The Legend of Bagger Vance

Plot synopsis:
As an old man having his sixth heart attack while playing golf, Hardy Greaves (Jack Lemmon), contemplates how his wife used to ask him (before her passing) why he insisted on playing "a game that seems destined to kill" him. Explaining his love for the game, he begins the story of his childhood idol; Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon).
Junuh is the favorite son of Savannah, Georgia and a noteworthy golfer. From a wealthy family, the beautiful Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) was Junuh's girlfriend before he went off to war. While serving as a captain in the US Army during World War I, Junuh is traumatized when his entire company is wiped out in battle. Though he earns the Medal of Honor, he disappears after the war, returning to Georgia years later to live a shadowy life as a drunk, golf being just a distant memory.
At the start of the Great Depression (circa 1930), Adele is trying to recover her family's lost fortune by holding a four-round, two-day exhibition match between Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill), the best golfers of the era, with a grand prize of $10,000, at a golf resort her father opened as the Depression struck. However, she needs a local participant to generate local interest. The young Greaves (J. Michael Moncrief) speaks up for his golf hero, Junuh, prompting Adele to ask her estranged love to play.
Junuh is approached by a mysterious traveler carrying a suitcase, who appears while Junuh is trying to hit golf balls into the dark void of night. The man identifies himself as Bagger Vance (Will Smith) and says he will be Junuh's caddy. With Greaves as the young assistant caddy, Bagger helps Junuh come to grips with his personal demons and play golf again.
When the match starts, Jones and Hagen each play well in their distinctive ways, but the disengaged Junuh plays poorly and is far behind after the first round. With Bagger caddying for him and giving advice, Junuh rediscovers his "authentic swing" in the second round and makes up some ground. In the third round, he closes the gap even more, hitting a hole in one in the process. Junuh and Adele find their romance rekindling.
Late in the final round, Junuh disregards Bagger's advice at a crucial point and after that plays poorly. He hits a ball into a forest, where he has a traumatic World War I flashback, but Bagger's words help him to focus on golf. Junuh pulls back to a tie with Jones and Hagen, then has a chance to win on the final hole, but has the integrity to call a penalty on himself when his ball moves after he tries to remove a loose impediment.
Seeing from this that Junuh has grown and matured, Bagger decides his golfer doesn't need him any more. With the 18th hole left unfinished, Bagger gives the position of caddy to Greaves, and leaves Junuh as mysteriously as he came.
Though losing a chance to win because of the penalty, Junuh sinks an improbable putt and the match ends in a gentlemanly three-way tie. The three golfers shake hands with all of Savannah cheering. Junuh and Adele get back together.
The old Greaves wakes up seemingly fine and sees an unaged Bagger Vance beckoning him from a distance. Hardy follows, presumably to the after life.

Tags: romantic, boring, depressing, storytelling, flashback

Review:
advises him over i think 14 days the logic of war and why he has to fight and make things right..the movie: rannulph has lost his swing or the will to play golf...
Basketball movies meanwhile often rely on the street/hip hop connection and are just as loud, but with a slightly more gritty edge to them, provided you completely forget about the atrocious Space Jam. Bagger Vance on the other hand revolves entirely around golf and consequently, is a lot quieter, slower paced and gentle than its brash genre cousins, but it nevertheless possesses a charm and subtlety that is quite endearing.Told completely in flashback, the film's story involves Matt Damon's depressed World War One veteran Rannulph Junnuh taking part in a highly publicised golf tournament against two established (real life) professionals - Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones.
Thankfully, Junnuh's redemption and Vance's easy going friendship is enough to carry the film and the story, while corny, is just as charming as the title character.Elsewhere, director Robert Redford once again shows off his knack for beautiful cinematography.
As most of the film takes place on golf courses you're never too far away from some gorgeous scenery and the contrast between the vibrant green vegetation and stunning blue sky makes Bagger Vance a feast for the eyes.
