The Long Game 2024 Movie Review Trailer

 Sports dramas can be unpredictable. When you portray real-life humans struggling to overcome racially motivated obstacles, the stakes are even higher. The Long Game successfully balances emotion, humor and performance to tell the true story of a mentor, a coach and five high school kids in the segregated world of golf in 1950s Del Rio, Texas.

New to town, JB Peña (Hernández) aims to add “country club member” to his prestigious new role as superintendent of the school district. After his first encounter with the good guys' club, through the golf club's representative (played by excellent local supporting actor Richard Robichaux), Peña realizes that membership can be a pipe dream in the small town. border.

Director: Julio Quintana

Writers: Paco Farias, Humberto G. Garcia, Julio Quintana

Stars: Dennis Quaid, Jay Hernandez, Gillian Vigman

A microcosm of the golf world then, since, and to some extent now, the golf community of Del Rio in 1956 is an exclusively white wealth where melanin-rich outsiders (even esteemed residents) are not considered good. Dennis Quaid plays retired golf pro Frank Mitchell, Peña's World War II war buddy, who recommends membership and offers tutoring on how to navigate the murky waters of Del Rio. 

After a bloody first encounter, Peña discovers a gang of Latino teenagers who are caddies at the same club and feel such admiration for the sport that they built their own golf course in the desert. They're not that bad players either, so Peña redirects his energy into helping the quintet form the first high school golf team.

It's obvious that Austin-based writer-director Julio Quintana appreciates this story. In addition to co-writing a wonderful script, Quintana created a circle of trust behind the scenes to see the story and the film through to the end. Hernandez and Quaid were main cast members of The Rookie, and Quaid and Quintana worked together on Blue Miracle, which also starred Jimmy Gonzales, who plays Squad Leader Joe's father in The Long Game.

If palpable camaraderie is the essence of the story, touching and realistic dialogue is the heartbeat of the film. The Long Game is well filmed and sounds good, and has potential in its quest to become a first-generation American anthem. 

By all indications, it's pretty true that the film is never overly dramatic or saccharine; is accessible and filled with little bursts of hilarity from Oscar Núñez (The Office) and the legendary Cheech Marin.

If the boys had made it to the state championship and lost, the story would be worth telling simply for Coach Mitchell's alliance, Coach Pena's vision, and the incredible tenacity of the players against severe racial prejudice in a time and place where it was embarrassing. to all. 

White Richie Rich could literally cost a Mexican-American his life. So you can imagine what a sweet triumph it would be to win the title. Regardless of the outcome, by keeping the story alive, the kids and their coaches – and the makers of The Long Game – land on the green and support the swings of future Latino golfers.

Watch The Long Game 2024 Movie Trailer