Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and Uplifting Tale
Review: The Legend of Bagger Vance is an unusually uplifting tale in today's age of more serious and depressing films. It is the story of Rannulph Junuh, a golfing hero in Savannah Georgia during the 1930's. He goes off to fight in WWI, but the group he is commanding is killed except for him. When he returns home, Junuh has lost his hold on the world. He becomes a recluse drunk. Desperate, the city of Savannah is forced to ask him to represent them in an excebition match with the two greatest golfers in the world. Junuh struggles with submitting, but he eventually agrees. The mystical character Bagger Vance seems to appear out of no where and volunteers to be Junuh's caddy. Under the guidance of Bagger Vance, Junuh regains his "authentic swing" and his enthusiasm for life. The story uses golf as a metaphore for life. Junuh has lost his "authentic swing"(his soul) and must find it again. This implied meaning is straight forward leaving it obvious to the audience. The movie itself is very well crafted. While the photography stands out as being beautifully well done, the acting is superb as well. Matt Damon as Junuh, Will Smith as Bagger Vance, and Charlize Theron as Adele Invergordon the love interest, all do a great job of portraying these characters. The Legend of Bagger Vance, though it doesn't display dazzling effects or a deeply intricate plot, is a very well done movie pleasing to both the eye and the soul.
Rating: 
Summary: Bhagavad Gita
Review: I am a teacher at Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa and among the subjects that my 11th grade students explore is the commentary of the Bhagavad Gita written by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. As we were only working on the first chapter, one of my students told the class that we should all see the Legend of Baggar Vance since it was so obviously inspired from the Bhagavad Gita. I hadn't heard of the movie, so I watched it and I was delighted. I think it is so very important to have such a timeless and universal message expressed in modern days situations and to show the practical value of spiritual principles. Our students practice Transcendantal Meditation twice daily and when they hear " he found a way to stop thinking without falling asleep", they can relate to this so closely for they do that morning and evening. I am planning to show the movie in class for very few students have seen it so far. We will then have a discussion finding the similarities between the Bhagavad Gita and the movie. They are going to love it. And me too. Thank you for producing such an inspiring film.
Rating:
Summary: Likeable.
Review: This story of a disheartened WWI vet, an up-and-coming golf pro prior to his horrendous wartime experiences, getting another chance to find his golf game "his authentic swing" and his life back, is not a great film, but it is a very nice and likeable film.Robert Redford is too good a director and too meticulous a craftsman to make a film without a great deal to like in it. And here again this film is beautifully made, exquisitely photographed, and nicely played by an excellent cast. It tells its story simply and with quiet eloquence. The mythic or even "mystic" elements are not overbearing, and the story is played with warmth and humor. It is leisurely, though not dull, and its yearning for a time of simpler and clearer values is as valid as any other viewpoint, and very refreshing. Redford's explanation of his attraction to this material in the DVD extras is enlightening. Not a unique masterpiece, but a pleasant and thoughtful movie, rendered with care.
Rating:
Summary: Highly underrated.
Review: Whatever happened to giving a movie a chance? Critics and audiences seem to have totally lost their ability to watch a movie that does not involve at least 6 violent or racy scenes. This was a traditional movie, that had a beginning, middle and an ending. A good moral, good actors and a marvelous script. There was one war scene, but done in slow motion, as if it was a memory slowly fading away. I thought this movie was very good, if not a bit corny at times, it was a lovable innocent movie, which I highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Inside each and everyone of us is one true authentic swing.
Review: I've noticed that folks either love or hate this movie. Personally, I loved it. It does move a tiny bit slow in places, but my view may be tainted. I watched "Armageddon" first - and then watched "The Legend of Bagger Vance." This movie does move a little slower than Armageddon and there are no exploding golf balls. Will Smith is the consummate transcendental presence that guides and helps his charge, Matt Damon. It's definitely a movie for deep thinkers. If you love reading books that explore spirituality, you'll probably love this movie. I found some of the script so stirring and inspiring, that I wrote bits of it in my own personal journal. Such as: "Inside each and everyone of us is one true authentic swing. Something we were born with - something that is ours and ours alone. Something that can't be taught to you or learned. Something that has to be remembered. Over time, the world can rob us of that swing. It get buried inside all our woulda's and coulda's and shoulda's. Some folks even forget what that swing was like. You keep swinging. Don't worry about hitting the ball or where it's going to go." (end quote) All true learning is not about stuffing knowledge in 7 pounds of gray matter or training our bodies to remember a certain dynamic action. All true education and learning is pure revelation. That "ah-ha" moment when you re-discover what you already knew at some level. I would say this movie is about that "ah-ha" moment of revelation. That transcendental moment when you catch a glimpse of your oneness with all creation and the awakening - the remembering that you are an important part of a divinely orchestrated plan. And having glimpsed the spiritual reality of all true being, your entire paradigm shifts and you realize that nothing - from a blade of grass to a glorious sunset - will ever look the same again. Now, if you're rolling your eyes as you read my review, you won't like this movie. If, on the other hand, you find yourself saying, "Yes, I understand "- then you are going to LOVE this movie. Just like I did. :)
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Insulting...
