The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

43% of critics liked it
(129 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(48,740 ratings)

Robert Redford directed this adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield that uses golf as a metaphor for one man's spiritual and philosophical journeys. Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) was a gifted amateur golfer from Savannah, GA, until traumatic experiences during World War I shattered his confidence… More Robert Redford directed this adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield that uses golf as a metaphor for one man's spiritual and philosophical journeys. Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) was a gifted amateur golfer from Savannah, GA, until traumatic experiences during World War I shattered his confidence and sent him into a spiral of alcoholism. In 1931, Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron), a beautiful heiress who once loved Junuh, inherits a spectacular but financially ailing golf course after the suicide of her father. To attract customers, she proposed a high-stakes match between the two most famous golfers of the day, Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Local businessmen sponsoring the match insist that a local golfer be added to the card, and Junuh is drafted for the position, but it soon becomes obvious that his game is just a shadow of its former glory. When things seem hopeless, a mysterious gentleman named Bagger Vance (Will Smith) volunteers to serve as Junuh's caddy and coach, using a mixture of ancient wisdom and past-life knowledge to help Junah "remember" the swing he's lost. Jack Lemmon narrates the story, and J. Michael Moncrief plays Lemmon's character as a boy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: Robert Redford
Written By: Richard LaGravenese, Jeremy Leven
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Nov 3, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Apr 3, 2001
Studio: DreamWorks SKG

Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Another lusciously produced, emotionally clammy Redford enterprise -- forced, phony mythmaking filled with tinged sunsets and full moons.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
The men and women inhabiting this motion pictures are types, ciphers, and mouthpieces for slogans, not individuals we can believe in and care for.
Robert Horton, Film.com
Leaves an impression like dew on a fairway: pretty to look at, and very quickly gone.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
Supernatural is not much better than subhuman: Hollywood is still, in the year 2000, disinclined to let black actors play human beings.
Peter Brunette, Film.com
Redford should have spent more time thinking about his characters than about the meaning of it all.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It handles a sports movie the way Billie Holiday handled a trashy song, by finding the love and pain beneath the story.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Some people will find it simplistic and cliched.
Michael Dequina, Film Threat
Benign, banal, and sometimes boring inspirational drama.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
Accepting the zen of golf is easy. It's The Legend of Bagger Vance and a callow Will Smith as a mystical golf guru that's hard to swallow.
Susan Tavernetti, Palo Alto Weekly
Instead of taking on a life of its own, Redford's film reminds you of ones you've seen before. Legends deserve better.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
The movie does contain some heartfelt performances.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Sit this one out. Please.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Uplifting feel-good drama from director Robert Redford - chock-full of flaws and easy to criticize, but nonetheless enjoyable.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Eastern theology suffers the same fate as Western theology in today's Hollywood, which gave God a minimal role in The Prince of Egypt.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... most decidedly a fantasy, and the rules for fantasy are that the controlling intelligence behind the fantasy gets to change the rules at any time
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Robert Redford's beguiling drama reminds us even the most hopeless causes can be turned around through the power of positive thinking and perserverance, if we're willing to embrace the possibility of success instead of the probability of failure.
Luis Martinez, Cinenganos
La cinta es melosa en grado superlativo, sin embargo tiene momentos emotivos que encantarán al auditorio (me incluyo, me incluyo).

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

completely absurd, but a guilty pleasure of mine. smith and damon played off of each other so well and theron has never been sexier in a film, really a silly but fun movie.
Conner R

Extremely bland even for it being a golf movie. The acting was just average, no one gave a standout performance. Robert Redford really tried here, but it just didn't pan out. There just wasn't a strong enough story to carry a movie. It's also incredibly corny at times.
Wahida K

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

Like many movies that have come before it, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" succeeds in being a great sports movie with a much deeper overall meaning. Mr. Junuh (Matt Damon) has had great times in the past by being the most promising young golfer of his time and making a… More
Like many movies that have come before it, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" succeeds in being a great sports movie with a much deeper overall meaning. Mr. Junuh (Matt Damon) has had great times in the past by being the most promising young golfer of his time and making a classic shot that everybody remembers him by. He had also found the love of his life in Adele (Charlize Theron). It seems his destiny to lead his city, Savannah, Georgia, in a terrible war that will be followed by The Great Depression. After the war is over, things could either go right or wrong for Junah; it's his choice. He can pick up where he left off with his girlfriend and his golf game, or he can forget the whole thing. When a golf tournament is announced, Junah can either make the choice to find the unbelievable golf swing he once had and make himself and everybody else proud, or he can stay down and depressed in his current after-war syndrome. Again, it's his choice. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a great movie by one of the best directors, Robert Redford. It tells the story of ups and downs of a great citizen in a realistic manner, and it's a great movie for golfers and non-golfing fans to see. Everybody in the movie does a great job of acting, namely Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and Will Smith, who plays the role of the great Bagger Vance, who is a GREAT teacher and enthusiast in the game of golf, and life. Not to mention that the late, great Jack Lemmon provides the voice for Hardy, the boy through which the story is told throughout the movie. Apart from the acting and directing, the script is the best asset of the movie; pay attention while you watch it and you'll see what I mean. Anybody can do anything they set their mind to. If you let your struggles, especially the ones in your past, rule your mind and take a hold of not only your mind, but take YOU over, things might not turn out like you want them to. That is only one of the great messages that "The Legend of Bagger Vance" promotes. Just take my advice and give "The Legend of Bagger Vance" a chance, even if you don't like golfing (I'm not a huge fan of the sport myself), because it is a truly great movie about not only golf, but life. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2002.
Jason S

