‘The Long Game’ Exclusive Interview: Dennis Quaid

Cairo: Zizi Abdel Ghaffar

Dennis Quaid talks about ‘The Long Game’.

On April 12, the new sports drama ‘The Long Game’, based on a true story and directed by Julio Quintana (‘Milagro azul’), opens in theaters. The film stars Jay Hernandez (‘Suicide Squad’), Dennis Quaid (‘The Rookie’, ‘Any Given Sunday’) and Cheech Marin (‘Champions’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dennis Quaid about his work on ‘The Long Game’, the true story it is based on, his character, his reunion with Jay Hernandez on screen and why he likes working with director Julio Quintana.

(Right) Dennis Quaid in ‘The Long Game’. Photo: Courtesy of Anita Gallón.

Moviefone: To start, what was your first reaction to the script and learning about the true story the film is based on?

Dennis Quaid: I grew up in Texas and had never heard of this story before. That’s how I choose my projects, what I do is read the script. When I read a script for the first time, I am a member of the audience for the first time. So, it’s the story that really gets me. On page 30 I know if it’s going to be good or not. This really grabbed me and I thought it was very relevant, especially today, in the times we are going through, to tell this story. These five Mexican-American kids living on the border are caddies at a country club where they can’t play. They don’t really feel like they fit in in America. They cross the border to where their parents came from and don’t feel at home in Mexico in terms of being accepted. So, they are walking that line between two worlds. They love golf and couldn’t play at this country club. They built their own golf course in the desert, this rudimentary course, and they formed a golf team at their high school. Then they won the Texas State Championship the first year at the country club where they couldn’t play. So that changed their lives, that story. In fact, one of the real guys came to our set. He is now eighty years old and served in Vietnam. He is a proud American and a proud veteran. I’m glad this story is coming to the screen, but it’s a brick in the wall of our American story that we’re building and it’s an ongoing thing.

MF: Can you talk about Frank’s reluctance to accept the assistant coaching job and how he ends up really caring about these kids?

DQ: Well, I think my character represents those guys who went and fought in World War II and really sacrificed. They returned a little lost and settled in and barely talked about the war. They just left to get along. In a sense, it represents a status quo. Although he is the country club professional, these people, the members, are his bosses. But there’s something about him with these kids who are so genuine about what they want to do, and he sees them work so hard at it, and it touches something in him about what’s right. So he helps them out and helps them by teaching them golf. He is the white face that gets them into these tournaments. The problem with it all is that if you weren’t a white man in the ’50s, life was harder. But it’s a beautiful story and it’s about where we were back then. It’s about how far we’ve come and how important it is where we come from and how we need to hold on to that, because it’s all part of American history.

(From left to right) Jay Hernandez and Dennis Quaid in ‘The Long Game.’ Photo: Courtesy of Anita Gallón.

MF: Can you talk about Frank’s friendship with JB, the respect he has for him, and what he’s trying to accomplish?

DQ: The story was that Frank was an army captain in World War II and JB was under him. He was one of his soldiers who went into battle. JB saved Frank’s life. For this reason, after the war, he is indebted to him. He wouldn’t be walking around if it weren’t for that. JB dreamed of belonging to this country club, and Frank tries to help him get in, but (he can’t) because of the color of his skin. It’s like we were equal there fighting for the United States, but you come back and it’s not so equal anymore. That bothers Frank. He is willing to help you, but there is also a lot to do.

MF: Can you talk about working with Jay Hernandez?

DQ: He is good in this movie. He is a good actor. It’s kind of full circle because in a very similar movie, ‘The Rookie,’ which I did 20 years ago, I played a baseball player and it was an underdog type story. My character was the coach of a high school team, and Jay was one of my student athletes on that, but now he’s the coach. So, he’s kind of full circle. He’s a great actor. The trust that he has and that we all have grows deeper with the years, right? We all have different starting points, but he was already deep back then, but he’s really matured into a good actor.

Jay Hernández in ‘The Long Game’. Photo: Courtesy of Anita Gallón.

MF: Finally, what was it like reuniting with your ‘Blue Miracle’ director, Julio Quintana, on ‘The Long Game’?

DQ: We did ‘Blue Miracle’ together, and if it hadn’t been for that, this wouldn’t have happened. He is a great writer and a great director. I think we caught him just as he was about to explode. Because he has a lot of stories to tell that are a little unconventional from what you might think of in independent film. He has a mix of family, authenticity and American stories from a very different point of view. He is a great director.

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In segregated Texas, five Mexican-American teenage caddies were banned from playing at the country club where they worked. Against all odds, they formed their… Read the plot

What is the plot of ‘The Long Game’?

The film tells the true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of Mexican-American youth located in Del Rio, Texas. In the 1950s, the group set out to play golf at a white country club in town. Despite prejudice, the Mustangs overcame these obstacles to become Texas state champions in 1957.