The Long Game

For as long as there have been movies, the "underdog" niche has been popular. What's not to like about watching someone (or someones) come from behind to show the rest of us that, in the right circumstances, anything is possible? Golf might seem at first like a poor fit for this category, but of course the real story is about discrimination. It works. Jay Hernandez is the glue that keeps the attention of the audience, and he basically steals every scene not otherwise nailed down. Quaid has recently started a "second career" as an older actor playing older parts. And he is good in all of them. The 1950s are a welcome distraction for viewers in an age where modern and now both seem somehow inauthentic and wrong. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

This 2023 independent film, "The Long Game" released by Mucho Mas Media has Latinx star power of celebrity talent from Jay Hernandez to Cheech Marin set in 1950s Texas golf courses. It's directed by Cuban American director, Julian Quintana, born in Los Angeles but is based in Austin Texas.

This is a film adaption about a segregated golf course, surrounding Mexican American teens, who were caddies. Through their mentorship with an older Mexican American, San Felipe School Superintendent and WW II Marine JP Peña (played by Jay Hernandez) created the San Felipe Mustangs high school golf team.

Incidentally, there's a biographical book, "Mustang Miracle" (2012: Author's Press) by Humberto Garcia. The book documented this history that happened in Bordertown Del Rio, Texas (where he was born and raised). This film and Garcia's book chronicle these teens' discrimination in the late 1950s then became champions in teen golf tournaments.

The film also shows the harsh discrimination toward Mexican Americans in Texan borderland towns. Other actors like Dennis Quaid play Frank Mitchell, a white golfer supporter of the San Felipe Mustangs along with Cheech Marin playing as "Pollo", Del Rio golf course attendant. Amidst the younger cast of Latinx actors is Julian Works who brilliantly plays the role of young golfer Joe Trevino.

"Docudrama" implies to me a certain amount of accuracy.

I would think that making such a point and so many references to the coaches' experience in WWII that someone would have realized a cursory survey of the historical references by someone who was a little bit knowledgeable about the European Theater of Operations would be a worthwhile exercise.

Specifically: Coach Pen~a was shown early in the movie in an Army uniform with a ""Screaming Eagle" patch on his shoulder.

The Screaming Eagles were the 101st Airborne Division ("Band of Brothers").

They are part of the Army and not the Marines.

The Marines didn't fight in the ETO, they were deployed to the Pacific.

The 101st didn't fight at Monte Casino, their first action was Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion.

It would take nothing away from the drama of the story to make a few corrections that wouldn't jar the sensibilities of anyone with a passing knowledge of military history.

The Long Game is based on true events of a group of Mexican American caddies who are set out to learn the sport of golf. In 1956, South Texas region the boys create their own course because they are not welcome on the same course as white golfers. Jay Hernandez plays the superintendent of the local school district and he takes the kids under his wing along with Dennis Quaid to help nurture them into fine golfers and to compete against all the other golfers. Oscar Nunez acts as the principal of the high school, Cheech Marin as the groundskeeper, Jaina Lee Ortiz and Gillian Vignam are the spousal support system for the boys and Brett Cullen as the local judge who disallows the boys to compete on his grounds. This movie was the Field Of Dreams type of feel good film but for golf. The boys did win the championship in 1957 and some of them went on to compete in the PGA. Overall it was a good family movie, I would recommend it.

This is a wonderful family indie film. The second half of the movie is worthy of an Oscar. I laughed, I cried two or three times, had goosebumps, and really enjoyed the story. My only comment is it has a bit of a slow burn set up but it was still totally entertaining throughout. It was extremely well shot and directed, and oh by the way Cheech is a gem! I wish he had more lines he's such a natural. Actually my teenagers really enjoyed it too.

Finally; Although the setting is 1950's The Long Game still feels very current and topical in today's political environment. Cheers to a great team for pulling this off, I enjoyed it just as much if not more the second time I saw it!