Put the past behind you to create a happy future

Rating: 8/10 (16 March 2017)

**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.