The Legend of Bagger Vance

Rating:
Summary: Fighting Against Our Inner Demons
Review: Lot of times we need to seek our "swing" or retrieve a lost one. Many times too, we need someone to help us find it. The movie is not about golf but about rediscovering oneself and let go of all the demons hiding in us. A good movie.

Rating:
Summary: A nicely paced and moving picture.
Review: Robert Redford's films have a unique and visceral vision to them that vividly creates an illustrious picture of human life in new and fascinating ways. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a definitive Redford film, embodying a story that has an upfront meaning in its events and a deeper meaning upon further examination of the characters and their experiences. I feel that it has a delightful lesson to teach us about life's experiences, while balancing out the many different elements of the plot and keeping us involved with what is going on; This is a movie to shout about.

The film centers around a fictional golf match which takes place in Savannah, Georgia in the 1930's, involving two real-life golf stars as well as a fictional character, who is just beginning to regain his confidence in his ability to play the game. That fictional character is Rannulph Junuh, once regarded as the best golfer in the South for his intense ability and incredible swing of the club. His enlistment in World War I causes him severe psychological suffering, and is not seen in Savannah for another ten years after that.

This coincides with the arrival of the Great Depression in the town, which causes the land buyers to come calling on Adele Invergordon, whose father, who committed suicide, spent a fortune in building the grandest and most expensive golf course and resort in the South. Adele refuses to let the resort go, and concocts a plan to hold a match between infamous golf players Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, both of whom she easily persuades to join the match. The townspeople refuse to agree to the match unless a Savannah native plays as well, which leads them to the home of now-returned Junuh, as well as giving us an introspective into the shared past between he and Adele.

Junuh refuses to take part in the match ("I lost my swing," he says), despite persuasions by different people in different ways, but his mind gets the better of him and he goes outside in the night to hit golfballs. A stranger by the name of Bagger Vance arrives from the darkness, and persuades him to play in the tournament with him as his caddy. As the tournament begins and progresses, Junuh finds his "lost swing" with Bagger's help and advice, while slowly mending his frayed relationship with Adele and providing inspiration to a small boy, Hardy, who serves as the narrator of the story.

This is a movie that takes its subject material in stride, giving us the important details and twists at just the right times. The stories balance out with one another so that we're not bogged down by the rebudding romance of Adele and Junuh, nor do we get the impression that the movie is trying too hard to glorify its portrayed sport. Piece by piece it unfolds before us in all its glory, majesty and poetic emotion.

The movie is not just about the game of golf, nor is it solely about romance and bonds of friendship: it's about the rediscovery of a lost part of one's soul, and the help that a person may receive with that search. Junuh's lost swing is more than just his sports talent, but also comes to represent his loss of self worth and reality upon his return from the war. His entering into the golf tournament as well as the insight and wisdom he receives from Bagger are more than just a game and advice: they are Junuh's reawakening into the world, his realization of the love and knowledge he has lost due to his self-ostracization from everyone.

This story provides a path for Redford's extraordinary vision, and like his previous films, his sense of surroundings and the beauty of nature shine throughout this film. The golf course on which the game is played is lush, green and full of wide open spaces, and Redford uses this to his advantage in making it more than just a golf course. Junuh's war experiences are shot grainy and with shadow, providing a gloomy and foreboding sense of depression and doom for a time in his life that is simply that. Redford has a very insightful eye into nature, which is evident in his work on this movie, adding to its overall sense of beauty and awe.

The 30's are also brought to life in a breathtaking fashion, recreating a time of colorful hats for the ladies and tops hats for men, outfits bursting with bright colors and accesories calling attention to a time gone by. While most of the movie takes place outdoors, indoor set design is meticulous, while the small town of Savannah is seen in many different lights, once bustling and alive, then soon plagued by deep depression.

