{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = The Short Game | image = The Short Game promotional poster.jpg | alt = | caption = | director = Josh Greenbaum | producer = Josh Greenbaum<br />Christopher Leggett<br />Rafael Marmor | writer = | narrator = Edd Hall | music = | cinematography = | editing = | studio = Delirio Films<br>Tenman Films<br>Iron Ocean Films | distributor = Samuel Goldwyn Films<br>Phase 4 Films<br>Netflix | released = {{Film date|2013|9|20}} | runtime = 99 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $39,819 }} '''''The Short Game''''' is a 2013 documentary film about 7- and 8-year-old golfers. Produced by Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/12/meet-the-pint-sized-pro-golfers-of-netflix-s-the-short-game.html|title=Meet the Pint-Sized Pro Golfers of Netflix's 'The Short Game'|access-date=August 8, 2015|date=December 12, 2013|work=The Daily Beast|author=Haglage, Abby}}</ref> and directed by Josh Greenbaum, it presents eight entrants in the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/movies/the-short-game-a-documentary-about-young-golfers.html|title=A Mean Swing, Between the Cuddles and Flatulence Jokes: 'The Short Game,' a Documentary About Young Golfers|access-date=June 19, 2014|date=September 19, 2013|work=The New York Times|author=Rapold, Nicolas}}</ref> The film premiered in 10 cities on September 20, 2013.<ref name=TSGMdkwc/>
==Plot== Beginning 6 months before the 2012 World Championships, the movie visits each of the eight subjects at their homes, some of which are as far away as Paris, Manila, Johannesburg, and Shenzhen, China to meet the kids and their parents. Once the subjects are introduced we observe the various trials and tribulations of the competition.<ref name=RSGtiwtg/> The subjects of the movie are evenly split between children from the United States and other countries with five boys and three girls, including Allan Kournikova (half-brother of Anna), Sky Sudberry, and Augustin Valery (great-grandson of French poet Paul Valéry).<ref name=TSGWydipftc>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2013/09/19/movie-review-youthful-drama-par-for-course-the-short-game/QzXcAvuON2JtiiUIfFbTnL/story.html|title='The Short Game': Where youthful drama is par for the course|access-date=June 23, 2014|date=September 19, 2013|work=Boston Globe|author=Whitmer, Michael}}</ref> Kournikova went on to win the boy's division of this event for his age group.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/overheard/2012/08/06/eagle-scout-kournikova/|title=Eagle Scout Kournikova|access-date=June 22, 2014|date=August 6, 2012|work=The Wall Street Journal|author=Winkler, Rolfe}}</ref>
The film also includes interviews with golfing legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, and Annika Sörenstam.
==Cast== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !scope="col"| Name !scope="col"| Age !scope="col"| Gender !scope="col"| Hometown !scope="col"| Nationality !scope="col"| Result |- | Amari Avery | 8 | Female | Riverside, California | {{flag|United States}} | 1st |- | Jed Dy | 8 | Male | Manila, Philippines | {{flag|Philippines}} | 9th |- | Allan Kournikova | 7 | Male | West Palm Beach, Florida | {{flagu|United States}} | 1st |- | Zamokuhle "Zama" Nxasana | 8 | Male | Johannesburg, South Africa | {{flag|South Africa}} | 18th |- | Alexa Pano | 7 | Female | Lake Worth Beach, Florida | {{flag|United States}} | 1st |- | Sky Sudberry | 8 | Female | Tiki Island, Texas | {{flagu|United States}} | 8th |- | Augustin Valery | 8 | Male | Paris, France | {{flagu|France}} | 40th |- | Yang Kuang | 7 | Male | Shenzhen, China | {{flagu|China}} | 14th |}
*Amari Avery, 8, of Riverside, California, wants to be like Tiger Woods. She was also featured in the 2013 documentary Trophy Kids. She is a strong golfer, but her father is overbearing and she struggles with allowing her emotions to get the best of her when she does poorly. She comes in first in her category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.uskidsgolf.com/tournaments/world/find-tournament/469325/2012-world-championship/results |title=Results for 2012 World Championship {{!}} U.S. Kids Golf |website=www.uskidsgolf.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110054855/http://www.uskidsgolf.com/tournaments/world/find-tournament/469325/2012-world-championship/results |archive-date=2018-01-10}}</ref> *Jed Dy, 8, of Manila, Philippines, is autistic and does not enjoy the attention he receives for his golfing. After a mix-up in which he loses points because his family did not understand how long the tournament would be delayed for weather, he comes in ninth in his category. If not for the penalty, he would have come in first, as he had the best score in the entire tournament.