Nearly a decade after making the commercial and critical hit Bull Durham together, the team of Kevin Costner and director Ron Shelton joined forces again to tackle a different sport. This time they would focus on the world of golf, but like Bull Durham, the sport was just a gateway to the interesting characters that are drawn to it. While not an undeniable classic like their first collaboration, Tin Cup is a pleasant blend of romantic comedy and sports film that is lifted up by the strength of its cast.
Tin Cup is the story of Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy (Kevin Costner), an aimless former golf prodigy who has found himself wasting away his talents at his driving range in West Texas with his pal Romeo (Cheech Marin). Roy’s world is shaken up upon the arrival of Dr. Molly Griswold (Rene Russo), a beautiful clinical psychologist in need of some golf lessons to better connect with her boyfriend. Roy is instantly smitten, but is dismayed to learn that she is dating David Simms (Don Johnson), a top professional golfer with whom he used to play with back in his college days. The two have always had differences on the golf course, but things get even more heated as Roy starts to form a connection with Molly. In an attempt to prove he is still worth something, Roy embarks on a quest to make it to the US Open and win Molly’s heart along the way.
While the plot offers very little in terms of surprises, Tin Cup is an enjoyable film that cares more about getting to know these characters rather than burning through plot. Kevin Costner uses his immense charm to stay just on the right side of likable even when Roy is being completely unreasonable and stubborn. The movie comes alive more when he is sharing the screen with Rene Russo, who imbues Molly with a scattered affability that makes it more believable that she might possibly fall for someone like Roy. The pair have an easy rapport between them that is very engaging. Don Johnson is perfect as the prickly nemesis who is adept at hiding his unpleasant nature behind a million dollar smile. Roy’s group of friends adds some lighthearted fun to the movie that keeps things from getting too dramatic.
For all of the fun qualities this movie possesses, there is a key issues that keeps it from standing amongst the greatest sports movies. At two hours and fifteen minutes long, the movie is way overstuffed with material that should have been trimmed down to keep the pacing a little more balanced. The character moments are what make the movie work, but not all of them elevate the movie in the way it needs. Despite this, Tin Cup is just like golf; the journey may take its time but by the end you will feel like it was time well spent.
Video Quality
Tin Cup gets a much needed upgrade to Blu-Ray from Warner Archive with a 1080p transfer sourced from a recent 2K scan of the interpositive. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. This disc also beautifully represents the natural earth tones that run throughout the film along with the striking greens of the golf that pop off the screen. There is also a noticeable uptick in detail that should please fans of the film. My wife even noted you could see the outline of Costner’s dongle during the film’s finale, for those interested in such things. This is a major upgrade from the ancient source material used for previous DVD releases.
Audio Quality
Warner Archive brings this new Blu-Ray to consumers with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that is just as worthy of praise as the video presentation. The dialogue primarily stays within the center channel, but makes its way to the surround speakers when necessary in crowd scenes. Being a sports movie, a large portion of the film takes place outdoors, which the track is able to nicely represent with some subtle surround activity. The movie is filled with down-home hits from the likes of Keb’ Mo’ , Bruce Hornsby, Mickey Jones and more that fill the room and puts you in the Texas headspace. This is a track that gets the job done in a very satisfying way.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: This two-minute trailer captures the laid-back tone and charm of the movie well.
Final Thoughts
Tin Cup is an enjoyable piece of filmmaking from a time where big studios were more regularly putting money behind adult skewing pictures. The pairing of Kevin Costner and Rene Russo is a delight and lifts up the movie even when it gets a little too lengthy for its own good. This new Blu-Ray presentation from Warner Archive provides a tremendous upgrade on the audio and visual front that should please fans for whom this movie holds a special place in their heart. Recommended
Tin Cup can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.