The Long Game Review: Scoring Social Change

Set in 1950s Texas, The Long Game tells the story of JB Peña, a WWII veteran who becomes the superintendent of a high school in the border town of Del Rio. When JB notices a group of Mexican American students have a knack for golf, he forms the school’s first golf team to compete against the area’s white-dominated country clubs.

Directed by Julio Quintana with a script by Quintana, Jennifer C. Stetson and Paco Farias, The Long Game boasts a talented cast including Jay Hernandez as JB Peña and breakout performances from Julian Works as team captain Joe Treviño and Dennis Quaid as their mentor Frank Mitchell. Though embracing certain inspirational sports film tropes, Quintana elevates the material with his nuanced direction that finds humanity in both perseverance and protest amid the racism of the time.

Rather than relying on simplistic messages of triumph over adversity, the film takes a deeper look at the complex pressures these young men face. As the team challenges the establishment on the golf course, Joe in particular wrestles with clashing visions of how best to gain acceptance without compromising one’s identity. Through its grounded characters and gracefully handled themes of assimilation versus resistance, The Long Game rises above formulaic territory to thoughtful examination of the “long game” of social change.

Unfairways

The Long Game transports viewers to 1950s Texas, a time when legal segregation may have ended but racial discrimination remained deeply embedded. Known as the era of “Juan Crow” laws, Mexican Americans throughout the state faced barriers much like Black citizens experienced under Jim Crow in the South.

It’s against this backdrop that war veteran JB Peña arrives in Del Rio as the new high school superintendent. But JB harbors bigger dreams than simply educating the next generation. An avid golfer, he sets his sights on joining the prestigious local country club. The reception there, however, makes it clear that Mexican members are still not welcome in this white sanctuary.

When JB encounters a group of Mexican American students possess natural talent on the links, he sees an opportunity. As the boys often find themselves relegated to the role of caddies at the very country club denying JB, they understand all too well the racism that permeates places like that. Led by the determined Joe Treviño, the teenagers embrace a chance to change perceptions by forming San Felipe High’s first golf team under JB’s guidance.

But breaking barriers in both the country club and on the course won’t come easy. Bigoted attitudes run deep, as the boys discover each time they’re mistaken for patio cleaners instead of players. Their greatest challenge will be toppling both physical and mental obstacles in pursuit of acceptance on their own terms.

Spotlighting The Film’s Breakout Performances

Jay Hernandez’s performance as JB Pena in The Long Game is one that stayed with me. You really get a sense of the inner conflict this man faces as he tries to carve out a better future for his students in the face of rampant racism. JB wants the boys to succeed, but also stresses assimilating to a system that’s rigged against them.

There’s a scene where he erupts after constantly swallowing his anger, hurting as much as inspiring in its raw emotion. You understand where JB’s coming from – he believes conforming is the only way forward, though it means denying part of who they are. But his pain and frustration also bleed through, showing how much abuse he’s endured.

Hernandez plays these layers masterfully without making JB unlikeable. He makes you see the reasoning on both sides of JB’s debate with young star Joe. It’s a complex portrayal of a man forced to balance doing right by his community with wanting a place of belonging in the only America he’s known. JB fights discrimination through compliance or rage, and Hernandez ensures you feel that constant struggle.

Another standout is Julian Works as Joe Treviño. This young actor captures the fiery soul of a boy facing bigotry wherever he goes, from clients at the country club to his own father. Joe constantly feels disrespected and resents having to change to suit others. Works lets you see the toll this takes but also his dedication to bettering himself and peers through golf.

There’s a fierce intelligence and passion in Works’ eyes. He breathes life into conflicts like Joe debating if staying true to his culture is worth missed chances. Even when Joe’s anger ignites, Works makes him sympathetic, never letting the character be ruled solely by emotion. It’s a breakout star-making performance that’s both combustible and committed, stealing many scenes.

In a role that could have been a white savior narrative, Dennis Quaid avoids overshadowing as Frank Mitchell. His presence adds heart without becoming the focal point. Quaid plays Frank as a humble, healing influence through his connection to golf and belief in the boys’ talent.

But Frank doesn’t try to change who the students are or fix their problems himself. He simply offers guidance and confidence in their abilities. Quaid makes Frank another ally in the fight against racism, not its savior. It’s a subtle, compassionate performance that enhances the film’s message of finding humanity in community over artificially imposed divides.

Spotlighting Issues of Identity and Advancement

The Long Game tackles complex questions that still resonate today around identity and how marginalized groups seek advancement in the face of injustice.

