Tin Cup

I think we can all recall that 1996 was an unusual year for Kevin Costner. In my mind at least, I think 1996 marked the last great movie that Costner made. He captured Oscar gold for Dances with Wolves and gave some great performances in films like Field of Dreams. However, after Tin Cup, Costner made these long, tumultuous watching epics like Waterworld and The Postman.

Tin Cup, which is the nickname for Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner), dives right into the life of this washed up golf pro at a driving range in Texas. When an enchantingly beautiful Molly Griswold (Rene Russo) waltzes into his life for lessons, Roy falls hard. But she's spoken for by a feuding PGA superstar, David Simms (Don Johnson). In order to win Molly's heart, Roy sets out with his caddy, Romeo Posar (Cheech Marin), to qualify for the U.S. Open and beat his rival.

Kevin Costner is stellar, as his drunken, loser-like, hack golfer persona is charming as we empathize with him and his quest. We see how talented and resourceful he truly is when he busts out baseball bats, shovels, and other assorted tools to beat pro golfers who are using the finest in golf equipment technology.

The rivalry between Roy and David is well composed as their bitterness doesn't come off as vicious or hurtful, making for a lighter heart to this comedy. The juxtaposition between them is wonderfully done, showing the two extremes of golf: success and failure. Rene Russo is stunningly beautiful and articulate as the prize between the two. And the ever loveable Cheech Marin keeps Costner on his toes as he provides the insightful wisdom to better him.

Tin Cup is a wonderfully sweet romantic comedy with ingenious writing that is witty and poignant, making for heartfelt laughs. You couldn't have a better underdog story with someone against more odds to make for such a winning tale. For a sports movie, it's pretty bold as the mantra "no guts, no glory" rings true.