User reviews

"Tommy's Honour" (2016 release from Scotland; 115 min.) brings the story of father and son Tommy and Tommy Jr. Morris. As the movie opens, a reporter from the Times of London wants to interview Tommy, by now an old man. But Tommy informs the reporter that the only story he is willing to give him, is about a young man. We then go back in time to the 1860s, and we learn that the young man referred to is Tommy Jr., an up-and-coming lad who loves the game of golf. His dad is a the groundskeeper of the local golf club and started the Open Championship. Along the way, we get to know other characters, including an aristocrat for whom the Morris lads play organized golf, and a young waitress who catches Tommy Jr.'s eye. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Kevin Cook(who co-wrote the movie's script). The director is Jason Connery (yes, son of Scottish icon Sean Connery, and best known for his acting work in UK TV and movies). The movie is a mix of sports movie, family drama, romance, and war of the classes. The tensions between father and son are the most obvious, with the older Morris sticking to the 'agreed' behavior between working class and aristocrats, while young Tommy is eager to break the rules. When he pushes for a better financial arrangement, the Captain of the golf club sneers "Your station in life was set well before you were born", and later on (when Tommy wins yet another major golf event) "You're a hero to this town, but a gentleman you will never be", ouch! I found the movie a bit lightweight, to be honest, as those tensions never really feel real. It isn't until much later in the movie (when Tommy Jr.'s love life becomes the focus) that we feel emotionally involved. Along the way, the gorgeous photography (entirely filmed on location of course) makes this movie feel like one long advert for the beauty that is Scotland. The acting performances are fine: Peter Mullan as Old Tom Morris, Jack Lowden as Tommy Morris, and none other than Sam Neil as the Captain/villain aristocrat.

"Tommy's Honour" opened in US theaters this weekend. I imagine it's not a coincidence that this is the very weekend after the Masters, the Super Bowl of golf when interest in the game is at its peak in the US. This is an okay movie, in particular if you has a special interest in golf. I found it to be pleasant, nothing more, nothing else.

Jason Connery (Sean's son) directs this story about old Tom Morris and his son Tommy written by Pamela Martin from the book by Kevin Cook. It's a bit surprising that the story focuses as much or more on the melodrama and personal story of the younger Tommy than the historical influences, but there is links action to give us a feel for the times.

Jack Lowden and his dimples portray Tommy, while Ophelia Lovibond plays his love interest Meg. Their relationship drives the story, and we are reminded that small-minded people were every bit as prevalent 140 years ago as they are now. Tommy's mother, their community, and even the minister of the Church pass harsh judgment on Meg and her unfortunate past. Combine that with the element of "Gentlemen", which are anything but, and we get an understanding of how Tommy's actions changed not just the game of golf, but also influenced the softening of the class difference. His push to bring respect and fairness to professional golfers erased the similarities with how race horses and golfers were treated the same from a wagering perspective.

This was the time of the original "13 Rules of Golf", and when rowdy crowd hovered right next to the golfers as they played. Other than the closing credit graphics, Old Tom Morris (Peter Mullan) isn't really given his due as a course designer, but this is really the story of his son, and though the film is a bit too long, it's a story that deserves to be told.

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.

With sixty million golfers on the planet, you would expect a movie about the early history of golf to delight audiences all over the world. The game is rich in tradition and a spectacle for big-money professional sport. The historical drama Tommy's Honour (2016) has much to offer for die-hard lovers of the sport, but most other audiences may find it rather dull.

The twin narrative inter-weaves the story of golf with the legend of the 'Two Tommies', the father and son team credited with launching the modern version of the sport. Set in 1860s Scotland, gruff Old Tom Morris (Peter Mullan) is groundsman for the famous St. Andrews Golf Club and he pioneered the early rules of the game including the 18-hole course standard. His 15-year old son Young Tommy (Jack Lowden) has grown up with game and becomes a better golfer than his record-holding father. When he beats his father's record, tensions boil over and Tommy wants to go his own way while Tom clings to past ways. The young champion tours the country winning match after match, and collecting more prizemoney and social respectability than his father ever dreamed of. When Tommy falls for Meg (Ophelia Lovibond), an 'older woman with a past', the family is torn apart.

