The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance-480P

The Legend of Bagger Vance-480P

The Legend of Bagger Vance-360P

The Legend of Bagger Vance-360P

The Legend of Bagger Vance-720P

The Legend of Bagger Vance-720P

The Legend of Bagger Vance is one of those movies that are all about feeling good and inspiring messages all of which we have seen a trillion times before.: Chocolat, You've got Mail, etc. Yet, it kind of works and Redford succeeds in persuading you to stay till the ending credits though the core of the story is not a romantic plot but rather the personal development of the Matt Damon's character Junuh. Will Smith's character Bagger Vance comes to his rescue as a mysterious, yet charismatic caddie who helps him regain not only his self-confidence but also his status. The film is interwoven with magical realism of Vance, although there's not much more to him than delivering motivational speeches and puzzling everyone regarding where he came from and why he's on Junuh's side in the first place. A large part of the charm of the film is the beautiful setting of Savannah, and a very luscious Charlize Theron playing a glamorous local socialite who incites the exhibition golf match around which the whole story is revolving. With all this, it's a light , inspiring afternoon entertainment in a stylish package. You probably won't regret seeing it, but it's not exactly on par with equally feel-good vehicles like Forrest Gump. To paraphrase Vance, it's not exactly the perfect strike, but it goes in the right direction (pun intended).

This film was one of the most pathetic movies I have ever seen. Total claptrap. Simplistic script, shallow characters and rancid storytelling. It will leave you screaming at the screen, "grow up!" The problem with this film is that it is so corny. It tries to be the big, sentimental golf film for the ages. However, it comes across as so sappy, that even a golf enthusiast like myself felt ill. Nothing new in the story here, down and out athlete that is inspired to be special again. Damon is the "poor" athlete that is just so sad. Enter his inspiration, Will Smith, doing his best impersonation of an 80 year old house servant from the 1850's. Will Smith is so bad in this film, that I was amazed he was allowed to continue with the project. I would love to describe some of the other characters in this film, but they were so hollow, that there is simply nothing to describe. I believe Redford thought he could market this film to middle age golfers and cash in. However, the smoltzy nature of this material is just hard to watch with a straight face. There is a good reason why this film bombed, if you watch it, you will know.

I love the game of golf. I love movies with a good story. Hollywood has great success with fantasies but unfortunately golf is a sport that defies fantasy. Golf is a sport about things that you cannot portray on the screen and anyone who has played it seriously knows this well. Golf is an internal sport and it is very scientific. Magical characters don't suddenly appear in your head to show you the putting line that twists like a 30 foot boa over the Pyranees. Golf is about spending hours on your own on the putting range. It is a mental sport and if you had an ex-girlfriend chatting in your ear like a parrot while you tried to hit a drive, or a fictional Will Smith uttering maximus excrementia in your other ear just before a 200 yard carry over water you and everyone else on tour would probably shoot a lousy round of golf, perhaps your worst. This movie illustrates everything that is wrong with Hollywood when it goes bad. It makes up fantasies, and suckles the world's children on them making them believe that heroism and success are merely a figment of the strongest imaginations. If I imagine and focus strongly enough I can simply hit a 3,000 yard drive. What's next Mr. Redford, SpiderMan Joins the Tour? Stay away from golf stories, they're mostly internal, sort of like chess on grass. By the way, Matt Damon is most obviously not a golfer.

What I really liked about The Legend Of Bagger Vance is the great care that director Robert Redford did in evoking the feel and ambiance of Savannah, Georgia in the Great Depression. I really did feel like I was back in that time watching this story about a match between the greatest golfers of their era, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. A match where a local man, Matt Damon gave the greats a run for their money. Harve Presnell one of Savannah's leading citizens has invested everything in the development of a new golf course and when stock market crashed he loses everything and takes his own life. Staving off her father's creditors Charlize Theron vows that this course will open and will feature a match between the two best of their time Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. However for a little local rooting interest the townsfolk insist on a local player in with the big guys. Said local player is Matt Damon who went to war in 1917 and came out bitter, disillusioned and drunk. Back in the day people in Savannah thought Damon might have a future in professional golf then really at its beginning. But he hasn't swung a club in a decade. This entire story is seen through the eyes of young J. Michael Moncrief who in time grows up to be Jack Lemmon who appears at the beginning and end of the film in his farewell role. Lemmon also provides the narration for The Legend Of Bagger Vance. Damon eventually accepts, but it's only when Will Smith comes along playing the title role as a most mysterious man who offers to be his caddy that Damon plays. Smith imparts some real life lessons that both Damon and young Moncrief take in. Other than Will Smith the only time you see any black people in the film is when Damon is discovered, living reclusively, drinking heavily and in a poker game with several black people. In segregated Savannah of the Twenties while you see a genteel version of the South it still has its racist mores and only Damon and Moncrief break them. The only black face you see in the crowds at the celebrated match is Will Smith's. Joel Gretsch as Bobby Jones and Bruce McGill as Walter Hagen exactly fit the conception I had of both Jones and Hagen. They were as different as baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Hagen was a cheerful hedonist who was quoted as saying he didn't want to be a millionaire just live like one. Jones was the epitome of clean living and good sportsmanship. Among those covering the match was Grantland Rice played here by Lane Smith in his farewell role. How the match comes out is for you to watch the film for. But some life lessons are learned by all the players.