Good movie despite its shortcomings

Rating: 7/10 (23 October 2001)

This movie succeeded as a fantasy even with its shortcomings. The ending was great and only at the very end could a viewer guess how it would come out. Perhaps because I can relate to much of the movie, I can appreciate it more than some. I grew up in the depression. I caddied for Ben Hogan in one tournament. I lost my whole platoon in Korea so I know the depression Captain Rannulph Junuh was experiencing though unlike him I didn't quit though I knew other officers who had the same experience as Junuh just quit. And I have always been a avid golfer.
But the movie had its weaknesses. Captain Junuh gets the Medal of Honor but he didn't do anything in the movie to justify a medal of any kind. Thirteen years elapses between the time he is in combat and when we see him again and we are left with a blank for that period in his life. We are supposed to believe that his wealthy and beautiful fiancé just waits during all this period of time without knowing anything about what's happening to him. In real life she would have married and had children by the time he returned.
And then there is the South in the 1930's and blacks. At that time Savannah was as racist as they came. Bagger Vance, who is a black, would never been allowed to caddy much less even get near white folks. Blacks were not allowed on golf courses then, especially a private course. And Captain Junuh would not have been playing poker or even drinking with black men. Whites, especially white trash, did not socialize at all with blacks although they thought nothing of raping black women.
The acting in the movie was rather ordinary but sufficient to tell the story and it was a good story as many myths are so long as the viewer isn't taken in by its lackings and fallacies.