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THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE Send This Review to a Friend
Beware of metaphysical approaches to golf. Beware of golf as symbolism. Beware of "The Legend of Bagger Vance," on which director Robert Redford has lavished much care and effort to spin a period inspirational story that plods along and leaves a good cast stranded on the fairway of life.
Bagger Vance is the name of an African-American caddy who turns up to help restore the self-esteem of a golfer who was the pride of Savannah but sunk into a funk as a result of the horrors he witnessed on the battlefield as a soldier in World War I. Bagger is no ordinary caddy. It is clear that he comes with a mission as a mysterious angelic emissary, since we are asked to accept his special powers and wisdom. Bagger is played congenially by Will Smith, who tags along on the course to give wry advice and look after his charge.
The person to whose aid he comes is Rannulph Junuh, portrayed by Matt Damon, and the story is recalled through the perspective of a commentator who as a boy (played by J. Michael Moncrief) idolized Junuh. The plot takes off with the decision of Adele Invergordon to carry through on her late father's dreams to make a go of his super golf resort that has fallen on hard times. Her rescue scheme involves persuading two famous golfers of the day, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, to take part in a tournament. Adele and Junah had been in love, but the local golfer abandoned her in his depression. Now he is also talked into coming out of the shadows to join the tournament as Savannah's own star. Will he win? It takes an awful long time to find out.
Charlize Theron as the Southern belle is appealing and energizes the film to some extent, as do the performances of Joel Gretsch as Jones and Bruce McGill as Hagen, but the limp story that spans the years from 1916 to 1931 asks an audience to swallow far too much. The screenplay was written by Jeremy Leven based on Steven Pressfield's novel.
Obviously the tale appealed to Redford as a helping of Americana and as a comment on the human spirit, and he has soaked the film in abundant period atmosphere and details about the big golf competition that's meant to be suspenseful. But the result is very disappointing. A DreamWorks Pictures release.
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