|  |  | 
|
A golf movie? Just bag it
By Billy Andrade
Special to Page 2Here's a warning if you're headed to "The Legend of Bagger Vance" because it's a golf movie:
 |
bagger vance |
 |
Don't waste the cash.
Here's a recommendation if you want to sit back and enjoy yourself for a couple of hours:
 | | | Andrade |
Go ahead and buy a ticket.
Bagger Vance isn't about golf, just like "The Natural" wasn't about baseball. But director Robert Redford doesn't fail in bringing Bagger to the screen, just as Barry Levinson didn't fail with his presentation of Roy Hobbs' mythical journey on the diamond.
It's not about sports, it's about relationships. It's about a guy, Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), who is trying to find the man he used to be. It's about overcoming fear and learning to trust again, which, as a professional golfer, is something I suppose I can identify with a little.
Junuh is a one-time stud golfer who loses his game after experiencing some heavy emotional problems during World War I. He reappears in Savannah, Ga., right around the time his former girlfriend Adele (Charlize Theron) needs to save her father's golf resort. She sets up a stakes match between Junuh and golfing legends Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill), a winner-take-all battle with Ryder Cup-like drama.
|  | | As Bagger Vance, Will Smith, left, helps Matt Damon find his "authentic swing." |
Only problem is our guy Rannulph can't find his swing. Enter caddie Bagger Vance (Will Smith), who shows up with a suitcase and plenty of morale-boosting wisdom. The two enter into a partnership that gets pretty deep, but it keeps the audience interested the rest of the way. Theron is great, too. You can't have a big movie in Hollywood without a really good-looking actress running around and making it fun, which is what she does.
Walking out of the theater with a bunch of players, I heard a lot of grumbling. "Man, it was terrible," and "It wasn't realistic." Yep, the golf scenes weren't real golf scenes and you can tell Damon, while a really good actor, isn't bringing much to the course as a player. Like most sports movies, getting the action like it is in real life is pretty tough. Kevin Costner might have looked like a pitcher in "For Love of the Game," but you could tell he wasn't out on the mound throwing heat.
Having a better golfer play Rannulph might have helped some more folks enjoy the movie. Jack Wagner, the guy from "Melrose Place" and "General Hospital," can really play, and he could probably have pulled it off. Other than the golf, I think Damon did a good job. You just wish he could swing a club so you wouldn't have the distraction of thinking "this guy can't play" during the movie.
There is some redeeming golf, though. What is fun to me is seeing Jones and Hagen brought to life. I've read a lot about Hagen and, of course, living in Atlanta I've learned an awful lot about Jones. The two actors did a great job pulling off two legends.
Hagen's swagger and personality really seem to come through. And Jones, well, he comes across as the class act and gentleman everyone says he was, plus Gretsch has a great swing. You can tell he plays in real life. The guy playing Hagen, that guy doesn't play, but it doesn't matter because he does a good job of capturing a character.
The real star is Will Smith, who is awesome as Bagger Vance. His portrayal of the caddie steals the movie as far as I'm concerned. He's a pretty deep thinker for a caddie, but he achieves what the real-life guys carrying the clubs are always after: finding a way to relate to his player, to help him get through the tough times, to help him succeed.
On a scale of one-to-four golf balls, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" gets three from me. Not for the golf, but because it's a fun, feel good movie. If you go in with low expectations, you'll be entertained. If you go in looking for great golf ... well, don't go in looking for great golf.
Billy Andrade is a veteran PGA Tour player and occasional ESPN golf analyst. He has four career wins, including the 2000 Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.
|
|
|
Will Smith tells ESPN's Gary Miller of his heavenly experience playing at Augusta.