The Legend of Bagger Vance

Sports Illustrated once rated this the worst movie of all time. They're Crazy! Great story. Will Smith is excellent. Love the kid who plays the local Savannah boy! One of my favorite-if not my very favorite-golf movies.

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).

Succesful film with a sentimental story and intelligent character studio . Touching and sensitive portrait of an ex-golf winner who participates in the U. S. International Open in Savannah , Georgia, against two sports idols , the 2 greatest golfers of their time, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to play for $10,000 and being based on a true story . Classic story rings true because of Matt Damon's complex and adequate acting and stunningly realized by director Robert Redford. Exceptional Matt Damon and Will Smith displaying first-rate performances reaching an important milestone and a terrific Joel Grestch and Bruce McGill as their upright as well as serious contenders . As a tired War Vet named Rannulph Junuh : Matt Damon gets a chance to play against two biggest winners. As Rannunlph gets to achieve for big time , thanks to a caddy , as he triumphs over by odds , but sheer determination helps them attain their dream , playing the final Open , as he gets the chance to participate in the International Golf Championship , no matter how far-fetched the dream . Meanwhile , he falls in love for a wealthy young girl (Charlize Theron) who at the same time organizes the tournament. As he has an intelligent skill to no match for the class boundaries . Some Things Can't Be Learned. They Must Be Remembered. It Was Just A Moment Ago.

A sympathetic and agreeable film about a down-and-out golfer well played by Matt Damon tries to recover his game and his life with help from a mystical caddy magnificently performed by Will Smith . An enjoyable tale based on the Savannah Championship in which took part three famous international champs played by Joel Gretsch , Bruce McGill and Matt Damon . It contains a classic plot about personal overcoming and deals with a slice of American history , and is plenty of good feeling , heartfelt , interesting characters and formidable performances . However , sometimes is some sentimental and predictable but is still pretty amusing . Likable and enjoyable plot about a disillusioned goll player who attempts to retrieve his old and authentic ¨Swing¨ and his companions a coach and caddie , both of them face the dual challenge to win a world championship and redeeming themselves . Splendid film from the filmmaker Robert Redford of another David beats Goliath sports movie , similarly to ¨Rudy¨ with Sean Astin and ¨Hoosiers¨ with Gene Hackman , and it is even better than ¨The Greatest Game Ever Played ¨ 2005 by Bill Paxton with Shia LaBeouf . Sentimental plot stretches Hollywood manipulation , but is still entertaining delivering an engaging acting as Matt Damon , Will Smith and the likeable little boy J. Michael Moncrief ; they are backed by a good supporting cast , such as : Bruce McGill , Joel Gretsch , Lane Smith , Carrie Preston , Harve Presnell , among others .

Spectacular and rousing musical score by Rachel Portman , fitting perfectly to action . Fine production design and good sets , filmmakers had trouble filling the fields with extras for the final game, and needed to move people around when shooting different angles ; extras were given 1910's hairstyles and their clothing was checked for anachronisms . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Michael Ballhaus ; filmed on location in Jekyll Island , Georgia , Savannah , Georgia , Beaufort , Hilton Head , Kiawah Island, South Carolina, Bluffton, Charleston, South Carolina . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Robert Redford , he's a notorious producer/director and especially actor ; being this one his sixth film , the first one was the Oscarized Ordinary People , following : The Milagro Beanfield War , River runs through , The Horse Whisperer , Quiz Show , The Company You Keep , Conspiracy , Lions for Lambs , Cathedrals of Culture , among others . Rating : 7/10. Better than average , worthwhile seeing .

The thing you have to bear in mind when watching The Legend of Bagger Vance is that sports movies, by their very definition, tend to match the atmosphere of the sport they depict. Football or Ice hockey movies for instance tend to be loud, bombastic and flashy, just like the games themselves. Basketball movies meanwhile often rely on the street/hip hop connection and are just as loud, but with a slightly more gritty edge to them, provided you completely forget about the atrocious Space Jam. Bagger Vance on the other hand revolves entirely around golf and consequently, is a lot quieter, slower paced and gentle than its brash genre cousins, but it nevertheless possesses a charm and subtlety that is quite endearing.

Told completely in flashback, the film's story involves Matt Damon's depressed World War One veteran Rannulph Junnuh taking part in a highly publicised golf tournament against two established (real life) professionals - Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones. At first things don't look good, Junnuh hasn't played the game since getting back from the trenches and is a slovenly drunken washout. Despite having the support of the townsfolk, nobody really expects him to win. And then he gets a new caddy in the shape of Bagger Vance (Will Smith).

At this point I imagine alarm bells are ringing in your head. Will Smith must mean wise-cracking, one-liners and the word 'damn' being stretched out so that it consists of two syllables right? Well you'll be relieved to know that Bagger is a pleasant change of direction for the normal Smith stereotype. Relaxing on his heels and working his acting muscles instead of his action hero ones, Smith is the undeniable soul of the movie. His eminently likable charm is still there, but he relies more on home spun wisdom and gentle prodding to help Damon back into his game, rather than calling him names and effecting a cocky swagger. Playing off against him, Matt Damon is suitably vulnerable and insecure but is overshadowed a bit. Thankfully, Junnuh's redemption and Vance's easy going friendship is enough to carry the film and the story, while corny, is just as charming as the title character.

Elsewhere, director Robert Redford once again shows off his knack for beautiful cinematography. As most of the film takes place on golf courses you're never too far away from some gorgeous scenery and the contrast between the vibrant green vegetation and stunning blue sky makes Bagger Vance a feast for the eyes. Given the film's somewhat slow pace, it also makes this an ideal choice for a wet Sunday afternoon where you'd like to go for a walk and appreciate the countryside but are unable to thanks to the rain.

That said, Bagger Vance still has its faults. The writing is a bit hackneyed and anyone who doesn't like cheese would do well to stay away. Junnuh's love interest sub-plot with golf promoter Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) meanwhile feels tacked on and unnecessary, as though somewhere along the production line someone decided that if Junnuh was to fully come to terms with himself he'd have to get it on with a sweet country belle. The positives outweigh the negatives though and if you're in the mood for a relaxing, slow paced movie with a lot of subtleties that not everyone will appreciate, you can't really go wrong with Bagger Vance. This is a film to watch with your feet up, the house clean and a big mug of hot chocolate in your hand. And refreshingly enough for a sports movie, it doesn't feature a scene where a big crowd begins cheering wildly while over-the-top power ballads play in the background, that alone should be enough to raise an eyebrow or two.

Maybe it was because I had a hard week at work. Maybe it was because I just needed something to make me feel good. I don't know. I can't pinpoint it, but for some reason I really liked this movie. Sure it was manipulative, and sure it tried it's best to make you feel all mushy inside, but you know what...I guess I was just in the mood for that, and this movie hit the spot last Friday night. From a cinematography stand point the movie is beautiful. Redford is known for this trait, and indeed has directed some of the most beautiful movies ever made (A River Runs Through It, The Milagro Beanfield War, The Horse Whisperer). He just chooses some very beautiful scenery and runs with it. However, besides the scenery, the movie seemed to flow like a steady river. The acting was superb (even Smith's subdued Bagger), and the story was interesting. I like golf, so maybe that helped, but I do think that anyone can enjoy this movie. You just have to let yourself like it.