30 Second Bottom Line: A mysterious caddy and coach changes the life of a would-be golf pro, who has lost his swing after losing his spirit during his days on the battlefield of WWI.
Story Line: Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) and Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) are young lovers whose relationship is interrupted because of the war. Junuh was a young golf pro and legend to be, whose spirit was broken after numerous battlefield horrors in Europe.
Adele's father was a real estate developer, who built a country club and golf course in Savannah, Georgia, of similar quality to Augusta, where the Masters is played. The stock market crash in the late 1920's occurred just as the course opened. Rather than a rush of new members, he had more employees than customers. Unable to pay the huge debts amassed to build the course, he committed suicide.
Adele wants to save the course, and being the gutsy person she is, decides to stage a golf match between the (real life) big names of the day, Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). The local business people are very skeptical that she can get these two to play and even after she does, they want some local representation in the match before they will support it.
Hardy (J. Michael Moncrief) is the young boy who suggests Junuh. He is almost forgotten, except for some phenomenal shots like we've seen from Tiger Woods the last few years. Although Junuh is back in town, he spends his time either drinking, playing cards or both. Hardy and Adele eventually talk the reluctant Junuh into joining the match.
As he practices his swing one evening, literally out of nowhere comes Bagger Vance (Will Smith), the life coach/golf caddy Junuh sorely needs. Hardy learns many lessons in life as he follows Junuh and Bagger. Golf is used as a metaphor for morality and values in how you view and treat others. The search for the authentic swing is the search for your authentic self.
Tell Me More About It: Charlize Theron (like Angela Bassett & Juliette Binoche) is one of the most glamorous women on the screen today. She can play a lead role (Astronaut's Wife) or a supporting one, which adds depth to a film (The Yards, Men of Honor). Here she is the town leader and love interest of Matt Damon.
It takes awhile for the Bagger Vance character to grow on you because Will Smith is playing the role that seems more fitting for an older person like Sean Connery or Morgan Freeman (Deep Impact). Smith brings his own weight to this role as a spiritual guide.
Young teens in particular will learn about the linkage of the rules of golf to those in life. Doing the right thing sometimes means that you do things a certain way because you should, rather than because you may be caught if you don't.
Bagger, of course, brings Junuh out of his golfing funk to challenge Hagen and Jones. As in Redford's A River Runs Through It, this film is somewhat cerebral. It's a little corny but more often than not, life's biggest dramas are not conveyed in car chases, shootings or jumping out of airplanes. It's taking a look at a situation and deciding…that is thinking…. what to do. That's a message that many young people as well as a lot of adults should give some thought to.
DVD