Review: I'm sorry, but when they tried to pass the fact that the "greatest depression our nation had ever seen" started ONE year after World War I, I turned off the DVD. This is so insulting to one's intelligence. The Depression started a whole TEN years after World War I ended, not one. That was reason enough for me to literally chuck this DVD against the wall. Such a great cast, such a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie but not up to the novel
Review: I expected this movie to be horribly miscast with Will Smith as Bagger Vance, thinking that someone like Morgan Freeman was better suited for the role. Smith is miscast but not as badly as I had anticipated. He actually did a decent job as the mysterious caddie who caddies for a local golfer named Rannulph Junah. In the setting of the early 1930s, Junah is a former local golf hero whose glory days were prior to WWI. That war took a lot out of him (he was a captain in the army) and he was never the same. At a resort near Savanah, GA, Junah is coaxed back into golf to compete in a golf match against the great Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. Quite frankly, having read the book, I think it was Matt Damon who was miscast as Junah. First, if you do the math from WWI to the height of the depression, Junah would have most like been in his mid thirties. However, Damon appeared to be no older than 30. Second, Junah was a withdrawn, troubled individual who was almost reclusive due to his war experiences. He was an intense individual in the book. Damon's portrayal showed him as outgoing as he enjoyed the limelight. This portrayal is not my impression of Junah. My favorite portrayal was that of Bruce McGill as Walter Hagen. He looked like Hagen and he bahaved as I always imagined Hagen would. Hagen was quite a character & showman. McGill captured this. There were other problems with the movie. There were mystical elements to the novel that the movie did not really capture. There were minor changes in the plot. Also, the resort had mystical elements. It had been destroyed by a hurricane in the book but this was not mentioned at all in the movie. The disappearance of the course (except for the 18th hole which somehow remained) added to the aura of mystery. As against the book, I would have rated this vhs 3 stars but, if you do not compare it to the book, the movie stands up fairly well on its own. Thus, 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars isn't enough
Review: I'll be as frank and as brief as possible with this review. The people who complain about the irrationality of having a respected black caddy in this movie are totally missing the point of the movie, and should probably watch it again without trying to be Roger Ebert (who liked the movie, incidentally). Movies are to be entertained. They're made for viewer enjoyment. Bagger Vance accomplishes that in Many different ways. It'll make you laugh, and it might make you teary eyed. It comes with a real meaning (one that's apparently difficult for some 'intelligent' people to grasp), and the fantastic entertainment level of this movie doesn't come at the expense of the message...or vice versa. It's a beautiful story with Very enjoyable, believable characters in a fun movie that should make you feel exhilerated and fulfilled by the time the closing credits roll. I watched it at the theater, and it filled me tremendously. Then I bought the DVD, watched it, and I probably loved it even more the second time. The DVD comes with some interviews that add to the enjoyment of this movie. Sound and picture quality are terrific. Get the movie, and love the movie. And if you start watching it and wonder why Bagger Vance isn't getting beat up and called the "N" word every five minutes, then realize that you're missing the point. Watch the Redford interview. That'll put you in the right mood, if anything can.
Rating:
Summary: Not Worth Your Time or Money
Review: This is a movie that was so overhyped because of Robert Redford's envolvement in the project that all common sense regarding good taste was apparently forgotten. I was really annoyed with the Will Smith character of Bagger Vance, I thought I was watching some 1930's Uncle Tom's Cabin out-takes. Hollywood can do so much better....
Rating: 
Summary: One great performance can only go so far.
Review: Will Smith can be brilliant, and in "The Legend of Bagger Vance" the sadness comes from the realization that he is the only truely bright point in the film. The script and the dialog are so weak that the weight is to much for one excellent performance to hold. Matt Damon certainly tries, but his character is given such a simplistic coat to wear that his talent can only supply so many patches. The unfortunate female lead not only has a week script to try to over come, she doesn't quite have the talent to do it; her character and her performance seriously mars the film. The young lad who is the eye-witness to these events is to be given full credit for effort and it is unfortunate that those efforts fall a short distance from par. On the other hand, Mr. Redford's distinct style of directing comes through beautifully in cinematography, and lingering shots of spectacular natural beauty. The character of "Bagger Vance" is worthy and deep and well rendered by Will Smith and at moments the actor can send shivers of expectation, wonder, and revelation down your spine. The ending scene is the best part of the film, with excellent and unique style ( unique being a very powerful virtue in the current flood of formula films from Hollywood ) and might very well take your breath away as it did mine. Conclusions: Bravo to Will Smith, and even Matt Damon, and at times to Robert Redford, but when all is said and done this film is bent to the point of breaking by weak writing, weaker dialog, and some seriously flawed performances ... never-the-less, this film is not an entire failure by any means, and is worth a chance on the price of a rental and a bag of Microwave Popcorn.
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