The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance
PG-13 | 02 November 2000 (USA)
The Legend of Bagger Vance Trailers

World War I has left golfer Rannulph Junuh a poker-playing alcoholic, his perfect swing gone. Now, however, he needs to get it back to play in a tournament to save the financially ravaged golf course of a long-ago sweetheart. Help arrives in the form of mysterious caddy Bagger Vance.

Reviews
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
Diagonaldi Very well executed
ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.
Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation
mirkobozic 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).
grantss Rannulph Junuh was once a great golfer but serving in WW1 has left him a shell of his former self. He is invited to play in a exhibition golf tournament - the only other two competitors are two all-time greats, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. Junuh is then approached by a mysterious man who offers to be his caddie - Bagger Vance.Entertaining at times, but mostly predictable and trite. The plot is far-fetched, holey and filled with platitudes. Fairly good acting by Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. Will Smith overdoes the home-spun advice witticisms and his character, that of Bagger Vance, becomes irritating.Directed by Robert Redford. He is capable of much better efforts, as "Ordinary People", "Quiz Show" and "A River Runs Through It" demonstrated.
telljo **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.
hankhill716 This isn't really a 10 star movie. But after reading all the magic negro stuff and complaints about the characters are too wooden, and that Matt Damon and Will Smith can't act, I gave it a 10 to balance out against all the bitter people who like to go on the internet and slag stuff, I bumped up what in reality is probably more fairly scored as a 7 or 8.In my opinion, Will Smith is excellent in this film, possibly one his best performances ever. Is he a bit young to be a guru to anybody? Maybe, but I find him utterly convincing and as the film reveals, it's not really ultimately important how that character looks. If anything, I think it adds more strength to the story by not giving that role to someone like Morgan Freeman and for the 1930's South, a black man caddying for a white golfer is fairly reasonable. And I think Damon does a good job of conveying his inner turmoil without saying too much. Anyone who has ever had a crisis of self can relate to this film, I think.Without spoiling the film or ending, I will just say that if you like movies about people overcoming adversity and putting their burdens behind them, it's a quality film for you.