Our cast appears to enjoy their work on this film, and their performances are convincing and inspire emotion. Matt Damon is no stranger to deep character development: his past work on "Good Will Hunting" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" prove this. So it should come as no surprise that his performance as Junuh is pivotal and full of exhuberance. Will Smith is a little out of his league with his role as Bagger Vance, but that doesn't mean he can't pull it off. He makes his character mysterious, which is one question the movie never answers: is he simply a figment in the imagination of certain characters, or is he really there? Either way, his character has a job to do, and he gets it done. Charlize Theron's beauty and demeanor are completely reminiscent of the women of this time period, while the feistiness of her character, Adele, is acted out incredibly. Her chemistry with Damon is believable, which sells me on their romance.

"The Legend of Bagger Vance" doesn't take long in presenting its underlying meanings, nor does it make it too difficult to spot them, which is why this movie will appeal to many different demographics. I enjoyed this movie immensely because it nevers gets too soggy with the romance, or too indistinct with its themes and metaphors, and the performances are remarkable. This has all the makings of a classic film, and will not be forgotten by many.

Rating:
Summary: Very emotional...and a great message.
Review: I've heard a lot of people say that teenagers probably wouldn't enjoy this movie, but I'm 14 and I loved it. I love how it delivers the message that you must have meaning to your life. It's also very symbolic. The enigmatic Bagger Vance could be anyone from a wise guy to an angel. Will Smith, as Bagger Vance, gave an outstanding performance. Matt Damon shone, as always. And the little boy who played Harvey Reed, Damon's character's tag-along friend, was amazing. I wonder why I haven't seen him in more movies. Anyway, this movie has a lot of emotion in it, and determination. I think it's cool that they made a golf movie after all those basketball, football, and hockey films. Some people think golf is boring, but this movie makes you really get into it. Well, I'd reccommend this to anyone looking for drama, but it has a bit of comedy in it too. This film is way underrated. Go see it!

Rating:
Summary: Weak Film Adaptation... Misses Vital Elements of the Book
Review: This video would rate higher if there were no novel. If you enjoyed the novel, however, you will be sorely disappointed in this adaptation. There are two many missing plot lines to list, but the video comes across as a very one dimential show. The Charlize Theron charactor, who is barely in the book, is expanded into a main love interest, seemingly to "normalize" the Junah charactor. This fails miserably, as the only time Theron is even remotely interesting is during while she is stripping. Matt Damon appears way too young as the Junah charactor is supposed to have already played on a golf tour, fought in WWI for several years, been married & fathered a daughter, and travelled around Europe for several years after the war. In conclusion, there are worse movies out there, but there may not be a worse movie adaptation of a great novel.

Rating:
Summary: It's not for everyone, but it SHOULD be.
Review: From the looks of things here people either love this film, or they loathe it. To my mind what this translates to is that some people actually UNDERSTAND it and some people don't. And that's OK. Because as the man says...it ain't for everybody. But it SHOULD be...

So those who understand this film, you know who you are. In this day and age there aren't many films like this one that come our way. We're thankful for them when they do. Let's talk about it.

It's interesting to me when those who see fit to trash a film like this one in their "review" do so because they are frustrated by it's message (or lack thereof in some folks' opinions). And there are quite a few here who are down right fearful of a film like this one. That fear often translates into "this film sucks". Heh heh heh. Imagine. AFRAID of a story. Afraid of what it could represent.

I think nay-sayers have a "problem" with the characters in this film. This is a story set during a time that is so foreign to most people on the planet that it translates to folks "becoming bored" by it. Modern minds are conditioned to quick cuts and edits that occur millisecond after millisecond like computer enhanced advertisements, and the pacing of this film is something that makes them reach for their Fast Forward buttons. For those with itchy thumbs, you need to understand that the 1920's were "simpler" times in many ways. There were no televisions, no world wide web, no cell phones, or microwave ovens, no drive thru fast food, it was a time when family, friends, pride in a job well done (no matter what your profession was), hard work, and "spiritual" reflection were possible and were PRACTICED. That was the way. And people were closer to the environment (The Nature). They interacted with nature.

