Brilliance on the links

Rating: 10/10 (4 November 2000)

"The Legend of Bagger Vance" is one of those movies that comes around and defines a sport. "The Natural" did it for baseball, "He Got Game" did it for basketball, and "Any Given Sunday" did it for football. Now, golf has a movie to call its own. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a stunning and magical journey about the sport and a few souls who are affected by it.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance" is the story of two people whose lives are directly affected by a drifter named Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith. Those two people are Rannulph Junuh, played by Matt Damon, and Hardey Greaves, played by J. Michael Moncrief. Junuh is a WWI veteran who was once known as a great golfer, maybe the greatist. His experience in the war left him shaken, and he loses his swing. Hardey Greaves is a child who loves golf and wants to be just like Junuh. His father is another victim of the Great Depression, and is made to sweep the streets. Junuh is invited by his former girlfriend, Adele (Charlize Theron), to compete against two of the best golfers in the world in an exhibition match for $10,000. Bagger Vance tries to help Junuh find his "authentic swing" before the big match.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance" seems to be more than a movie. It has a life of its own. Robert Redford employs some beautiful cinematography which gives the movie a magical air. However, some people may see it as too much of a "Halmark card", but to each his own. I especially liked the scenes where everything disappears but the course, they really draw you in. Some have called the dialogue hokey, but I just think they were trying to keep it in that time period. Remember, people did talk like that. The only real flaw in this movie is the beginning. The exposition seems to move way to quickly, and they ask you to ingest a lot of background information. But, it was based on a book which had as long as it wanted to explain things, and we only have two hours. So, this isn't really a bad thing.
In the end, I came out of "The Legend of Bagger Vance" feeling good. It does the sport of golf justice in a way no other movie has.