Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is a crane driver at a shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. Ever the optimist when he is faced with redundancy he sees it as an opportunity to seek out his dream. So when he literally stumbles across golf on the family’s new television he decides to apply to compete in the British Open. 

Thanks to his unending optimism and a lack of oversight on his application where he describes himself as a professional he quickly finds himself at the 1976 British Open qualifying and at odds with Keith Mackenzie (Rhys Ifans) of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The film then tracks his many attempts to continue his career to the chagrin of the elite who believe it is bringing the game into disrepute whilst he is supported by his loving wife Jean (Sally Hawkins) and three sons. 

Flitcroft is a dreamer and it is nice to see the film incorporate a visual flair that encompasses this. It has a whimsical and amateur dramatic nature to suit his wife’s love of theatre. My favourite moment that sums this up was him opening his work overalls to reveal his golf tank top just like Superman. Later of course his car has a number plate that reads Kal-El which is of course Clark Kent’s Kryptonion name. The many wigs and moustaches he wears from his wife’s supplies are great fun as well. 

The film is incredibly funny, features a loving family and sends out an endlessly wholesome message that shooting for your dreams is more important than anything else whilst practice is the road to the perfection. 

Recently I reviewed The Duke and it is so odd that such a similarly themed film could come hot on its heels and be better in every possible way. Just like The Duke this is based on a true story and features a quintessential working class British character in their middle age who pushes against the elitist and classist attitude that would like to keep them down. 

Brilliantly funny, wonderfully uplifting and the sort of quintessentially British comedy that is very rewarding to watch.