Now the other thing that tends to freak people out is to see someone (with so much promise and potential) lose their focus and hide in self pity and FEAR. It happens, folks. In fact it's all too common these days. And we're talking about hard HARD "things" to overcome here. Our main character in this film sets out to overcome, and does so little by little, but it's always a tightrope. Make no mistake, this is a difficult thing to capture on film or in the printed word. This film successfully captures that battle to overcome. For the film makers to have the courage alone to decide to tackle a "subject" like this is difficult, not to mention finding (corporate) financing to fund a project and story such as this one. You will see no death defying car chases during the course of this film.

The fact that the primary (male) characters in this film are golfers is almost irrelevant. They could just as easily have been mountain climbers, or deep sea divers, or race car drivers. The common denominator among all of these interests that I've named here is that to "play" these "sports" you have to find the "fire" within. You dig? In a golf game it's just you and the course. How well you perform depends solely on how well you tap in (to your Self) to "find your swing", and once you've tapped "in" you (simply) let "it" guide you through the game. YOUR game. And in 1920, in our story here, even a boy could understand that much. And that's all you really need to know, people. Best of luck in finding your swing y'all.

"...it's a game that can never be won, only PLAYED."

- Bagger Vance

Rating:
Summary: Only if you are a diehard golf fan will you enjoy this film.
Review: Don't waste your time with this one unless you are totally into the game of GOLF. If you like Tiger Woods then this is the film for you! Good acting, for the most part, but the whole movie is GOLF. As John Stossel so appropriately says in 20/20, GIVE ME A BREAK. Took everything in me to stay awake for the entire film. You'd have to pay me Tiger Woods salary to see this film again. Fore! as in "For" get it!

Rating:
Summary: Good, not Great
Review: This probably wouldn't be a teenager kind of movie, no matter how perceptive you are. The movie generally consists of Matt Damon close-ups of him playing golf. And Will Smith dressed up as a shabby ghost or whatever it is he is just doesn't seem right. But I will admit that Matt Damon's performance was heartfelt (when is he going to get an oscar for acting) and the visuals were stimulating. All in all, a nice movie with a doubtful plot.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is just plain bad
Review: First of all the golf in this movie is totally inaccurate. Second of all the plot was extremely slow and boring and it had a ridiculously sappy ending. This is by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: The Legend of Boring Video
Review: 'Leisurely paced' is how Leonard Maltin puts it. Nope, let's scratch that for a new term: Boring as Snot. This story is life through golf. And golf, being an observer and not a player, is pretty dang boring. Therefore trying to imagine that life is all about 'findin yo swang' ain't gonna cut it.

What's worse is that Charlize Theron, one of the best actresses who's never been in a good movie, is amazing in this film. The best part of it, unfortunately (considering she's a minor character).

Not to mention the plot holes in this movie are big enough to drive a cadillac through. For example, Matt Damon's character is 'lost' after the war (ie, no ones seen him), yet, after being needed, it takes a 9-year old boy ten seconds of screen time to bike over to the guy's house and get him. Hmmm...

Subpar acting by the 'major players' (yes, that was a pun), a story that needs so much work it might as well have stayed a book for all the cinematic greatness it achieved, and too much mysticism for it to do anything to anybody who doesn't play golf. You'll see the ending coming a mile away, and anyone who's not asleep at the end gets a trophy all their own.

Two and a half hours of your life could be better spent elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Very Lopsided
Review: After the first 30 minutes I was ready to turn it off when Will Smith came on screen and saved it. After having lived in the South for two years, the southern accents came off as painfully unconvincing -- Hey Charlize, think you could try holding the accent for the ENTIRE sentence?! And the dialogue, who the hell wrote this, Robert James Waller? The biggest groaner, from an anonymous man on the street: "God Bless Savannah and the men she propagates!" Every character in the film speaks in godawful Hollywood-Southernisms; storms are always "a brewin'" and Charlize says 'ah declayuh!' --It's as if the screenwriters copped the dialect from Foghorn Leghorn and that 'Gone With the Wind' episode of Bugs Bunny. But even with this tortured dialogue, Will Smith's charm shined through. And after a while, the dialogue is kind of fun to rip on.