Defining Moments

One of my favorite movies in recent years is a Kevin Costner film entitled Tin Cup (in spite of the coarse language).  Costner plays a very likeable, wannabe-golf-pro named Roy McAvoy, who works at a run-down goat-pasture driving-range supposedly located in some remote area of far West Texas.  Everything in his life is out of balance and upside down, and early on in the flick it becomes clear that Roy’s life is going nowhere.  Yet, he has an incredible ability to strike a golf ball . . . and can almost do the impossible on a golf course.  Roy is his own worst enemy. The highlight of his day is drinking beer and hitting a bucket of balls.  The driving range is owned by his former girlfriend, who also owns a strip joint.  It is not clear how ownership of the driving range changed hands, but it is clear that it was once owned by Roy, and that in itself is a reflection of his self-destructive ways.  Roy drives a 20-year-old, fire-truck red, Cadillac El Dorado convertible with white interior that he won in a golf bet.  He and his caddy, Romeo (Cheech Marin), live at the driving range in an old motor home (which he also won on a golf bet).  It is pretty clear that without his golf skills, Roy might not have anything; but that without golf, Roy might actually have something!

Roy is always surrounded by his gang of misfit, unemployed buddies.  It is obvious that Roy is everyone’s hero, yet they all know that he can and is almost certain to self-explode in the twinkle of an eye . . . and it is as if they hang around to see the next level of self-destruction.

Then, one day, a newcomer to the area, psychologist, Molly Griswold (Renee Russo), comes to the driving range for golf lessons.  Roy is smitten and he begins to dream of a better life.  Soon, he discovers that Molly is the girlfriend of his old golf rival, David Simms (Don Johnson), who is a real jerk . . . but also a successful and popular player on the PGA Tour.

Roy is desperate to win Molly’s heart and becomes motivated to return to the PGA tour and qualify for the U. S. Open.  In spite of some goofy things along the way, Roy does qualify for the Open and he and Romeo strike out in the motor-home.  In the early stages, Roy struggles through a variety of issues with his game, but finally gets it worked out and begins playing golf like very few can . . . it is impressive.  In the end, he blows the Open by “Going for it” but he does manage to win the heart and affections of Molly.

Throughout the movie, Roy occasionally declares an event as being . . . “a defining moment” in his life.  As the movie comes to an end, Roy contemplates what he has learned through those defining moments in the Open, but it seems pretty clear that Roy did not learn very much . . . and is still totally capable of falling apart. 

I have been thinking about the strong and careless inclination of our elected officials anxious to involve us in the civil war in Syria – in spite of the objections of an overwhelming majority of our citizens.  It seems to me . . . that our elected officials are much like Roy McAvoy and just don’t seem to ever learn anything from . . . “our defining moments.”  How did we ever elect these people . . . these self-destructive people . . . who are seriously damaging our nation in the process . . . and it just seems like we are leaving a mess for our kids to sort through.  Good grief . . . why aren’t they trying to address some of our domestic problems . . . rather than meddling in the affairs of one more goofy Middle Eastern nation that is always going to be a mess?