The story reveals several fascinating things about golf, including how the once-exclusive Gentleman's Club sport became opened to universal participation and how big-money gambling was integral to the game. The primitive early equipment, the feather-stuffed hand-stitched leather balls, and the cow-paddock roughness of the course are interesting insights into the origins of modern golf. While the period sets, costumes and historical depictions have high production value, the characterisations and melodramatic performances leave the story muddled, tedious and repetitious. Old Tom is portrayed as a cantankerous domineering father who is difficult to like, especially for his regular rants against Tommy's behaviour. His Scottish accent is so strong that many people will miss much of what he says. Young Tommy is the likable one, although his attitudes to parental and aristocratic authority are far too modern for a working-class boy of 19th century Scotland. The dynamic between them is unremarkable and predictable, and the romance is subdued and uninspiring even though Meg provides the film's aesthetic high point. The backbone of the story comprises the various games that Tommy inevitably wins, the monotony of which can quickly wilt the patience of both golfers and non-golfer audiences.

The decision to spend so much of the film watching the primitive golf games of yesteryear has robbed the story of any narrative tension. As an historical drama, it shows how sport has potential to break down class barriers although today's private clubs would not agree. Anyone who loves and plays the game will wince at the sight of the early conditions under which it was played, but viewers unconnected with golf may struggle to stay awake with this one.

In 1800s England and Scotland "Gentleman" was a reference of being of privilege, and usually wealth. Golf was run by the elite, only "gentleman" were allowed inside clubhouses. The golf pro was a step down, a workman, he built clubs and manufactured balls and kept the golf course in good shape.

Old Tom Morris, a Scotsman, is often considered the first golf professional. While golf existed before he came along he made his mark as a champion golfer and course designer. But his son, Young Tommy Morris, born in 1851, was a better golfer who won The Open four consecutive times, but died at age 24, just a few weeks after his wife and newborn son died. He was a bright flame, a meteor.

This movie is about the father and son Morris, but focuses a bit more on Young Tommy, his love affair with an older woman who became his wife, and how he changed the trajectory of golf professionals. Until he came along the gentlemen used a golfer much like one might use a race horse, get him into a good match, pay him a small sum, and make lots of money off his winning matches.

Young Tommy changed that, he would demand a greater sum for himself. He could do that because everyone knew he was the best and if he decided not to play then there would be no winnings for the elite.

This is a very good movie that paints his life pretty faithfully, although there is a disclaimer at the end stating that many things were fictionalized for dramatic purposes. I think every die-hard golfer, like me, would enjoy this movie, and maybe even many who are not golfers.

I watched it at home on the Kanopy site through my public library's subscription, streamed via Roku.

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

Surprised that I enjoyed this film a lot, as was not expecting the story to be enthralling as it was.

Based on the true story of the father and son who basically founded the professional game of golf enjoyed by millions today.

Peter Mullan as always gives a good performance, but the real star is Jack Lowden as the son. His star is ascending

As an avid but extremely bad golf player I had an interest in a movie that indicated it was an insight into the players and social mores of the early days of professional golf.In a way it delivered but as a film it was a bit of a mish mash and early on it became extremely boring and I only stayed to the end to not waste the money I had paid for the DVD. For me for a movie to be entertaining it first must have a good script and secondly appropiate actors to bring that script to life and I'm afraid in this case it did not happen.The direction was also mundane which didn't help the overall result.

I enjoyed this lovely heartfelt biopic, history, drama, and romance. You don't need to know anything about golf, or even like it, to enjoy it. The lead actors, Jack Lowden, Peter Mullan, Ophelia Lovibond, and Sam Neill, are great. While the very first section of the movie is a little thin and TV-movie-ish, with predictable family scenes and sappy music, it recovers itself and becomes quite interesting once the major threads of the drama get underway, so stick with it and your attention will be rewarded. I'm happy to be aware now of this little-known chapter of fascinating history.