He has lost his faith in himself and his ability to face life after his return from the war.The role of Bagger Vance, ably played by Will Smith, was not as God like as the character described by Steven Pressfield in his book from which this film was adapted.
We don't always have an opportunity to go back and take a second stab at life and that is the beauty of this movie.It is a wonderful thing to be able to go back and make amends for mistakes we have made in our lives and to come out on the other side as a better person.
I've seen it three times and enjoyed it immensely each time.It reminded me a bit, too, of "The Natural," but instead of baseball, this one features golf and real-life legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen playing the local guy, "Rannulph Junuh" (Matt Damon).
Charlize Theron is the beauty, playing "Adele Invergordon," a woman who organizes this famous golf match between the greatest amateur player of the world, the best professional and "Junuh," who is the focus of this story.
Damon had to learn the game from scratch, and did a fine job with his swing.The only part of this film that went a little overboard - but it's the fantasy part of the story - was the New Age-type preaching by "Bagger." However, some of his speeches were simply golf visualization, which has always been taught as a means to concentrate better on one's shot-making.
If you showed a golf or baseball movie today it would not be as believable because they no longer play for the love of the game but for the money.
If Redford had a mental picture of Bagger Vance before this movie started, I think he actually saw how Will Smith performed in this film.
By following this process and relating to it ourselves, this movie is a wonderful tool for becoming more present and being masterful in whatever we happen to be doing in our own lives.Bagger Vance (Will Smith) basically tells that the only thing that Junuh can do in order to win this game of golf is let go of his thoughts.
Still I regard it as a pretty good film, for a number of reasons.First, it is very well made, and artistically shot with some highly memorable scenes, such as the one where Will Smith first appears out of the dark.Second, it is very well directed, by Robert Redford.Third and finally it has a smashing cast, with Will Smith and Matt Damon carrying it beautifully.
Also, look out for Jack Lemmon's (for some reason uncredited) role as the old Hardy Greaves (it was one of his final roles)."The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a good watch, but it does get a bit monotonous after a while.
is also very well executed.I thought that Damon did a very credible job as Junuh, although his character is a Redford clone, right down to the haircut and whispery delivery of his lines, and Will Smith was surprisingly quite good as Bagger Vance.
I must admit when I read the novel I had a hard time imagining Smith playing this part, but he carries it off with Morgan Freeman-esque style.I completely disagree with every reviewer who enjoyed Charlize Theron's performance.
Her character is little more than a footnote in the book, and in this film they greatly expanded her role to have a romantic subplot that frankly has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and bogs down the story.
Like some of Redford's best films this one is also about life and death --old age and/or the coming of death are part of the resolutions of "The Milagro Beanfield War" and "A River Runs Through It. This is an unabashedly emotional and sentimental film, and that's great.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is one of those movies that are all about feeling good and inspiring messages all of which we have seen a trillion times before.: Chocolat, You've got Mail, etc.
Yet, it kind of works and Redford succeeds in persuading you to stay till the ending credits though the core of the story is not a romantic plot but rather the personal development of the Matt Damon's character Junuh.
A large part of the charm of the film is the beautiful setting of Savannah, and a very luscious Charlize Theron playing a glamorous local socialite who incites the exhibition golf match around which the whole story is revolving.
Just as golf is a game, so is life -- to some extent -- and cannot be won, but merely played.People that didn't like this movie obviously didn't think deep enough to realize how symbolic it truly is.
The Bagger Vance character in the book was a Christ-Like/Buddha figure, helping Junuh overcome the obstacles in his life.
Take "The Legend Of Bagger Vance".It's about a Georgian named Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) who marches off to World War I one of America's greatest golfers but comes back without his swing.
Michael Moncrief) who won't stop believing in him, and the title figure, a mysterious caddy (Will Smith) who tells Junuh that golf, like life, is "a game that can't be won, only played."As with other Redford films, there is no real dialogue in "Bagger Vance".
