'Tin Cup'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Joe House, and Craig Horlbeck pull out the 3-wood to clear the water after revisiting the 1996 classic 'Tin Cup,' starring Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson, and Cheech Marin.
Cast
Kevin Costner as Roy McAvoy
Rene Russo as Molly Griswold
Don Johnson as David Simms
Cheech Marin as Romeo Posar
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Written by: Ron Shelton
Notes
- Movie #399 for The Rewatchables.
- Budget of $45 million, grossed $75 million. Director/writer: Ron Shelton (with co-writer John Norville).
- 35 PGA golfer cameos including young Phil Mickelson, Craig Stadler, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Fred Couples. Real CBS broadcasters: Jim Nantz, Ken Venturi.
- Costner trained with Gary McCord for a full year; his swing was sped up in post-production.
- Don Johnson's swing was altered in post to look more like a PGA swing (he was mad about it).
- Ron Shelton's 'big trilogy': Bull Durham, 'White Men Can't Jump', 'Tin Cup'.
- The controversial ending (hitting 12 on the final hole instead of winning) was intentional; Shelton stuck to his guns. Donald Trump told Shelton he would have made more money if Roy won.
- Inspired by Chip Beck laying up on the par-5 15th at the 1993 Masters, and Gary McCord's real collapse at the 1986 St. Jude.
- 1996 was the most important golf year ever: 'Happy Gilmore', Faldo/Norman Masters, Tiger's 3rd US Amateur, Tiger turns pro, 'Tin Cup'.
- Costner is 'unequivocally the sports movie GOAT' (American Flyers, Bull Durham, 'Field of Dreams', 'Tin Cup', 'For Love of the Game', 'Draft Day', McFarland USA).
- To get PGA pros as extras, they offered their wives/girlfriends a banquet to meet Costner and Don Johnson; all pros did it for SAG minimum ($600).
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“Well written. The dialogue is smart and fresh, and when Tin Cup and Molly are talking, they savor the joy of language.”
Ebert gave it 3 stars. Liked Renee Russo and the dialogue but thought it was a little bloated.
- House: Molly's first lesson – the golf swing poem, the unfinished follow-through. 'I'm a sucker for the golf sicko stuff.'
- Craig: The whole last hour at the US Open – the music starts playing, the helicopter shots. Also the scene where Roy first arrives at the Open and has the shanks.
- Bill: Roy shoots the 62 in the first round. Also: the ending – 'Five years from now, no one's going to remember the Open. They're going to remember the 12. It was immortal.'
- Bill: Young Jim Nantz (identical voice); David Simms sponsored by Nissan/Infiniti; Roy's Walkman; Fuji Film blimp; Craig Stadler's clothes; Rene Russo's Jennifer Aniston-era hair.
- Craig: Ring Magazine in the background.
- Bill: Jim Nantz (identical voice 29 years later); Phil Mickelson gambling (prescient); sports psychology/mental game (way ahead of its time).
- House: 'Let the big dog eat' and 'grip it and rip it' – 'Tin Cup' may have coined these phrases.
- Bill: Mid-90s CBS golf coverage; the 'Tin Cup' jokes (anytime someone melts down in golf, it gets referenced).
- The shanks scene – a golf pro would never get the shanks that badly.
- The love triangle is inexplicable – why is a sports psychologist in West Texas?
- Why doesn't Molly just get lessons from Don Johnson, her boyfriend, who's a PGA pro?
- Craig: The whole movie could lose 15-20 minutes.
- House: A golf pro getting the shanks is unrealistic.
- Bill: Simple – why is Molly with David Simms in the first place? The love triangle makes no sense.
Bill: 'It's not overacting, but it's something' – discussed Costner's intensity during the shanks scene.
- Bill: The movie would be better if it was 15 minutes shorter. Also: Costner is the sports movie GOAT.
- House: The ending is perfect – on first watch it's agonizing, on rewatch it's awesome.
- The wide shot of Roy's putt on 10.
- Helicopter shots of the US Open course.
Not many – Costner was always the guy. Shelton wrote it with him in mind.
Bill: The strip joint owner. Also various real PGA golfers making cameos.
The Dion Waiters goes to Frank Chirkinian (the CBS golf producer character).
- To get PGA pros as extras, they offered their wives a banquet to meet Costner and Don Johnson; all pros did it for SAG minimum ($600).
- Nobody ever shot 16 on a single hole in a major.
- Jim Nantz had to be careful in real life not to call Rory McIlroy 'Roy McAvoy.'
- Don Johnson: 'Miami Vice', not this.
- Kevin Costner: Debated – probably 'Field of Dreams' or Dances with Wolves era, but this is a strong candidate.
- Rene Russo: In play – incredible 1990s run ('Major League', 'Lethal Weapon' 3, 'In the Line of Fire', Outbreak, Get Shorty, 'Tin Cup', Ransom, 'Lethal Weapon' 4, Thomas Crown Affair).
Discussed briefly.
Bill: 'Earl' or the caddie character.
- The ball behavior on the green on 18 is 'utterly implausible' – a 3-wood from 237 yards could never land softly and spin back.
- He hits a 7-iron 227 earlier but a 3-wood only 230.
- The shanks are too extreme for any actual pro golfer.
The 3-wood from the final hole. Also: Roy's Winnebago.
- Follow your heart. Swing until you get it right.
- 'No one's going to remember the Open. They're going to remember the 12.'
'Happy Gilmore' (1996 golf double feature). Also: Bull Durham (Ron Shelton sports comedy companion).
Debated – Costner, Ron Shelton, or the movie itself.
Craig: 'On first watch it's agonizing. Second time around you're like, this is kind of awesome. This guy rocks.'