Sappy Southern Stuff

Rating: 5/10 (1 May 2001)

Greetings again from the darkness. Missed this one at the theatre, so watched it on video. Redford's mushy direction and Matt Damon's lack of acting ability make this nothing more than a cute, feel good movie. Will Smith has most of the one-liners, but the real interest in the movie is from newcomer J. Michael Moncrief as the bright-eyed kid. Gorgeous Charlize Theron is perfectly cast as the tough, stubborn, southern belle, but the script prevents this movie from taking the next step. Also got tired of Matt Damon making the Redford poses (especially from Great Gatsby days). Note to directors of sport films: we hate poor mechanics on screen from actors playing roles of experts. Matt Damon's swing looks like a weekend duffer.