Beauty is everywhere in "Bagger Vance", and the camera and lighting work here are exceptional, but there's never a feeling of real life creeping into the corners of the frame.What's good in this film is Moncrief, the one real Southern accent in the cast who has fun and a disarmingly non-precocious way about him.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsHaving directed Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It,Robert Redford directs Matt Damon in The Legend Of Bagger Vance,a sentimental,warm hearted tale with a stern hint of life's misapprehensions at it's core.Indeed it is very pleasant,with some beautiful cinematography and engaging ,thoughtful performances.However,it gets kind of long and drawn out towards the end,and the end outcome is pretty obvious if you think about it.Still,Will Smith carries on from Enemy Of The State in proving he's got versatility as an actor aside from comedy films,in a cliched but thoughtfully pinned role as the mystical caddy arriving to aid Damon's struggling former golfer.Charlize Theron is also stunningly beautiful in her role,at one scene revealing herself in sexy lengeraie which should set pulses of the male viewer's running.The film is interestingly told from the perspective of an aged golfer suffering a heart attack on the golf coarse at the opening of the film,reliving his experiences as a 10 year old boy at the time the film is set.A sweeping score accompanies the proceedings ,nicely rounding off the film's whole.A tee in one,or whatever.***and a half..
He is that good.Bagger Vance is a character that comes into Rannulph Junnah's ( Damon ) life just as he's entered into a golf tournament against the two best golfers of their era, Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones.
As Bagger Vance says in the film, "Golf is a game that can never be won, only played."  Words to live by.
I am sorry, Mr. Robert Redford, but the story does not do justice to the calibre of your actors.Fairy tale story about a drunk (forget the World War I connection) who has lost his self-respect and confidence and is "lost" for 15 years (Matt Damon as Rannulph Junuh) and beautiful Charlize Theron (Adele Invergordon) who for 15 years still loves Junuh and pines for him when she should have moved on with her life.
Along comes an "angel" in the form of Will Smith (as Bagger Vance) who knows all about the golf game and for only "$5.00 guaranteed" and the pair of shoes he "broke in" becomes the caddy for Junuh and throughout the game "helps" him to regain his long lost self-confidence."What we have here - is failure to communicate!"  What can you get out of a golf movie?
With only three players in the tournament why work harder?Jack Lemmon was uncredited in this film (WHY?) as he played the Old Hardy Greaves telling the dubbed-over story of that one special moment in his golf life before he, now an old man, walks into the sunset to die on the old golf course he played all his life.
The movie might have been more effective had like in Titanic (1997), the narrative have come from one of the main characters such as Adele (played by Charlize Theron) in her old age.
It might be an accident that the number of holes played in this epic showdown is about the same as the number of years we get in the big game (on average), but this film is quite clearly about the game of life.Matt Damon plays Rannulph Junuh, a promising golfer from Savannah whose prodigious career is interrupted, and ultimately diverted, by World War I.
What I really liked about The Legend Of Bagger Vance is the great care that director Robert Redford did in evoking the feel and ambiance of Savannah, 
Lemmon also provides the narration for The Legend Of Bagger Vance.Damon eventually accepts, but it's only when Will Smith comes along playing
The Legend Of Bagger Vance (2000) Plot In A Paragraph: Rannulph Junna (Matt Damon) a down-and-out golfer attempts to recover his game and his life with help from a mystical caddy named Bagger Vance (Will Smith).Easily one of my favourite Will Smith movies and performances (possibly THE favourite) and it's easily one of his most under rated and overlooked pieces of Work.
I cannot fathom how a movie of this quality, directed by Robert Redford, starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron got great reviews, and yet it failed to draw much of a crowd.I've said earlier in the thread, I prefer it when Smith is actually acting, instead of just playing versions of his public persona.
After I had watched it, I was telling a friend how wonderful it was, and he replied "I don't like Will Smith, I hate Matt Damon and I can't stand golf!!
Will Smith was different to the usual brash character he plays, though still with his own flair and very good, Matt Damon can do anything and do it well, and while Charlize Theron didn't have as big a role, I felt her contribution added the final touches to an interesting story.
