Tommy's Honour

source: Tommy's Honour

The movie unfortunately quickly skips over all of his greatest golf accomplishments and concentrates on his unimportant matches. It also does not tell his tragic story well enough to be a great film.

Tommy Morris was one of the greatest golfers of all-time. Less than a month ago, when Jordan Spieth won the 2017 Open Championship aka British Open (four days before his birthday) he became only the second golfer - after Jack Nicklaus - to win 3 different Majors before the age of 24, which is quite an accomplishment, of course. But Tommy Morris won the Open Championship 4 times before he turned 21, the first when he was just 17 years of age and still holds this record as the youngest Major winner. However, Morris didn't win "different majors"; that's because the second Major (the U.S. Open) wasn't established until 23 years after Morris won his fourth Open, twenty years after his premature death in 1875. Despite this, there aren't 20 golfers in the sport's long history that have won more Major Championships than Morris even though there have been 3 to win every year since 1916, and 4 since 1934 when the Masters was established. Tommy's Honour is about Young Tom 'Tommy' Morris (played by Jack Lowden) and his father Old Tom Morris (Peter Mullan), who won four Open Championships himself and was also a greens-keeper, course designer and early innovator the game. Unfortunately, director Jason Connery and editor John Scott must have felt obligated to include every aspect of their fascinating story in the movie because it covers a lot of ground regarding social issues while repeating many of the golf elements without giving enough emotional weight to either's triumphs or struggles. The closest it comes are in the moments between Young and Old Tom. Sam Neill plays a club gentleman who resists Tommy's efforts to rise above his station as a caddy. Ophelia Lovibond plays Tommy's love interest come wife, who died along with their child during a difficult labor just four months before he passed on Christmas Day, 1875. Still, for golf enthusiasts it gives glimpses and insight into the realities and challenges of the game's early years, and it caused this reviewer to learn through research the accomplishments of its titled golfer.

Excellent performances from a strong cast. Great film but life is not Disney so not all endings are happy

Terrible true story of one pioneer of golf. Great film but difficult ending.

With scant knowledge of or interest in golf and no notion at all of the Morris father and son partnership, this film was not an obvious viewing choice. However, Mullan and Neill were a draw-card enough and so I found myself whisked up to the wilds and links of Scotland. Beautiful scenery, a social interest story of class, and a creeping disapproval of the unkindness of some religious attitudes drew me in. The central performances of Lowden and Lovibond illuminate the piece, and create the emotional heft. Even with no engagement with golf, it's impossible not to care about the fortunes of this young couple. Watch it with an Open mind and heart.

(Flash Review) If you are not a golf fan now, this film won't win over new fans from viewing this. It doesn't focus on why golf caught on or how its appreciation truly grew. Rather if focuses on the man who shepherded into wider popularity in the 1860's, Tom Morris, while his son, Tommy Morris, became a multiple early Open Champion. For me, too many scenes revolve around father and son as well as early golf country members as they all squabble about social classes and how big a slice of the purse the winning golfer should get compared to the tournament organizers. I wish they could have better intertwined into the story more interesting historical golf factoids of the early game of golf. I didn't connect with any of the characters as they were far from warm so when strife hit them my emotional reaction was minimal. It was moderately interesting as it was shot very professionally but I wish the script had adjusted its focus better for my interests as the core drama was of marginal intrigue.

In the 1860s, a story of the founders of the game of Golf: Tom Morris (Peter Mullan) the Groundskeeper at St Andrews, Scotland and his son Tommy Jr (Jack Lowden). Father Tom is the architect of many golf courses in England, Wales and Scotland; and his son Tommy was winning tournaments since the age of 16 and became a Professional at 23-yrs of age and is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time even though it was only for a short time. Hard to believe? Well, you need to see this story. Then you will believe. I suppose mostly golfers would be interested in this story as we don't hear or learn much about Tom Morris and son Tommy Jr. However, the love story that is contained in here is, I think, one of the very best I have ever seen in a movie. Hey, I fell in love with a very pretty Meg (Ophelia Lovibond) who Tommy married, and you will fall, too. Guaranteed. Most of the beginning of the movie I kept saying this needs to be better done, Too many scenes went by so fast and I thought were interesting enough to explore or tell us more about the family. Didn't happen. And then there are the accents. Whew! Pay close attention as they sometimes talk into their chests or at a very rapid pace. Whew just doesn't get it. That aside I was shocked at the courses themselves. They never had or heard of lawn mowers, I guess. The Putting Greens were rough lawn and they had to navigate the burly grass, tufts and the like. One would have thought they would have made at least a sand or some-such green. Didn't happen. There was a great use of the Stimie (a condition where your opponent's ball blocks your ball and the idea is to hit over his ball to the hole.) as no one marked their ball on the "green." The flag sticks were only about 3-foot high. No one had Tees. No, they put the ball on a dirt mound or caked snow (Yes, I said snow, they played in it too). Of course, wooden clubs were used and the caddy carried the sticks. Later Tommy found a quiver to hold the clubs, but we never saw it used once he discovered it. Pity. But............yes, but when Tommy marries Meg, the movie becomes much better, clearer and now we are really enjoying all including the deep love between Tommy and Meg. I don't think I have ever seen such devotion between a man and a woman. Since I play golf, this story will always be with me and I will remember this for the rest of my life. You will see what I mean.................... Notable: Sam Neil plays a rich man and highly respected member of the St Andrews Golf Club for Men, and who looks down on everyone who isn't a Gentleman, and he did claim Tommy would never be a Gentleman; and Therese Bradley as Nancy, Tommy's mother. Stay tuned to the end to see what happened to Tom Morris and his son Tommy Jr. their records and accomplishments. (10/10) Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No. Rating: A ( 21 November 2019)

Had never heard of Morris Senior nor Junior prior to stumbling across this film. Also do not know much about the game of golf. Neither of these facts prevented me from being fully absorbed into the story. Actors did a fine job of depicting the characters, all of whom were credible. The ways and costumes of the era, believable. There was naught in the film that jarred me out of full absorption. Inspired and visually delicious, this is one that could be viewed over and over, still to find something new to love about it.

Good little British film, you don't need to be golf fan as the story is about class and family as much as golf. Certainly gives a bit of perspective to modern sports.