[yasr_overall_rating]
A humble young man with uncommon skills from a small southern town gets caught up in high stakes golf matches between big-time gamblers until the game becomes life and death.
Christopher McDonald was one of the best things about “Happy Gilmore” so it is fitting that he should return to another movie involving the game of golf. This time though, he’s not a player, he’s a hustler who goes by the nickname of Riverboat and along with his girlfriend and partner in crime Jessie (Katherine LaNasa), they travel the country looking for new schemes. As they travel through a small, Texas town, they hear on the radio, the coverage of a local golf tournament and its winner, a young man named Augie (Jeremy Sumpter) who apparently seems to win every time. Not wanting to turn a good thing down, Riverboat and Jessie make their way to the golf course and introduce themselves.
Augie’s girlfriend Natalie (Jillian Murray) has a bad feeling about them from the get-go and tries to warn Augie to steer clear of them but when Riverboat informs him that he could win big money just by doing what he loves to do, it’s an offer he cannot refuse. In the beginning, they play local courses and Augie continues his winning streak but when Riverboat tells him that they should go to Las Vegas where he is guaranteed to win $100,000, just for playing, against Natalie’s wishes, he packs his bags and heads to Sin City. No sooner are they there than Riverboat is on a winning streak against Jimmy Diamonds (Michael Nouri), one of Vegas’ biggest crime bosses and not one to concede, Jimmy demands the opportunity to win his money back.
Riverboat offers him that opportunity by playing one round of golf, his guy against Jimmy’s and he agrees. The deal is set but there’s one catch: Jimmy locates Augie in his hotel and threatens his life if he wins and when he informs Riverboat about what happened, he threatens his life and the life of his family if he loses. With no way out, Augie must assess his situation and come up with a foolproof strategy if he is ever to see his family and Natalie again. “The Squeeze” is lighthearted fare that divulges a good story, encompasses a positive moral and never takes itself too seriously. The movie employs a very likable cast and Jeremy Sumpter emanates onscreen charm while Christopher McDonald is reminiscent of a human Jabba the Hutt, excreting a slime trail in his wake. Recommended.
Available on DVD June 9th
