In 1976, Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) made history by scoring the worst round of golf in The British Open.  Shattering the legacy of decorum held by the Association and refusing to forfeit the game gracefully, Maurice finished the course and became a pariah in golfing circles across the United Kingdom.  Never one to give up, he continued to practice, honing his skill on the green ever so slightly and would sneak out to a course at every chance he could get. 

The Phantom of the Open is a lighthearted biopic directed by Craig Roberts and written by Simon Farnaby.  Released in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics, the family-friendly sports dramedy walks the fine line between studio production and scrappy indie which perfectly fits Maurice’s can-do attitude.  The most enjoyable thing about the film is that while it can be seen as just another goofy sports film, there actually is a lot of tenderness below the surface that adds some nuance to Maurice as a character. It has the benefit of golf being such a singular effort instead of a team event that it can really plumb deep into what drives Maurice and what motivates him to never give up on his passions. 

Rylance leads the film and has a difficult balance to achieve as Maurice could be played sickeningly sweet and twee as if from a Wes Anderson film, especially given the eccentric dress which would make the 106-minute film a considerable chore.  Thankfully, that is not the case and Rylance brings a surprising amount of pain and humility to the role turning The Phantom of the Open from a story just about golf to a much more human arc about following one’s dreams wherever they may lead them. He walks about the frame with a bit of a bumbling quality to him, and it is all very endearing. Rylance brings a charm and affable nature to Maurice and it is not long until he wins his way into the hearts of the audience.  

For everything that is poured into Rylance’s Maurice to bring layers of life to what could otherwise have been a very paint-by-numbers piece, the same level of detail and humanism is not extended to the supporting characters.  This is not a fault of the actors, but rather a weakness in the script that seems a little unsure of how to handle the supporting cast. Namely, Jean (Sally Hawkins), his wife, operates in a very strange grey area of the film.  She is present, and there are hints of her life outside of being just Maurice’s spouse, but we never really get a strong sense of where she stands on this whole golf thing.  They are not a rich family, and Maurice puts his job at the shipyard in jeopardy when he cites them as a sponsor on his application and proceeds to, according to some, make a mockery of the sport on national television.  She gets a moment late in the film to be given the reigns of the narrative when Maurice is at his lowest, but it is not enough to satisfy her arc because throughout the narrative there are quick cutaways to the strain which Maurice’s loss of income is having on the family.  Maybe it was left on the cutting room floor, but the theatrical cut leaves much to be desired from a performer as skilled as Hawkins. 

Filling out the supporting cast are kids; his stepson through Jean, Michael (Jake Davies), and then their twin boys, Gene (Christian Lees) and James (Jonah Lees).  The twins share a nice arc throughout the film as they rise in notoriety as disco dancing stars: The Fantastic Flitcrofts.  They share their father’s affinity for enjoying life and following their dreams.  Michael, however, is forced into an antagonist role in the film, and while oftentimes these sorts of films do suffer because of a lack of stakes, Farnaby’s script wields the oldest son, and the entire shipping company, against Maurice and at times is downright and gratuitously mean to him.  Davies, unfortunately, is saddled with a cumbersome and poorly written role who shows up when the film decides that it needs some tension to fit into convention instead of letting the story play out more naturally.  It is ironic, then, that the film tries to dissect the pros and cons of following your dreams or falling into line, while its weakest element is an antagonist that is entirely constructed to meet conventions.  Showing how Michael and the twins have followed vastly different paths is interesting enough as it is, it is just a shame it was not handled with a little more nuance. 

The Phantom of the Open is an enjoyable little film that can lead even the most cynical of audience members to find at least a few moments of joy in its story.  Maurice is an unlikely hero who is as committed as he is stubborn, but it all comes from a place of love and a desire to find self-fulfillment.  It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming – the scene where Maurice is called “the worst golfer in the world” and he continually rejects the title, but also refuses to give up – and the story is nothing short of inspiring.  It is quite wild just how much the script seeks to break Maurice’s spirits, and Rylance manages to let these setbacks just roll off his back, but the performance never becomes too repetitive.  The film also shakes many of the preconceived notions of how a sports film is supposed to play out, guided by Maurice’s actual life story, sure, but even though it is not always successful in everything it is trying to do, it is one of the sweetest and most surprising films of the year.