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.
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'.
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.
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.
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.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is the uplifting story of a former pro golfer and war veteran Rannulph Junnuh (played by Matt Damon) who, with the help of an unconventional caddy, tries to rediscover his "authentic swing." Directed by critically acclaimed storyteller Robert Redford, this film offers much more than a suspenseful game of golf - though it certainly succeeds in that regard.
Will Smith lends his talent as the mystical Bagger Vance who not only caddies for "Captain Junnuh," but helps him discover what it means to "play the game" of life.What I liked most about this movie is that, while it is played out on a golf course, it goes much deeper than just a sports movie.
But after reading all the magic negro stuff and complaints about the characters are too wooden, and that Matt Damon and Will Smith can't act, I gave it a 10 to balance out against all the bitter people who like to go on the internet and slag stuff, I bumped up what in reality is probably more fairly scored as a 7 or 8.In my opinion, Will Smith is excellent in this film, possibly one his best performances ever.
Using a combination of life experience and an unexplainable knowledge Bagger Vance helps Junah find what he has lost, his "swing." Director Robert Redford uses golf as a medium to explain this, painful and emotional, story of a man who once had everything and lost it all fighting for his country in World War 1.
This same can be said of many movies, but BAGGER VANCE appears to hold itself out as something different, as if it's going to offer something new and sort-of meaningful when really all it's doing is rehashing the increasingly tired 'sport as a metaphor for life' theme.Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), once a hotshot teenage golfer, lives in drunken semi-seclusion in his hometown of Savannah after a traumatic experience in the Great War. Junuh is a lost soul, a fact signified by Redford's insistence in obscuring his leading actor's face in shadow for the early scenes.
Bagger is a figure of mystery, perhaps guardian angel, perhaps God, literally emerging from the darkness in answer to the apparent cry for help Junuh made when he picked up his golf clubs againThis film is such a slick and glossy example of Hollywood professionalism that at times you find yourself suddenly jettisoned from the story to reflect on how damn slick it all is.
That's not to say Smith doesn't give a good performance, in fact he's very good and, after all the no-brainer blockbusters he's appeared in over the past few years you start feeling optimistic about what might be ahead from him, but no actor, no matter how good, could come out on top when called upon to wrestle with some of the truly laughable lines he delivers that are supposed to be laden with deep mystical meaning.Despite all this, THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE kept me interested for the entirety of its long and slowly-paced running time.
Robert Redford directs this fable about a mysterious caddy(Will Smith)who helps a once promising young golfer(Matt Damon)regain his magic touch.
Matt Damon plays Rannulph Junuh, a golf champion from Savannah, who leaves his gorgeous (isn't she?) girlfriend Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) behind to serve his country in World War 1.
The mystique of Will Smith's caddy is intriguing from an idealistic perspective; the same goes for Matt Damon's once-promising golfer trying to recapture the skill of his youth--only to find that it must be recreated.In the case of each of the above films, it helps considerably if the viewer already likes the respective sports.
Will Smith is on top of his game with this performance as the mythical figure "Bagger Vance" who poses as Rannulph Junuhs (Damon) caddy.
This movie, directed by Robert Redford and very well performed by Damon and specially Theron, talks about life through a simply golf game.
I saw this for the second time the other night and I thought, "this is actually pretty good!"  The golf is average, but Matt Damon and Will Smith perform very well, and the spiritual side of it was more interesting than I remember the first time.
Every  time Matt Damon would "lose his swing", Will Smith would give him some speech about golf and life and that would work for a little while.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is much more than a film about golf.
As one who plays the game of golf with some competence, I really appreciate the film-making technology of Bagger Vance.
That is to say, if you're the kind that pays as much attention to each shot, how it was arranged, how the script flows, etc., this movie will irritate you.The movie is headlined by two of the best actors of our generation, Will Smith (Bagger Vance) and Matt Damon (Rannulph Junuh).