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> *Allan Kournikova, 7, of West Palm Beach, Florida, is the younger brother of Anna Kournikova and is considered the best male golfer in his age group. He lives in Florida with his mother and is good friends with Alexa. He is very opinionated and occasionally comes off as arrogant, such as when a trainer must reprimand him for showing excitement at his opponent doing poorly. He comes in first in his category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> *Zamokuhle "Zama" Nxasana, 8, of Johannesburg, South Africa, is at Pinehurst for the second time. In 2011 he came in 43rd. He is the most exuberant of the cast—while the other children seem most focused on winning first place, he is pleased to come in 18th in his category<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> and win the most improved award. His father is concerned with teaching him the history of South Africa. *Alexa Pano, 7, of Lake Worth Beach, Florida, is considered the best female golfer in her age group. She is good friends with Allan. She comes in first in her category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> *Sky Sudberry, 8, of The Woodlands, Texas, explains golf terms to the audience. Like Augustin, she is small and needs to build more muscle. She comes in 8th in her category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> *Augustin Valery, 8, of Paris, France, is the great-grandson of the poet Paul Valéry. He is very intellectual but is concerned with building up his physique. He is slight enough that Zama, who befriends him, thinks that he is a girl. He comes in 40th in his category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/> *Yang Kuang, 7, of Shenzhen, China, his family first know about golf through golf instructional DVDS in the store, and he started to learn the game with his father. He comes in 14th in his category.<ref name="uskidsgolf.com"/>
==Production== The majority of the film was shot during the tournament, with 18 different camera crews using Canon EOS C300 cameras with Canon 70–200mm f/2.8 and Canon 25-75 f/2.8 lenses. Each child was followed by two crews, one ahead and one behind.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/76904-shooting-with-18-cameras-the-making-of-the-short-game/#.Ve-fwXnn-Ul|title=Shooting with 18 Cameras: The Making of The Short Game|access-date=September 16, 2015|date=October 25, 2013|work=Filmmaker|author=Murie, Michael}}</ref>
==Critical commentary== Based on 18 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it had an average 6.2 rating out of 10 and an 83% approval rating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_short_game/|title=The Short Game (2013)|access-date=June 19, 2014|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> At Metacritic, it has a score of 51 out of 100 based on 10 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-short-game|title=The Short Game|access-date=June 23, 2014|publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> The film won the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2013.<ref name=AKLBiaBGC>{{cite web|url=http://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/anna-kournikova-little-brother-allan-blossoming-golf-champion|title=Anna Kournikova's Little Brother is a Blossoming Golf Champion|author=Holmes, John|publisher=Professional Golfers Association|access-date=June 22, 2014|date=2013}}</ref>
''Los Angeles Times'' critic Annlee Ellingson describes the movie as a "warts-and-all" depiction of youth golfers that is similar to the 2002 documentary film ''Spellbound'' about the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee.<ref name=RSGtiwtg>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-short-game-review-20130920-story.html|title=Review: 'Short Game' tees off with tiny golfers|access-date=June 23, 2014|date=September 19, 2013|work=Los Angeles Times|author=Ellingson, Annlee}}</ref> Nicolas Rapold of ''The New York Times'' also notes that the movie was probably modeled after ''Spellbound'' and raved about the movie's uninhibited cuteness. Rapold compared the introductions to reality shows but notes that some of the subjects such as Kournikova and his mother are more fleshed out than others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/movies/the-short-game-a-documentary-about-young-golfers.html|title=A Mean Swing, Between the Cuddles and Flatulence Jokes: 'The Short Game,' a Documentary About Young Golfers|access-date=June 23, 2014|date=September 19, 2013|work=The New York Times|author=Rapold, Nicolas}}</ref> ''Golf Digest'' critic John Strege said that "The toxic mix of youth sports and overzealous parents threatened to hijack" the film but the subjects themselves were so entertaining that the movie was not a loss.<ref name=TSGMdkwc>{{cite web|url=http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2013/09/post-2.html|title='The Short Game': Movie documents kids' world championships|access-date=June 23, 2014|date=September 11, 2013|work=Golf Digest|author=Strege, John}}</ref> ''Boston Globe'' critic Michael Whitmer says the results of Greenbaum's feature film debut were compelling although tinged with discomfort.<ref name=TSGWydipftc/> ''USA Today'' critic Scott Bowles described the film as upbeat and noted that "...for astute viewers and golf fans, ''Short'' hits the green consistently and is, at times, a hole-in-one."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/09/19/short-game-movie-revew/2828225/|title='Short Game': Story of kids' golf shoots better than par|access-date=June 23, 2014|date=September 19, 2013|work=USA Today|author=Bowles, Scott}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|2466830}} * {{Mojo title|theshortgame}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|the_short_game}}
{{Josh Greenbaum}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Short Game}} Category:2013 documentary films Category:2013 films Category:2013 sports films Category:American sports documentary films Category:Films directed by Josh Greenbaum Category:Films produced by Josh Greenbaum Category:Films produced by Christopher Leggett Category:Netflix original documentary films Category:American golf films Category:2013 English-language films Category:2013 American films Category:English-language documentary films Category:English-language sports films Category:2013 directorial debut films