The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

So much average

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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. This is no different. I remember taking my 8 year old son (who was a huge Will Smith fan back then) to see this at the cinema on opening day, and it was only half full. 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!! So you have no chance of getting me to watch that!!" His loss. As it is a brilliant movie, filled with excellent performances. Even my son, used to such movies as Independence Day and Men In Black from Will Smith loved it. He used to silently sit watching this movie all the time.Although the basis of the movie is around a golf tournament, it's not really about that. For me, certainly isn't about who wins the tournament. It is more about the characters and the journey they take.This is why I love movies. I'd rather watch a movie like this, than most things released these days. No CGI, no gimmicks, no superhero's, no shared universe and no eyes on a potential franchise. Just one movie, with some great acting, that is well directed, beautifully shot and tells a well crafted and well told story. I'd go so far to say Smith is so good, he should have been nominated for an Oscar. He got a few nominations of smaller awards, but was over looked for the big ones. Matt Damon is very likable, and is easy to root for, Charline Theron was fine, J. Michael Moncrief is great as Hardy. Child actors are so hard to cast right. Bruce McGill and Joel Gretsch are perfectly cast as rival golfers. Lane Smith is a joy like always and I love Jack Lemmon's voice over. Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus creates some beautiful images, accompanied by a beautiful score by Rachel Portman.I recommend everyone watch this wonderful, heartwarming movie. The Legend Of Bagger Vance grossed $30 million at the domestic box office to end the year the 82 highest grossing movie of 2000. To put it in to context of how poorly this movie performed. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas and a rerelease of The Exorcist grossed more. America should hang its head in shame.

A great film. The idea of Will Smith and Matt Damon golfing together sounds more like an awful comedy. Caddy Shack 3 crosses my mind lol! The Legend of Bagger Vance is a great film on several fronts. The characters are well developed. Will Smith plays an honest/mysterious character. Matt Damon's excellent performance of a man with many inner demons, who hides from others. The other supporting characters around the golf community build on the story and create a positive spirit towards the story's climax of the golf tournament. The director blends an entertaining story with social messages. Can Damon win the golf tournament, and inspire people? Sportsmanship, professionalism, doing the right thing, and having ethics is spun as the characters develop. The Legend of Bagger Vance explains the mystery of the Will Smith's character. Inspiring, and entertaining. I give The Legend of Bagger Vance a par 8 out of 10.

This could have been a better movie, but this cast doesn't pull it off. Will Smith will never be an actor, only a personality, yet we keep seeing him foisted on audiences. His portrayal of a mystical golf guru coming out of nowhere is simply not believable. Matt Damon and Charlize Theron have a fair amount of talent, but this movie does not bring it out of them. Their characters act like stock characters out of central casting, and the result is a boring, plodding film in which you can't wait to reach the end. The film is well done on the technical end with beautiful scenes of the golf course and surrounding areas, but that does not make up for a poor script and uninspired acting. Not one of Redford's best efforts, as I've seen much better from him in the past and know he can do better.

This is a movie I very much like, and last evening as I was watching it for maybe the 4th time I tried to focus on why it wasn't more popular. I think what it comes down to is that there's an awfully lot of time in the movie spent on the course...so if you're not a golfer or not "into" golf, that might bore you. And I tried to compare that in my mind with films about other sports, and it seems to me there is much more time spent on the links here, than might be spent on the diamond for most baseball films or on the field for most football films.Having said that, there are few things I would complain about regarding this film...but then again, I like gold. It does seem to me that some hint of Bagger in the climactic WWI scenes would have helped tie the film together. And visually realizing at the end of the film that Bagger has not aged, even though it is 60 years later would have been helpful...again to tie the beginning and end of the film together.In terms of performances here, I was impressed, and here's why: yes, we can get a sense of whether someone is a truly good actor in an action pic, but what can they do in a serious film? And, with the exception of "Six Degrees Of Separation" (in which he had a supporting role), this was Will Smith's first serious film...and he comported himself very well. Matt Damon had less to prove here, having been in a number of serious films, but he also does very well here in a role where in various scenes he has to be very up or very down...and he balances it all pretty well. Similarly Charlize Theron continued her series of fine performances here...certainly one of our most stunningly beautiful actresses. Bruce McGill as Walter Hagen is wonderful, and he is a supporting actor I have come to have a great deal of respect for. Joel Gretsch is equally good as Bobby Jones, and I'm surprised we don't see him in more feature films, although he is quite active in television. J. Michael Moncrief as the young Hardy Greaves...well, I had mixed feelings here...a little uneven...but pretty good. And of course, it was nice to see an ailing (both in the film and in real life) Jack Lemmon. Lane Smith a newspaper man was also a welcome addition to the film, although his role was not overly substantial here.My guess is that if you really "get" the psyche of golf, you'll love this movie. If you don't, there may be parts that bore you, but you can still enjoy some very fine performances. But make no mistake...this is a "serious" film.