Sumith Prasad
In Julio Quintana’s sports drama film ‘The Long Game,’ Joe Treviño forms a captivating relationship with Daniela Torres. Even though he finds it hard to communicate with her at first, eventually, the golf player starts to pour his heart out to his partner. Whenever he is not practicing or playing golf in competitions, he rushes to Daniela’s side. Their togetherness takes a turn when she decides to move to Austin, Texas, from Del Rio. The move convinces Joe to turn his life around away from his home, with which the narrative concludes. However, if we dive deeper into the real-life golf star’s life, it may seem different from the movie’s depiction! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Joe and Daniela’s Relationship is Not Rooted in Reality
Joe Treviño and Daniela Torres’ relationship did not exist in reality as ‘The Long Game’ depicts. The latter can even be at least a semi-fictional character. One of the turning points in the couple’s relationship is Joe’s decision to move to Austin from Del Rio to be with Daniela. Such a move did not happen in the life of the real golf player. Despite receiving several offers from schools across the Southwest Conference, Joe didn’t leave Del Rio. He remained in the city for several years, specifically until he was transferred to Southern California from the Laughlin Air Force Base Golf Course, which is around ten miles away from his house.
Rather than in Austin, Joe pursued higher education at Sul Ross State University, which has a campus in Del Rio. Having said that, the golf player did marry early. Soon after his graduation from San Felipe High School, he married Elvia Espinoza, with whom he had five children: Jimmy Trevino, Joe Trevino, Jr., Daniel Trevino, Mary Jane Fernandez, and Lisa Trevino. While Joe spent his twilight years back in Del Rio, playing golf with his buddies and passing his time at a local casino, Elvia worked as a live-in caregiver for 18 years in Houston, Texas. She died in January 2020, nearly six years after the demise of the golf player.
The Significance of Joe and Daniela’s Relationship
Humberto G. Garcia’s ‘Mustang Miracle,’ the source text of the film, does not mention a person named Daniela Torres, which makes it clear that she can be a fictionalized version of Elvia. Since Joe married her soon after graduating from high school, there is enough weight to the theory. Julio Quintana, who wrote the movie with Paco Farias and Jennifer C. Stetson, must have created the fictional Daniela to portray how mature Joe becomes after his time with the Mustangs. This personal growth is an integral part of the narrative. When J.B. Peña discovers him, the young boy is nothing but a hothead.
Under the guidance of J.B., Joe slowly becomes a better person on and off the golf course. The young boy who destroys the windows of a diner learns to keep calm when he gets provoked during a pivotal point in his life. Similarly, Joe leaves for Austin as a changed man. Initially, he believes that Daniela’s life revolves around him, which explains why he is surprised when he learns that he isn’t featured in the story she writes. He makes fun of her for creating a tale that follows her grandmother. The same young boy rectifies his mistake and goes to Austin to get back together with Daniela.
Quintana and his screenwriters might have wanted to use this fictional detail to explain the influence of J.B. on the lives of the members of the Mustangs. Joe’s decision to prioritize his relationship over golfing also mirrors the real life of the player. After becoming a husband and father at a very young age, Joe discontinued his college education and found a job, giving importance to his family over his career as a golfer.
Read More: The Long Game: Was Frank Mitchell a Real Golf Coach?
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