The Short Game Christian Review
The Short Game.
When I heard the name, I thought—yes, there is going to be another sporty underdog story. Small player, big tournament, a little slow-motion golf swing, shots of some hard work, and then that classic moment when the crowd stands up and claps. But as the film unfolds… you realize that it’s not just golf. There’s something else going on underneath. A subtle flow of faith, a slight burden of sacrifice… and a love story that is not for any trophy but is going on in a corner of the house—absolutely without any noise.
Directed by Frank Sanza, the focus is on Jeremy Avery’s journey. But here the scorecard is just a curtain. The real battle is going on inside. The question seems simple, but its depth… drowns you: what does victory mean? When does victory hurt more than defeat? And when does a small sacrifice become the biggest victory of all?
But the most special? The bond between Jeremy and his autistic younger brother Ethan. Initially it seems—yes, that’s right, a little emotional weight, a little guilt in the package. But slowly… that same Ethan becomes his real coach. No training montage, no “you got this” pep talk. Just a presence, a patience… and a love that cannot be expressed, it can only be felt. Matthew 25:40 comes to mind—“What you did for those little ones, you did for me.” Ethan is neither a hero nor a sidekick—he is a direct means of grace.
As the championship approaches, Jeremy stands at a moral crossroads. Do you want a trophy… or something? A voice arises from within—as if saying Matthew 16:26: “If you won the whole world but lost your own life… what did you win?” There is no dialogue, but it is felt directly in the heart. The story itself shifts from glory to grace. The spotlight falls on sacrifice. Empathy, courage, stopping for a second for someone else—that’s all it boils down to.
Content-wise? Absolutely clean. Worth watching with family. No abuse, no forced drama. There is frustration, of course, but that too feels real. Even kids from the youth group can watch it, without any awkward silence. The film is honest. It’s soft. It’s simple. And the biggest thing—it feels true.
If you are looking for such a sports movie in which there is emotion instead of adrenaline… where the game is just a surface and the real story is going on inside the heart… then brother, do watch The Short Game once. There you will find that victory which is never announced on any microphone. Which happens when you start considering someone else’s pain as your own.
And as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:13–What is the greatest among faith, hope and love? Love. At the end of the movie, the same feeling remains in the heart. A little warmth, a little moisture in the eyes. And a strange kind of peace… which comes only from truth. You start asking yourself – what does the victory I want… mean?
The Short Game reminds me – sometimes the biggest victory is the one that is not written on the scoreboard. It is felt only in the heart.
