‘Phantom of the Open’ Shows Not Every Underdog Has Its Day

Maurice Flitcroft was an amateur golfer who achieved notoriety for his exceptionally poor play, shooting 49 over par for a score of 121 while attempting to qualify for the 1976 British Open. The eventual winner of that prestigious tournament, Johnny Miller, played four rounds and didn’t score worse than a 73.While Flitcroft obviously didn’t belong on the same golf courses as the professionals, he assumed ridiculous pseudonyms and disguises to try again to gain entry. His quixotic pursuit spawned a 2010 biography, “The Phantom of the Open,” and a new film adaptation directed by Craig Roberts. There have been so many inspirational tales about underdog athletes beating the odds (“Cool Runnings,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Hoosiers,” “A League of Their Own,” “The Mighty Ducks,” “Rocky,” “Rudy,” “Slap Shot”) that audiences have grown to expect triumph over adversity as the default. In defying that expectation, Mr. Roberts’s film could be considered quietly revolutionary — unless, of course, you specifically seek the comfort and assurance of knowing every underdog has its day. The film doesn’t aim for a serious portrayal of Flitcroft (Mark Rylance, who plays the character with an exaggerated provincialism). It’s a comedy, and the joke is on him. The first time this shipyard crane operator sets foot on the Cumbria County Golf Course, he kneels and presses his cheek against the grass, causing the course regulars to greet him with raised-brow condescension. Instead of engendering a sense of shared injustice in the audience, such vignettes elicit mostly secondhand embarrassment. While Flitcroft is good-natured and of good heart, he doesn’t generate much empathy. His wife, Jean (the grossly underutilized Sally Hawkins), loves and supports him, but his adoptive son, Mike (Jake Davies), is ashamed of him. As Mike brusquely points out, Flitcroft prioritizes his trivial pursuits above Jean’s happiness and security. Stylistically, the film’s a bit all over the place. Mr. Roberts seems to have an abundance of ideas that aren’t fully thought out. The film is bookended by evocations of documentary, yet it’s peppered with elaborate fantasy sequences. Still, it’s refreshing to see a movie in which winning isn’t everything. Flitcroft encourages his twins, Gene (Christian Lees) and James (Jonah Lees), to enter disco competitions. “At least you can say you tried. That’s the main thing,” he says. Flitcroft most certainly practices what he preaches. It’s quite novel and noble to attempt the cinematic equivalent of a participation trophy, even if the end product also isn’t a winner.

‘Phantom of the Open’ Shows Not Every Underdog Has Its Day

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