Uninspired perfection.

Rating: 6/10 (5 April 2001)

"Bagger Vance" tells of a WWI hero (Damon) who loses his sterling golfing abilities because of unresolved war-related issues. With help from a "Bagger Vance", a mysterious caddy (Smith), he's able to overcome his handicap. Typical Redford stuff, this film is pat, well crafted, and uninspired. Beautifully shot and with obvious attention to detail it follows all the rules of good Hollywood-style film making. However, the two male leads are miscast, the hero's epiphanies are corny and predictable, and the "legend" part of the film is muddled with a lot of mumbo-jumbo about "seeing the field" and "play -your- game". It's obvious the writers were not clear on what the "rehab on the green" part of the film was about. An enjoyable watch for all, "BV" should appeal most to golfers.