Seven Days in Utopia (2011)

After a disastrous debut on the pro circuit, a young golfer finds himself unexpectedly stranded in Utopia, Texas and welcomed by an eccentric rancher.

Director:

Matthew Dean Russell

Writers:

David L. Cook (screenplay), Rob Levine (screenplay)

Stars:

Lucas Black, Robert Duvall, Melissa Leo

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Duvall	...	Johnny Crawford
Lucas Black	...	Luke Chisholm
Melissa Leo	...	Lily
Deborah Ann Woll	...	Sarah
Brian Geraghty	...	Jake
Kathy Baker	...	Mabel
Joseph Lyle Taylor	...	Martin Chislom
Jerry Ferrara	...	Joe Buckner
K.J. Choi	...	Tae Kwon Oh
Robert Bear	...	Chuck
Josh Painting	...	Duane
Brandel Chamblee	...	Self
Kelly Tilghman	...	Self (as Kelly Ann Tilghman)
Ezra Proch	...	Young Luke
Dora Madison	...	Luke's Sister (as Madison Burge)

Storyline

Luke is a young up-and-coming golfer. His father has pushed him to succeed on the green his entire life. After finally hitting rock bottom, he runs from his circumstances and his past and meets a man who took the time to care, Johnny Crawford. Johnny continues to surprise Luke at every turn, as he tries to help him bury his past and uncover the key to his future.

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Plot Keywords:

golfer | golf movie | ranch | golf | place name in title | 

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Taglines:

Life is never the same once you've been to Utopia.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

K.J. Choi's (Tae Kwon Oh's) film debut.

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Goofs

When Johnny rides up on Luke's wreck, there are tapaderos on his stirrups. After he is off his horse, asking Luke if he's O.K., the tapaderos are gone.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Johnny Crawford: How can a game have such an effect on a man's soul? The way I see it, how can it not? You don't chose the game, it choses you. And when it does, life and golf become forever connected. That's how it was for a young man named Luke Chisholm.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.110 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Grab Your Partner
Written by Duff L
Performed by Baby Al and The Capps

User Reviews

Great message and Duvall is wonderful as always

A perfect case of a message adding up to more than presentation in film terms. The story itself sags often, is corny and there is actually limited emotional connection despite the attempt at playing heavily in to character development. Three things elevate this movie to above average for me. One, Robert Duvall... that guy is a treat to watch in just about any performance. Two, I love the game of golf. Finally, the message of altering and living life on your own terms with faith and conviction resonates in a big way. I really loved this line from Duvall's grace before his meal... "Thank You for faith in a world filled with fear."

When reading certain reviews and seeing how many hate filled people attack any film with any type of religious message it helps to remember just how much they are lashing out in fear. Lack of true faith makes all people truly miserable eventually (and afraid) because they have nothing to truly strive for and will always be haunted by their own mortality. We all know misery loves company. They want to drag down and insult those who have a chance at peace. That in and of itself is quite sad.

Regardless, this movie is NOT a pure religious film at all. It's a story about golf and struggling to better oneself by prioritizing what is really important in life.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seven Days in Utopia

Filming Locations:

Fredericksburg, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,316,910, 4 September 2011

Gross USA:

$4,373,074

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,373,074

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prospect Park, Utopia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1