"Una Famiglia" Artfully Tells The 2023 Ryder Cup Story
The documentary launching Tuesday smartly goes behind the scenes of Europe's win in Rome and mirrors Luke Donald's captaincy by telling the story in cool, calm fashion.
Una Famiglia: launches December 3rd on the Ryder Cup’s YouTube channel
From: IMG Studios in partnership with Rolex
Producer, director and co-editor: Jim Williams
Film editor: Ian Grech
Sky Sports: UK premiere on December 5th
Golf Channel: slated to air December 10th
Resisting the tiresome “docudrama” style of employing heavy-handed narrators and pundits sticking to someone’s script, Una Famiglia never treats the audience like they’ve been deprived of oxygen to the brain. Or Google. (Therefore, my apologies to viewers hoping the 2023 Ryder Cup film would explain what “All Square” and “Halve” mean.)
For those who need reminding of the Ryder Cup’s singularity in sports, the new film’s producer, director, and co-editor, Jim Williams, ignored how modern sports docs are supposed to be done by focusing on one primary theme, whether sexy or not. The 95-minute film’s calm, steady, but never-dull approach mirrors the tone of Luke Donald’s successful captaincy.
Williams was commissioned by the European Tour Group “in partnership with Rolex,” yet never does he allow Una Famiglia to feel like a fawning propaganda piece. Even a few subtle glimpses of expensive watches and fawning reviews of Donald’s captaincy do not offend even as the film is endlessly celebratory from a one-sided perspective. But don’t complain about the lack of American participation. We know most would demand silly money to don their best gym hoodie and say little of interest as their twenty-percenter stands nearby glancing at his shiny manjewelry, wondering when the torture will end.
Williams’ tells the Rome Ryder Cup story primarily through the words of Captain Luke Donald and his wife Diane, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley, with a few assists from others. Una Famiglia is also forward-looking by weaving in footage and audio of Donald and vice captain Edoardo Molinari’s Bethpage scouting effort. With the film showing those two returning and set against recent reports of Americans receiving pay-to-play at Bethpage, Una Famiglia only heightens interest in 2025’s rematch.
One where the chasm grows between how each side values the Ryder Cup. The Europeans continue to make clear that it’s the ultimate privilege and thrill. The Americans increasingly treat the Ryder Cup as an obligation.
Una Famiglia never attempts to pander to some mysterious new audience in hopes of “growing the game.” Williams quietly eases into the story without excessive teasing about what’s to come, nor does he shy away from various controversies. The film just prefers to keep coming back to the team-as-family theme that helped stave off the Americans. A relaxed tone also means we’re spared of desperate music choices and unnecessary cross-promotional jaggery. Besides, the visuals from Rome offer plenty of eye candy when Una Famiglia is viewed on a big screen.
Those looking for a recap of key matches do get some of that interspersed with fresh insights (if you watch closely). More revealing may be the player testimonials of how Donald brought the Europeans together largely through meticulous planning (with heavy input from his wife, Diane). While this hardly sounds like the makings of Gladiator 3, this form of unstaged reality TV works since even the players acknowledge the difficulty of managing 12 egos from divergent nations who generally excel as pro golfers because they are not team players.
There are enjoyable visuals and reveals throughout for those who followed the matches closely. Spoiler alert: here are a few things that caught my eye (and feel free to comment below on anything that stands out after you watch):
The key role a first-ever European team practice session at Marco Simone played in bonding the team.
The first-ever player emergence onto the first tee came complete with an opera singer and small orchestra.
The emotions elicited by the Donalds’ little “gifts” to the teams were highlighted with private video vignettes for each player created by filmmaker Williams and featuring player a family member or friend saluting their man. The full versions went to each player for their viewing, with highlights edited into a team-viewable edition.
Fleetwood discusses (through a lump in his throat) just how much he was touched by his tailored video featuring his son Frankie.
The “Spanish Steps” team gala event was only the second time the historic stairs had been closed off to public access. We learn the Fitzpatricks were severely late. Yet the Euros all laugh it off (in contrast to the tension Team USA experienced at the 2018 Ryder Cup when Paulina Gretzky reportedly held up the team bus).
McIlroy says how much he loves events like the gala dinner and opening ceremony, calling them “part of the experience.” It comes off as sincere and also as a clever bit of trolling after American players told new Captain Bradley they’d like fewer such obligations in 2025.
Ludvig Aberg expressed awe at the “movie premiere” Steps event where they were treated like “rock stars.”
McIlroy had no problem revisiting past comments regarding the Ryder Cup and how he realized the error of his ways during the 2010 event at Celtic Manor.
Donald’s focus on welcoming four rookies by eliminating any hierarchy in the team room is noted a few times.
It’s revealing to see how unifying the “hatgate” nonsense became for the Europeans, with most of the interviewees performing Justin Rose’s “you-you-you” reaction that also inspired the fans.
Rahm also recounts seeing McIlroy on Sunday morning and knowing his teammate would not lose Sunday’s match against Sam Burns.
Saturday’s infamous 18th green McIlroy-Joe LaCava faceoff gets the right amount of treatment despite not having the American perspective.
“Joe stood there longer than he should have, I asked him to move, he didn’t take too kindly to that,” McIlroy says. Rahm backed up his teammate: “For Joe to get in his face, just not the prettiest sight, you don’t want to see that.”
Fleetwood reveals how little input Donald sought from players about the Sunday singles lineup, yet he also makes clear players had full trust in their Captain.
The Europeans are not afraid to admit how Sunday’s singles became nerve-wracking when the Americans cut into the lead. Some stellar audio from Una Famiglia’s many hours of non-broadcast footage allows us to hear relieved Cup-clincher Fleetwood tell Donald, “You had to put me out in the back, didn’t you?”
Vice Captain Colsaert’s efforts at warming up the first tee crowd are allowed to breathe here. It’s wild to see how he builds the crowd into a frenzy with mighty impressive rhythm and showmanship. Later his role as a vice captain is noted and he seems a strong option to become Donald’s successor in Ireland.
Rahm says he hopes “every single one of my teammates will be back at Bethpage.”
The team victory footage is brief but quite fun when watched with a pause button handy!
Overall, the potential for agony by overplaying the theme of player “buy-in” is avoided by matching the film’s tone: reverential for the effort made by team leadership without ever turning Donald into human history’s greatest leader of men in battle. Most of all, the film reminds us that another Donald captaincy sets up una famiglia for a valiant defense next September.
Inspiring. For some reason, I have always pulled for the European side..