The movie centers around JB’s belief that the boys must strictly “play the game” by the dominant group’s rules if they want to be accepted. He stresses blending in through things like uniforms, language and behavior. But for some of the boys, especially headstrong Joe, conforming to racist expectations feels like resistance is the only way their spirit won’t be broken.

Joe struggles with whether embracing his Mexican and American identities fully is worth the abuse he endures, or if staying quiet and proving himself on the golf course is the only path forward. His dynamic with JB shows there’s seldom an easy answer in situations like this. Both men want the best for the boys, they just disagree on the approach.

At the same time, the film avoids sugarcoating the racism the characters face. Scenes like the country club owners’ blatant bigotry or threats of violence on the border demonstrate real injustices without dwelling so much that the story becomes depressing. It presents a balanced view of their challenges versus triumphs.

Overall, the movie highlights assimilation is a complex journey that different people will navigate in their own ways. And it reminds us the fight for racial equality requires both complying with the system and, at times, challenging prejudiced rules with courage and defiance. Even if it raises difficult issues, The Long Game sparks meaningful discussion on identity and change that still resonates today.

The Long Lens of Inspiration

Julio Quintana’s directorial influence from Terrence Malick is evident in The Long Game. A poetic language of images speaks as much as words, bringing grace and lyricism to the story. Wide shots of the golf course embrace natural beauty, while intimate close-ups find humanity in hard edges.

Quintana sees truth not from confrontation but observation. Scenes breathe with the rhythm of life, not forced plot. Details like dew on grass or cloud movement create an atmospheric Texas panorama, pulling viewers into the era. We feel the heat and taste the dust just as the characters do.

Through his brother Alex’s lens, Quintana captures both joy and injustice with balanced care. Hard moments never feel exploited for drama, instead revealing complexity within community. Lighter exchanges between boys feel real rather than mere relief. Their growing bond nurtures hope that adversity unites more than divides.

Tone shifts seamlessly between cheery adventures and weightier issues, tensions resolved through sport but issues left unsimplified. Predictable climaxes are averted by focus on the daily long game, where victory arrives through small wins of shared purpose over time.

Quintana’s direction maintains suspense not through artificial consequence but authentic stakes in young lives. Though drama could provoke, his gentle hand upholds dignity for all, finding our common ground in dreams that transcend surface differences. The long lens of inspiration expands our view of what’s possible through compassion.

The Long Stride

Julio Quintana’s The Long Game employs many conventions of the sports drama genre but sidesteps certain predictable narratives. The film traces an underdog Mexican-American golf team aiming to win the state championship against the odds. Typically, these stories build anticipation for a climactic tournament where the heroes can rise to glory. Quintana delivers this drama of sporting stakes, introducing competitive tournaments across the season.

However, the director avoids some clichés that can make such films feel formulaic. For example, Dennis Quaid plays the team’s coach Frank Mitchell, an alcoholic haunted by his past. Often this kind of character struggle would dominate the plot, but Quintana smartly keeps alcoholism in the background. The story is not about Frank’s redemption through the boys but their own striving.

Likewise, some sports dramas rely heavily on white savior tropes, where people of color are objects of salvation for white characters. Quintana flips this expected script by centering the Mexican characters as capable leads pursuing their vision. While Frank and others offer support, the real focus remains on heroes like Jay Hernandez’s JB Peña and standout Julian Works as Joe Trevino.

The Long Game strode past formula by lifting up lived Latino experiences over predictable arcs. Its heart was in highlighting young people’s empowerment rather than following genre crutches. Quintana’s direction took an enthusiastic stride toward more authentic, diverse sports storytelling.

True Heroes Don’t Win Alone

“The Long Game” succeeds because it understands that real progress takes a team effort. While the film follows the San Felipe Mustangs golf team striving for acceptance, director Julio Quintana honors the full cast that made their victory possible.

Quintana ensures no single character overshadows the others. Though Dennis Quaid and Jay Hernandez play influential figures, the spirit of the story lies with the talented young actors. Julian Works especially shines as Joe Treviño, capturing the frustration and hopefulness of pursuing your dreams in a prejudiced world. Meanwhile, Quintana’s gentle direction gives space for compassion between all characters to flourish, from Joe’s loyal friends to reluctant allies like Frank Mitchell.

By embracing nuance over simplicity, “The Long Game” offers insights that will continue impacting viewers long after the final putt. It acknowledges victims of injustice without pity, and depicts perseverance without sugarcoating the obstacles faced.

Most importantly, the film reminds us that large-scale change only happens through many small acts of courage, empathy, and cooperation over time. As the Mustangs demonstrate, our shared humanity is stronger than any division man can impose on us. For honoring both history and the hopeful spirit that transcends it, “The Long Game” deserves widespread acclaim.

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