Golf at the movies: "The Squeeze"

Poster for "The Squeeze" from JAM Films; from left: Michael Nouri, Jeremy Sumpter, Christopher McDonald, Jillian Murray

By Tim Cronin

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Say this much for “The Squeeze,” the motion picture about golf and gambling – which is to say, about life – available via some Groupon sites today and opening Friday via video on demand and in select theaters: The golf scenes are utterly realistic. Unlike many previous attempts going all the way back to “Follow The Sun,” where the only believable playing scenes were those where Ben Hogan stood in for Glenn Ford, who was playing Hogan, everything golf-related in “The Squeeze” rings true.

The rest of it? To use a golf term, let’s call it rough.

If you like stereotyped characters, this is a four-star production. You are presented with, in no particular order, the ernest young lad working at the hardscrabble town’s muni hoping to qualify for the U.S. Open, the fetching girlfriend who puts money in the pockets of the town’s homeless man and cannot believe her man’s sudden love of lucre, the young lad’s mean father, the father’s suffering wife, the flamboyant small-time gambler with the overly made-up wife, and, eventually, the Vegas gambler with the mob connections.

Well, that character is very believable. Named Jimmy Diamonds and played by Michael Nouri, he could be standing in for any of a dozen guys from Chicago when gentlemen from the Windy City had a major share of Vegas in their pockets. If cold-blooded killer and golf nut Sam Giancana was still with us, he might be pleased at the portrayal.

Otherwise? Not so much.

In this regard, it’s up there with “Grand Prix,” the 1966 auto racing film helmed by John Frankenheimer. The scenes on Formula One tracks were as realistic as the races themselves, and used camera-car technology that television only began to emulate 25 years later.

The rest of that movie, from plot to characters? Most of it ended up in the guard rail.

This one ends up in a deep bunker.

Perhaps the parallel presents itself because both movies were created by former television directors. Frankenheimer came from the live television days of the 1950s. Terry Jastrow, whose baby “The Squeeze” is, was one of ABC’s best and brightest, directing or producing everything from the Olympics to the Indianapolis 500 to many major golf championships for Roone Arledge.

This is not to say “The Squeeze” is unlikable. It is likable, from the settings to the photography, which Taron Lexton aced. Individual scenes are very likable. Augie – Our Hero, played by Jeremy Sumpter, a plus 1.2 handicapper – beating his sand wedge to death in a bunker, for one. A foe throwing his golf bag into a pond, then going in after it, for another. And the writing is often witty.

As a whole, however, it is also unbelievable. Any movie requires a certain amount of buy-in by the viewer to suspend disbelief. The cutout nature of the characters challenges one to do so, along with the twists and turns of the plot, which here are considerable. Johnny Carson famously said, “You buy the premise, you buy the bit.”

The buy-in here? It’s doubtful that Riverboat (Christopher McDonald), the unreconstructed gambler with the seen-it-all wife (Katherine LaNasa) and blue boat anchor of a car, who sees young pro hopeful Augie as his ticket to big-time winnings, could cough up enough to buy into this production. Especially the loopy climax featuring an unlikely character reversal.

Loosely based on the real-life adventure of Las Vegas golf pro Keith Flatt, “The Squeeze” proves life can be more believable than fiction.

Sumpter can hit a nice draw, though, and Jason Dohring, his foe in the big match at the end, is no slouch either.

The movie? Don’t kid yourself. We judge it to be a tremendous slouch.

“The Squeeze” is rated PG-13.

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The Squeeze

Opens online on Groupon in select cities on Thursday, on iTunes and in select theaters, including the AMC Crossing in Skokie, on Friday

Written and directed by Terry Jastrow; photography and editing by Taron Lexton; production design by Sephen Lineweaver; costumes by Ellen Falguire; score by Michael D. Simon; produced by Jastrow, Anne Archer, Michael Dovan, George Parra and Brian McCormack; a JAM Films production released by Arc Entertainment. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes.

With: Jeremy Sumpter (Augie Baccas), Christopher McDonald (Riverboat), Katherine LaNasa (Jessie), Jillian Murray (Natalie), Michael Nouri (Jimmy Diamonds) and Jason Dohring (Aaron Bolt).