurice sitting alone in his car, contemplating his new infamy. It’s this rousing comedy’s most understated scene. It’s also its most powerful.
Mark Rylance teases out some sniffles as the hopeless dreamer