The game of golf wasn't invented by Scotsmen "Old" Tom Morris or his son, "Young" Tom Morris, but the historical drama "Tommy's Honour" (PG, 1:57) makes it clear that they both did much to modernize the game and popularize it among the common folk. Experts differ regarding golf's historical origins, with theories including the Imperial Roman game of paganica, 8th century China's chuiwan, the Persian game of chaugán and different games played centuries ago in the Netherlands, France and England. Regardless, the actual game of golf came out of 15th-century Scotland. In the 19th-century, the elder and younger Morris, who both became champion golfers, are credited with turning golf into the game as we now know it. Old Tom Morris designed courses across the British Isles (incorporating new ideas that are standards today), he developed techniques of modern greenkeeping and he helped found the Open Championship (now called The British Open) in 1860, winning three of the first five tournaments. Then, Young Tom achieved competitive feats and brought about golf innovations which included… well, giving away all that would count as spoilers for this movie, so I think I'll just get into my spoiler-free summary… The relationship between Old Tom (or, just "Tom") Morris (Peter Mullan) and Young Tom ("Tommy") Morris (Jack Lowden) was a complicated one, as father-son relationships often are, but this one was unique. As Tom was winning tournaments at the newly-created Open Championship, his teenage son, Tommy, was learning the game, showing himself to be professional golf's first prodigy. Tommy was ready to win championships just as the solo championship streak of his father (who was 30 years older) was ending. It was a real changing of the guard and a very smooth transition, but it created some tension between father and son, especially as they began to play in various tournaments as a team. Tom supports his son and is very proud of Tommy, and Tommy loves his dad, but when Old Tommy's play starts to fall off with age, Young Tom is teaming up with dear old dad less and less. Besides that, Tom expects Tommy to follow him into the family business (be a caddy, give golf lessons, learn course design and greenkeeping, etc.) and take over his golf shop someday. Tom doesn't consider "only" playing golf to be a viable profession for "commoners", but Tommy has his own ideas – about lots of things.

Tommy is determined to do things his way. Besides insisting on breaking free of the role in life that his father expects him to play, he insists on better treatment for the golfers from their wealthy benefactors, a stance that brings him into direct conflict with Alexander Boothby (Sam Neill), the Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Tommy also gets into some physical fights on the golf course, which upsets some people (even though Happy Gilmore would've been proud.) As Tommy's stock rises, he fields a variety of offers from golf courses around England, and doesn't always make decisions that those around him can support. And wherever he plays, he also flaunts tradition (and takes big risks) in the challenges that he accepts and in his manner of play. Off the golf course, Tommy wants to marry a local girl named Meg (Ophelia Lovibond), who considers herself too old for Tommy (28 vs. 22) and whom the town and Tommy's parents consider inappropriate for him based on her personal history. Tommy's relationship with Meg leads to a series of events that bring challenges… and tragedy.

"Tommy's Honour" tells a heart-felt and interesting little-known story, but isn't as impactful as it should have been. Working from a script by Kevin Cook (adapting his own award-winning 2007 book "Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son") and Pamela Marin (Cook's wife), director Jason Connery (son of Sean Connery) lets the story drift at times and the plot hits a few too many sand traps. The film needs a stronger narrative thread, direction that makes the dramatic moments more dramatic and a script which establishes a stronger context for the plot points and makes the importance of what we're seeing clearer (especially for non-golfers). Such significant failings cause the film to be listless and feel longer than its two-and-a-quarter hours. The film does have its strengths, however. It brings to light a story which deserves to reach a wide audience and it features strong performances from its cast and some very good cinematography. Through it all, the honor of Young Tom Morris shines through. It's just a shame that it couldn't have been in a stronger film. Instead, a movie that deserved to be subpar (which, in golf, is a good thing), ends up being a bogey. "B-"

Beautifully directed and acted. Jack Lowden, Peter Mullan, Ophelia Lovibond, and Sam Neill are all at the top of their game. Although a sad movie it is uplifting how people are able to raise above their adversities. Jason Connery's historical drama is filled with reality and passion for the Scottish life and the game. There should be more films like this.

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.

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.

This movie is full of golf jargons that i can't understand. It's quite frustrating to watch something that's so alien to me. It shall appeal only to avid golfers. To a non golfer like me , i find myself totally lost. The acting is good , the scenery is nice but that's about it. I can't recommend this movie to anyone except to maybe those who understands old Scottish culture and people who likes golf.

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)

While the Morris family did not invent golf, they did create a following for it. This movie is based upon a true story. While I find it rather primitive to grow up in 19th century, that is when this story happened. It was a time of classes! You had your rich, born with a silver spoon in your mouth, upper class. Then you had the poor servants, such as the waitress, the golf grounds keeper and his family. Old Tom Morris was the grounds keeper for the premier golf course in Scotland. Young Tom Morris was his son, who reached for the stars and demanded respect as well as being treated as an equal! Together they were the best golfing pair in the world!!

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.

This an excellent Golf Biography/Historical film about the Beginnings of Golf in Scotland.

It depicts very well how primitive the game of golf was in its earliest stages.

And brings into light how Important both Old Tom Morris & Young Tommy were to the Great Game of Golf!

Even if you are just a casual golfer you will thoroughly enjoy this Movie!

Tommy's Dad is a lower class caddy, and fathers Tommy so as to remain in his class. Tommy relents and disproves his father, meanwhile revolutionising the idea of professional sport.