The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

Disappointment for a huge fan!

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The Legend of Bagger Vance is about golf in the same way that Field of Dreams was about baseball--that is, hardly at all. This film has the mystic symbolism of Field of Dreams, the sense of time and place of A River Runs Through It, and the triumph of spirit that is at the center of most of my favorite films. It might be an accident that the number of holes played in this epic showdown is about the same as the number of years we get in the big game (on average), but this film is quite clearly about the game of life.Matt Damon plays Rannulph Junuh, a promising golfer from Savannah whose prodigious career is interrupted, and ultimately diverted, by World War I. He comes back from the war changed, and neglects both his game and his girl as he attempts to drown his sorrows by killing off brain cells little by little. When the Great Depression hits, the whole town of Savannah is devastated and Adele attempts to save the family estate by staging an epic golf match on the golf course her father had designed. The two greatest golfers of the time are enticed to play in the epic, but the town wants Junuh in the game too, to represent Savannah. Young Hardy Greaves has been a fan of Junuh's almost since birth and Hardy does his best to convince Junuh to enter the fray. When Hardy fails, Adele also tries and also fails, but then Junuh meets Bagger Vance--caddy, wisdom teacher, and philosopher extraodinaire. To say much more about the relationship that develops would be to give away too much of the suspense that propels the story forward. Suffice it to say that Will Smith's portrayal of Bagger Vance is an intriguing mix of Cheech Marin in Tin Cup and Obi Wan Kanobi in Star Wars.It is the mythic dimension that makes this a satisfying film. Like two of his previous films (The Horse Whisperer and A River Runs Through It), this film is best when viewed as myth and metaphor. The brilliant cinematography by Michael Ballhaus contributes to the mythic feel of the film. If there is a flaw in the film it is a relatively minor one. As in A River Runs Through It, director Redford chose to tell this story as one long flashback using extensive voice-over narration. Especially in the beginning of the film, I found this to be intrusive and a bit distracting.Aside from this minor flaw, this is a wonderful film about grace and redemption, with rich images and refreshing themes. As I left the theater I ran into an acquaintance who is an avid golfer. He said, "I've played courses just like that one." I don't golf at all, so it is a real tribute to the mythic qualities of the film that I was able to walk away saying to myself "me too, me too."

**May include Spoilers** The Legend of Bagger Vance is told from the perspective of an elderly Hardy Greaves who has just had his sixth heart attack while playing golf. As he is lying there he is recalling his childhood and why he loves the game of golf. Before going off to the war, Rannulph Junuh was a very good golfer in Savannah, Georgia. Junuh lost all of his men in World War I, became very depressed and disappeared. When he finally returned to Savannah, Georgia it was the start of the Great Depression. He was an alcoholic and tried to keep to himself. Hardy Greaves really looked up to Junuh and volunteered him to play in a golf tournament that Adele Invergordon (Junuh's girlfriend before the war) had managed to set up with two of the world's best golfers, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagan. Adele had done this in an attempt to save the family golf resort. After some nagging from Adele and Hardy, Junuh starts practicing hitting golf balls when a strange man appears, Bagger Vance. He starts giving Junuh advice and becomes Junuh's caddy. Junuh reluctantly agrees to play in the tournament. Bagger Vance finally is able to help Junuh realize that his thoughts are affecting his game and he has to overcome them in order to do well in the tournament. By the last hole, Bagger Vance can see that Junuh has grown and matured and leaves the caddying to Hardy Greves, who he had been mentoring. Junuh, Jones and Hagan ended the game in a three way tie. The film ends with Hardy Greves getting up from his heart attack on the golf course and seeing an unaged Bagger Vance waving him over.The theme of this move could be 'the way we think affects our and actions'. Bagger Vance bring to Junuhs' attention that he needs to let go of the pain and sorrow inside of him in order to be able to focus on life. It is setting him back in both his gulf game and his relationships with people that he needs in life. As Junuh starts letting go of his troubles, he is able to start opening his heart once again to Adele and find happiness.The movie Nanny McPhee has a similar theme to The Legend of Bagger Vance. Nanny McPhee shows up when a father is struggling in life and has children that have a knack for destruction. She mysteriously shows up one day and slowly helps correct the madness. Her famous line is "When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go." The same thing happened in The Legend of Bagger Vance. Bagger Vance mysteriously shows up and help straighten out the problems going on in Junuh's mind and helps him become aware of the affects that his mind/memories are having on his life.Two techniques that are used in this file are camera angle and lighting. Camera angle is used in a lot of close ups in order to show the expression at that particular point in time. When it is more serious or intense it shows the actors close up. The most noticeable close up that is used is when Bagger Vance has Junuh watch the way that Jones putts. He has him see that he is the only person on the golf course and gets him to focus on the ball, his swing and where the hole is. Junuh becomes one with the game at that point. The lighting in the movie seems to portray the mood very well. During the dark time and memories in Junuh's life the film is darker or night time. The move that Junuah finds himself, the brighter the sun seems to shine, and when he has his fall backs it gets a little gloomier.Junuh went from being miserably depressed and drunk to finding inner peace through the help of Bagger Vance. Bagger Vance had a calm peaceful feel about his character that made the audience feel at ease with him and his choice of words. Letting go and not allowing our fears and frustration affect us, is when we will truly find happiness.

There's a lot of drama out there about sports and the connection between sports and life itself. This movie is not an exception. Throughout and movie I'm sitting there hoping that some part of it will break out of the normal pattern, but unfortunately it doesn't. It doesn't stop there. The reactions of the characters is totally unrealistic throughout the entire movie. I realize this is fiction, but when you write fiction about human interaction and human behaviour, you should maybe try to make the characters behave like humans.The boy is way to young to know so much about golf, and rants about it like he's been playing it himself for over 30 years. When a man wins a tournament, he's most likely to try to play some more but this guy just gives up again even though he earns a lot in the one tournament this movie follows.His girlfriends reacts like a prostitute. She doesn't want to be with him when he's on a bender and out of the game, but when he wins the tournament she's suddenly there to pick him up.The only positive thing about this movie is some OK acting from Matt Deamon.

To start off, I have NEVER written a review before. This movie, however, was honestly SO much more than I expected I could not help but write one -- and I truly believe this is a movie everyone should see. This movie is inspiring and speaks millions to overcoming the adversities of life. Just as golf is a game, so is life -- to some extent -- and cannot be won, but merely played.People that didn't like this movie obviously didn't think deep enough to realize how symbolic it truly is. Having had some rough patches in life myself this movie spoke deeply to me as I'm sure it will to many who see it. Don't pass on this movie by its lower rating. I'm generally a person who only watches movies 7 and up, but I am so glad I chose to watch this. I RARELY give movies a 10/10. I'm telling you though -- this movie deserves it.