There’s definitely a lot of good movies about Austin Texas, but The Salamander King might be the most Austin movie of them all. And that’s a compliment. If there’s ever a movie that truly captures the essence of “keeping it weird” in Austin then it’s definitely a movie about saving the municipal golf course from Real Estate developers and outsiders who just don’t get what makes Austin fantastic! And there’s lots of things that make Austin unique, but I think the heart of the city a municipal golf course that feels like one big party every time you play, wearing flip-flops qualify as golf shoes, and queso and margaritas is the preferred choice of food and drink. A place like this has all sorts of oddball characters that may not be great golfers but understand that it’s a game played with your own weird community of friends that should be cheap and fun, especially if you were to have themed golf tournaments where you dress like a pirate! Yeah, that might be the most awesome thing ever! The story of the Salamander King is about what you would do to save a place like that.
The film is directed by Austin native Austin Nichols, and stars Ryan Hansen and Adrianne Palicki. Ryan Hanson plays the local golf pro who resembles much more like Kevin Costner’s character in Tin Cup whose main goal is just to keep the vibe alive at the Austin municipal golf course and not give into the developers that would try make it a high price golf course just to turn a profit and ruin what makes the golf course special spart of Austin. Adrienne Palicki plays the city employee who is sent to evaluate the course while trying to make it more profitable, but in the end falls in love with the vibe and balances her job versus saving what makes the golf course unique. Sure, the movie is a little bit predictable and that’s okay because it’s the comedy and the great love letter to Austin that makes it a fun film.
The best part about this film is not necessarily that it is a golf movie, but the weird cast of characters that anybody from Austin would automatically know. Then again, those kinds of characters are found everywhere. Justin Chatwin does a good job playing the typical rich guy who just wants to ruin what makes everything special by turning the golf course into something that’s more expensive, pricing the average Austinite. I loved his shwarmy character that you just want to punch from the first moment he’s on screen. But I’ve always been a big fan of Justin’s. But the best performance absolutely goes to Ryan Hansen whose comedic timing is golden. He and Adrianne Palicki essentially make this movie into a fun-loving film that’s in the same sphere as great golf movies like Tin Cup and Caddyshack. In Austin Nichols does a great job showing all the cool things about Austin. In some ways it’s like a travel brochure to what makes Austin cool… Or should I say “keeps it weird!” Meeting all the weird cast of characters that haunt the golf course gives off some of the best laughs. And the fact that this movie isn’t too long or even too short, about 90 minutes is the perfect sweet spot when it comes to making a fun golf movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also gives off a great message that we shouldn’t let outsiders ruin what makes our cities special.
If I had any complaints about this movie, it’s that I feel like our time with these characters is too short. What was interesting during my interview with Austin and Adrianne, he told me the original idea for the show which would have been a Parks and Recreation type of show but for a golf course. That would have been amazing. This movie can certainly work as a pilot for a TV show, but it certainly stands on its own and tells a great story. Now I’m not going to nitpick the movie just for the sake of being overly critical. It’s a very entertaining film that doesn’t make you think too hard. It’s just a fun movie full of laughs and wonderful performances. The characters are relatable. I guess my big complaint is we don’t get to spend enough time with him and I understand that may contradict my earlier statement that the film may have a perfect run time, but hear me out! It’s easy to connect to these characters and because of that we want more. So really my complaint is that we get to spend such a short time with these characters. But all in all, The Salamander King is a fun film that easily makes you fall in love with Austin all over again. And I can certainly see this as a great double feature with Caddyshack or Tin Cup. But I highly recommend this film especially if you’re from Austin or live there now because it captures perfectly the essence of what makes Austin weird. Maybe the only people who can truly appreciate it are those from Austin, but it also might make you want to move there!
