He was an actor I loved to watch. He constantly surprised me with his depth in his performances. From the goofy, fun 1980s sci-fi comedy, WEIRD SCIENCE, he went on to show his impressive acting skills in films such as ALIENS, ONE FALSE MOVE, TOMBSTONE, APOLLO 13 and TWISTER. I feel he was at his peak in the HBO series, BIG LOVE as the handsome, young patriarch of a strict Mormon modern-day family in Utah. It practices polygamy and he has three wives. There was all sorts of dramatic conflict in that series.
Today, February 25th, marks the anniversary of Paxton's untimely death in 2017 at age 61.
I want to recommend a rarely mentioned film of his that is fine for family viewing or father & son bonding time. Bill Paxton is not in the film. He directed it. First, here's a personal backstory that tells you something about corporate lack of imagination and little regard for the art.
The movie is 2005's THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED, a sports drama based on real-life characters and a real-life event that made sports news. In the 1913 US Open for golf, 20-year Francis Ouimet played against his idol, the 1900 US Open champ. He was Britain's Harry Vardon. At that time, golf was a game for the upper class. Ouimet was a working class French Canadian.
A friend and I went to see a movie in New York City. Before the feature started, there were previews of coming attractions. One preview was for THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED. The way Disney marketers edited and narrated the trailer, the movie appeared to be a wacky teen comedy, sort of a CADDYSHACK set in the early 1900s. My friend whispered to me, "That looks cheesy." I agreed with her. The trailer made the movie seem like one big hunk of processed cheese.
When the movie was out on DVD, I was browsing in my neighborhood video store. The owner suggested I rent and watch THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED. "It's really good," he said. My response was "Really?" I rented it. I watched it. I loved it. It was not at all like that preview my friend and I had seen. It was a serious, beautifully directed film about breaking through social class barriers and about good sportsmanship. Bill Paxton did a commendable job of directing. Weeks later, on a national talk snow, Paxton candidly mentioned that he was displeased with how Disney initially promoted the film. As well he should have been. Shia LaBeouf stars as young Franics Ouimet. There's a heartwarming performance from Elias Koteas as Ouimet's father. Here's the studio's retooled trailer.
It was recommended to me. I now recommend it to you. Directed by the late Bill Paxton, it's THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED.
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