Directed by:
Robert RedfordScreenplay:
Jeremy LevenCinematography:
Michael BallhausComposer:
Rachel PortmanCast:
Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Bruce McGill, Joel Gretsch, J. Michael Moncrief, Peter Gerety, Lane Smith, Michael O'Neill, Thomas Jay Ryan (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Robert Redford directed this adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield that uses golf as a metaphor for one man's spiritual and philosophical journeys. Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) was a gifted amateur golfer from Savannah, GA, until traumatic experiences during World War I shattered his confidence and sent him into a spiral of alcoholism. In 1931, Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron), a beautiful heiress who once loved Junuh, inherits a spectacular but financially ailing golf course after the suicide of her father. To attract customers, she proposed a high-stakes match between the two most famous golfers of the day, Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Local businessmen sponsoring the match insist that a local golfer be added to the card, and Junuh is drafted for the position, but it soon becomes obvious that his game is just a shadow of its former glory. When things seem hopeless, a mysterious gentleman named Bagger Vance (Will Smith) volunteers to serve as Junuh's caddy and coach, using a mixture of ancient wisdom and past-life knowledge to help Junah "remember" the swing he's lost. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
Robert Redford as a director is still a small-big unknown for me. Nevertheless, in The Legend of Bagger Vance, we can find a few moments and things that prove that Redford is not only an excellent actor but also that the film is narratively simple. For some, it may be too simple and, above all, incredibly pathetic. Few directors could transform a script that is overstuffed with genre clichés and pathos into a film that is not only watchable and digestible but can be watched several times. In the opening, the audience is presented with a World War I battle scene, which Redford somewhat mishandles. To his credit, he didn't drag it on even for a minute longer, probably aware that a huge fireworks display and slow panning of the camera across a field filled with the dead wouldn't be sufficient to capture the war atmosphere. He tries even harder in the golf tournament, where the actors also get their relevant space. The breathtaking role was given to Will Smith, who played it to perfection. His musings on life, golf, and how they are all connected make him a humorous (but not comedic!!!) character. I don't think Matt Damon is even capable of acting badly. From a broken man burdened by life to glimpses of hope in his eyes, the portrayal of regaining lost self-confidence is performed with direct simplicity and without unnecessary redundancy. Charlize Theron once again enjoys the role of a beauty, but this time elevated to the level of a player in the financial field. I can't help but say she did a good job again. Whatever you may think of any part of The Legend of Bagger Vance, you can't help but acknowledge that as a whole, this film was a great success. Hats off and compliments, Robert!
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First-class sugar candy. Redford has the advantage that even when he makes a sports film full of clichés, overblown idealism and simple, easy to grasp expressions slipping into sentimentality in every other wave, it can't be called shit. It may be due to his maturity or his sense and smarts as a filmmaker, but he does it in such a nonchalantly old-school way that even though this film is basically a trivial story about nothing, it's nice to watch and every now and then you find yourself in the metaphorical parallels that Will Smith is spilling out with a grin from ear to ear. Charlize Theron in one of her best and most charismatic roles.
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