Tin Cup

Tin Cup
Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by	Ron Shelton
Produced by	Gary Foster
Written by	John Norville Ron Shelton
Starring	Kevin Costner Rene Russo Don Johnson Cheech Marin
Music by	William Ross
Studio	Regency Enterprises
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	August 16, 1996 (USA)
Running time	135 min.
Language	English
Budget	~ US$45,000,000
Box office	US$53,854,588 Domestic US$75,854,588 Worldwide

Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson in major supporting roles.

Synopsis

Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy (Kevin Costner) is a former golf prodigy who has little ambition. He owns a driving range in West Texas, where he drinks and hangs out with his pal Romeo Posar (Cheech Marin) and their friends. Dr. Molly Griswold (Rene Russo), a clinical psychologist, wants a golf lesson. She asks Roy because he knows her boyfriend David Simms (Don Johnson), a top professional golfer. Roy is immediately attracted, but she sees through his charm and resists.

Simms shows up at Roy's trailer ahead of a local benefit tournament. Roy thinks Simms is offering him an invitational spot to play, but Simms actually wants to hire him as a caddy (since Roy knows the course). During the round, Roy needles Simms about "laying up" instead of having the nerve to go for the green, 230 yards away over a water hazard. Simms fires back that Roy's problem is playing recklessly instead of playing the percentages. Roy brags that he could make it, and spectators make bets among themselves that Roy could. Simms warns Roy that he'll fire him if he tries, but Roy does anyway, making a brilliant shot.

To get even, Roy decides to try to qualify for the U.S. Open. He also makes a play for Molly, seeking her professional help. Molly agrees to help Roy rebuild his self-confidence in exchange for the golf lessons. In two qualifying rounds, with Romeo as caddy, Roy's golf is excellent but his head needs help. He makes a wager with Simms that costs him his car. He continues to resist playing safely, smashing most of his clubs in a snit that causes Romeo to quit, but he qualifies for the championship. He persuades Romeo to go along as caddy, but develops a problem with his golf swing. On the first day of the tournament in North Carolina he shoots a horrible 83. Meanwhile, Molly gets a glimpse of Simms' unpleasant side when he arrogantly refuses to give a child an autograph.

Molly sees that trying to change Roy is a mistake and encourages him to be himself. At her suggestion, Roy wins another silly wager with Simms, the leader after the first round. Then with renewed confidence, "Tin Cup," a nobody from nowhere, shocks the golf world with a remarkable record second round of 62, making the cut. His third round is also excellent and moves him into contention. His flaw, though, is that all three times, he refused to lay up on the 18th hole, hitting the ball into the pond.

On the last day, Roy, Simms and real-life PGA Tour pro Peter Jacobsen (playing himself) are in a three-way battle to be the Open's Champion. Jacobsen finishes with a par on 18, tied for the lead with Roy and one shot ahead of Simms. Simms yet again lays up at the 18th hole, playing it safe. Roy should do likewise, but over Romeo's objections and urged by Molly to "go for it," he takes his fateful shot which finally carries the green. However, a "little gust from the Gods" causes his ball to roll back into the pond. Reminiscent of his blow-up back in college when he failed to qualify for the Tour, Roy tries to hit the same shot repeatedly, with the same heart-breaking result. With one last ball in his bag, Roy risks not only being humiliated but being disqualified (having no golf balls to play with), but still goes for the green. On his 12th shot, the ball clears the water and slowly rolls into the hole. After a wild celebration, Roy finally realizes what he has done and feels ashamed of himself, but Molly assures him. "Five years from now nobody will remember who won or lost, but they're gonna remember your 12!"

Now back in Texas, Molly tells Roy that by finishing in the top 15 at the Open he automatically qualifies to play again next year. She further suggests that he go back to the qualifying school so he can get on the Tour. Molly, who picked up a bunch of new clients at the tournament, prepares for a career of helping players with the mental portion of the game. They kiss passionately as the movie ends.

The movie features cameos by PGA pros Gary McCord, Phil Mickelson, Craig Stadler, Johnny Miller, Lee Janzen and Billy Mayfair, as well as TV golf broadcasters Jim Nantz, Ken Venturi and Frank Chirkinian, all playing themselves.

Cast

• Kevin Costner as Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy
• Rene Russo as Dr. Molly Griswold
• Don Johnson as David Simms
• Cheech Marin as Romeo Posar
• Linda Hart as Doreen

Production

Kevin Costner trained extensively with Gary McCord to learn how to play golf, as stated in the foreword Costner wrote for McCord's book, Golf For Dummies. McCord, who helped Costner develop a swing and pre-shot routine, is listed in the end credits as a golf consultant and has a cameo appearance in the film.

The film's climactic scenes take place at a fictional U.S. Open tournament set in North Carolina. Several pro golfers and golf personalities make cameo (credited) appearances, playing themselves. Some of the film was shot in Kingwood, Texas, and some was shot at Tubac GC in Tubac, Arizona. The movie's 18th hole is actually the 4th hole on Kingwood's Deerwood course; the lake that guards the front of the green on this beautiful and difficult par-5, actually a par 4 in real life, was built for the movie by the film company.

Many of the golf shots by Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner) were made by Costner himself.

The scene at the end of the movie where Roy McAvoy hits the shot into the water hazard again and again was based on an actual event. Gary McCord (the commentator with the handlebar mustache in the movie) is an actual commentator and pro on the Champions Tour. In a tournament he had a similar shot to McAvoy's. He needed a birdie to win and went for it. He shot over and over again and finally got it in 15 strokes. In the movie McAvoy holes out the shot and gets it in 12.

Other

An annual golf tournament located in Charlotte, NC that benefits the American Cancer Society is named the "Tin Cup Tournament." It is the American Cancer Society's largest single-day golf event in the Carolinas. Play is always on the second Monday of August. 2004 REMAX World Long Drive Champion, David Mobley, is an annual celebrity guest. Most recently, the location is at Ballantyne Resort Golf Course.

Box office

The movie debuted at No.2.

Ratings

• BestMediaReviews.org link
• Allmovie link

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released through Sony in 1996.

1. "Little Bit Is Better Than Nada" - The Texas Tornados
2. "Cool Lookin' Woman" - Jimmie Vaughan
3. "Crapped Out Again" - Keb' Mo'
4. "Big Stick" - Bruce Hornsby
5. "Nobody There But Me" - Bruce Hornsby
6. "Let Me into Your Heart" - Mary-Chapin Carpenter
7. "I Wonder" - Chris Isaak
8. "This Could Take All Night" - Amanda Marshall
9. "Back to Salome" - Shawn Colvin
10. "Just One More" - George Jones
11. "Where Are You Boy" - Patty Loveless
12. "Every Minute, Every Hour, Every Day" - James House
13. "Character Flaw" - Joe Ely
14. "Double Bogey Blues" - Mickey Jones

External links

• Tin Cup at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Tin Cup Website
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