The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

A down-and-out golfer attempts to recover his game and his life with help from a mystical caddy.

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

Steven Pressfield (novel), Jeremy Leven (screenplay)

Stars:

Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron

2 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Smith	...	Bagger Vance
Matt Damon	...	Rannulph Junuh
Charlize Theron	...	Adele Invergordon
Bruce McGill	...	Walter Hagen
Joel Gretsch	...	Bobby Jones
J. Michael Moncrief	...	Hardy Greaves
Peter Gerety	...	Neskaloosa
Lane Smith	...	Grantland Rice
Michael O'Neill	...	O.B. Keeler
Thomas Jay Ryan	...	Spec Hammond
Trip Hamilton	...	Frank Greaves
Dermot Crowley	...	Dougal McDermott
Harve Presnell	...	John Invergordon
Danny Nelson	...	McManus
Bob Penny	...	Laidlaw

Storyline

A disillusioned war veteran, Captain Rannulph Junuh, reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. He finds the game futile until his caddy, Bagger Vance, teaches him the secret of the authentic golf stroke which turns out also to be the secret to mastering any challenge and finding meaning in life.

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Plot Keywords:

magical negro stereotype | female removes her clothes | golf | golfer | caddy | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

La légende de Bagger Vance

Filming Locations:

Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,516,712, 5 November 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$30,695,227, 5 January 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox,DreamWorks,Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX SDDS DTS-ES

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brad Pitt was offered the role of Rannulph Junuh but turned it down.

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Goofs

When Bagger is instructing Junuh about "The Field", (Second Round, first day) he hands him a ball on a red tee. The tee is a plastic one. (Note the shape of the tee having a notch for fingers, rather than a single surface tee). At that era the tees were all wood. Plastic tees were not introduced to the game until almost the year 2000.

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Quotes

Adele Invergordon: Oh, Jesus. I've died and gone to hell.

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Crazy Credits

The DreamWorks logo, the 20th Century Fox logo, and the opening credits are all silent when the film opens, except for the sound of the wind and crickets of the golf course.

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Connections

Referenced in Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser (2015)

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Soundtracks

In Paradisium
from "Requiem, op. 48"
Written by Gabriel Fauré

User Reviews

Guess I was just in the mood

Maybe it was because I had a hard week at work. Maybe it was because I just needed something to make me feel good. I don't know. I can't pinpoint it, but for some reason I really liked this movie. Sure it was manipulative, and sure it tried it's best to make you feel all mushy inside, but you know what...I guess I was just in the mood for that, and this movie hit the spot last Friday night. From a cinematography stand point the movie is beautiful. Redford is known for this trait, and indeed has directed some of the most beautiful movies ever made (A River Runs Through It, The Milagro Beanfield War, The Horse Whisperer). He just chooses some very beautiful scenery and runs with it. However, besides the scenery, the movie seemed to flow like a steady river. The acting was superb (even Smith's subdued Bagger), and the story was interesting. I like golf, so maybe that helped, but I do think that anyone can enjoy this movie. You just have to let yourself like it.