I kinda liked it. I don't know if I'll ever watch it again but it was a decent watch.
Bobby H

Golf happens to be the most boring sport you can watch on television, but in the form of a movie with a cast featuring Will Smith and Matt Damon it's pretty damn entertaining! It's not very often I find a movie that I truly like to sit through and am captivated by the… More
Golf happens to be the most boring sport you can watch on television, but in the form of a movie with a cast featuring Will Smith and Matt Damon it's pretty damn entertaining! It's not very often I find a movie that I truly like to sit through and am captivated by the words and pictures through out the film, but this movie done it for me. Surprisenly enough because I thought for sure it would not - I only watched because of the big names, and they delivered as always. Matt Damon, Will Smith, and Charlize theron had amazing performances... The director done great with the 30's theme going on surrounding the war and the depression. This movie was an escape, a little peice of heaven in a world surrounding that is hell. It's a reminder of what each and everyone of us face today in today's new age of war and economic problems - it's very inspirational and reminds you that the little things like a simple game, golf, can truly be life altering in times of hardship. Perfect movie for anyone, even those that hate Golf.
Daniel J D

Cute little movie... Almost like a serious treatment of Happy Gilmore with a pretty decent cast.
Red L

This film is set up as an inspirational film. It works quite well that way. However, it is just golf!
Al S

A masterpiece. Brilliant, compelling and inspiring. One of Robert redford's finest films. It's powerful, moving and breathtaking. A piece of movie magic straight from heaven. Matt Damon is magnificent. Will Smith is extroadinary.
Leigh R

It was okay.
Michael G

Just okay.
Bradley W

The Zegend of Bagger Vance is not a very good or memorable film.
Deb S

This movie just touches a nerve about life and how we sometimes get lost and need to find our way back. The three leads (Matt Damon as Junuh, Will Smith as Bagger, and Charlize Theron as the sparkling and feisty genteel Southern Belle) did a god job. A brilliant performance by a man… More
This movie just touches a nerve about life and how we sometimes get lost and need to find our way back. The three leads (Matt Damon as Junuh, Will Smith as Bagger, and Charlize Theron as the sparkling and feisty genteel Southern Belle) did a god job. A brilliant performance by a man who helps and guides another man through his problems in life in which his only reward is to see the other man better off. Robert Redford uses golf as a metaphor for life and knows how to show the extraordinary in ordinary lives and that touches your very soul leaving you optimistic and happy for the rest of the day! It is an incredible movie and does not require the viewer to be an avid golfer!
Mike T

A safe, formulaic, but downright loveable film that you will love if you simply allow yourself to. The cinematography is beautiful and the story is enthralling, no matter how many times it's been told.
Marcus W

Although Redford is an excellent director, this film was underwhelming and forgettable. Matt Damon has been forever ruined for me by Team America, and Will Smith seems to be standing in until Morgan Freeman arrives to do the role properly. The whole "finding yourself" spiel… More
Although Redford is an excellent director, this film was underwhelming and forgettable. Matt Damon has been forever ruined for me by Team America, and Will Smith seems to be standing in until Morgan Freeman arrives to do the role properly. The whole "finding yourself" spiel is overplayed and becomes melodramatic at times, and the only other reason Junuh has for winning the tournament is to make the townspeople feel better about themselves for a while. It's not a bad film per say, but I hugely recommend Seabiscuit over this. Hugely.
Sarah P

I love both Matt Damon and Will Smith, but I didn't think this movie was anything special. I could go without it.
Richard F

An underrated film. This is the "Field of Dreams" for golf. Having an emotional connection to golf will certainly enhance viewing pleasure, but it is not a prerequisite. The strength of the film lies not in the aspect of golf so much as it is about finding your true self.… More
An underrated film. This is the "Field of Dreams" for golf. Having an emotional connection to golf will certainly enhance viewing pleasure, but it is not a prerequisite. The strength of the film lies not in the aspect of golf so much as it is about finding your true self. Fans of "Peaceful Warrior" will enjoy this. The film certainly has its share of problems, but my chief criticism is the deviation from the book, which offers better perspective and a more cleverly wrapped theme .
Kevin L

A bit dull at times. Dont bother.