The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers (WGA):

Steven Pressfield (novel)
Jeremy Leven (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 November 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Some Things Can't Be Learned. They Must Be Remembered.

Plot:

A down-and-out golfer attempts to recover his game and his life with help from a mystical caddy.

Plot Keywords:

Angst | Whimsical | Americana | Wisdom | Alcoholism

Awards:

2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Will Smith	...	Bagger Vance
Matt Damon	...	Rannulph Junuh
Charlize Theron	...	Adele Invergordon
Bruce McGill	...	Walter Hagen
Joel Gretsch	...	Bobby Jones
J. Michael Moncrief	...	Hardy Greaves
Lane Smith	...	Grantland Rice
Peter Gerety	...	Neskaloosa
Michael O'Neill	...	O.B. Keeler
Thomas Jay Ryan	...	Spec Hammond
Trip Hamilton	...	Frank Greaves
Dermot Crowley	...	Dougal McDermott
Harve Presnell	...	John Invergordon
Danny Nelson	...	McManus
Bob Penny	...	Laidlaw

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37600) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Allied Filmmakers

Trivia:

Brad Pitt was offered the role of Junuh but turned down.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The second day of the match is a Sunday. The barber shop is open and the father is working a street sweeper - both unlikely to occur on a Sunday in the 1920s in the South.

Quotes:

Rannulph Junuh: This is getting embarassing.
Bagger Vance: Oh no sir, this has been embarassing for quite some time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Legend of Bagger Vance (#7.19)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

In Paradisium

greatly misunderstood story, completely underrated classic

Having watched this film more times than I can remember and reading the comments left so far I feel that a major message of this film has gone completely overlooked. Even as a complete golf addict, I can look beyond the obvious inspirational story and see than the focus is on Junah's battle with faith, and why does nobody mention that Bagger Vance is a guardian angel? I'm not a religious person so please don't get the wrong idea but is it not obvious at the end when old Hardy Greaves dies and Bagger appears on the horizon? "I'm right here with ya, I've been here all along..." And please Junah's trauma was caused by WW1 NOT WW2 - it is 1930 (WW2 did not start until 1939!) OK,the direction by Redford is fantastic with the portrayal of the characters done (and acted) extremely well. Will Smith and Matt Damon play the roles brilliantly, especially Smith. Perhaps Damon seems a little young to be a veteran at times though, but all the same-flawless. Theron, physically, looks perfect for the role but, like Damon, not a woman assumedley in her mid-thirties. I only wish more money could have been spent on this film and it would have been made into the epic it deserves to be. Far more than a simple, soft inspirational story. One must look beyond to see the real message, oh and if your not a golfer, you might not completely 'get it'.

Film 8.5/10 Story 10/10