beautiful, captivating film

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2016)

I haven't read any other reviews of this, but I'm surprised to see such a low rating.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance" from 2000 is a Robert Redford movie about one of his favorite topics - sports. This time it's golf.
The story begins with an elderly man (Jack Lemmon) having a heart attack while playing golf. Lying on the ground, he talks about his love of golf and tells a story set in the post-World War I era.
In Savannah, there was a promising young golfer, Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) who went to fight in WW I and saw his entire battalion killed, except for him. He disappears, and does not return to Savannah for 15 years, and now spends his time drinking and playing cards. His old girlfriend Adele (Charlize Theron), never heard from him and has moved on with her life.
Adele's father has died, and left her a fabulous resort area but no one can afford to visit these days of the Depression. But Adele knows there are still people with money out there. She decides to sell everything she owns and have a golf tournament between Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen (Joel Gretsch and Bruce McGill) with the prize being $10,000.
Her board agrees but they want someone from Savannah to participate. A young boy, Hardy Greaves, who idolizes Rannulph, wants him to play and is in fact present when Adele tries to seduce Rannulph into playing. Eventually he gives in. But he finds he can't swing anymore.
One night while practicing his swing in the dark, a vagrant named Bagger Vance (Will Smith) approaches him and offers to be his caddie for $5. What he shows Rannulph goes beyond his golf swing - it shows him to get through any challenge in life.
This is a Field of Dreams type of film, and it's wonderful. It's about letting go of pain and learning who you are and what you can achieve, no matter the knocks you take in life. It's not only beautifully photographed but well directed and well acted.
Will Smith is fantastic as the easygoing Bagger, his eyes and smile carrying the secret to life as he guides Rannulph. Charlize Theron has an outrageous southern accent, but she's very likable and beautiful. Matt Damon as Rannulph is a man burdened by the past, frustrated by the present, but with a winning smile who finally realizes he has to go for it.
I have two problems with this film: One is, don't tell me Bobby Jones was that good-looking; and secondly, The Public Enemy, shown on a theater marquee, was released in 1931. Bobby Jones' last game, which he tells Rannulph this game will be, was in 1930.
I thought the end was beautiful, particularly because this was Jack Lemmon's last film.
I guess I don't understand a lot of the criticism about the movie being embarrassing. Perhaps I'm not as politically correct as I should be. I still thought it was a great movie.