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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Drama | Sport

---

Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The second of very few live action films of the 2010s to be Rated G by the MPAA. The previous film (not counting documentaries) had been Ramona and Beezus (2010), and the next 6 films would later be Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011), The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure (2012), A Mermaid's Tale (2017), Bernie The Dolphin (2018), Noelle (2019) and Bernie the Dolphin 2 (2019).

---

Goofs

When Luke lines up for the final putt, he changes putters. As fourteen clubs are the maximum allowed in one player's golf bag during a round played under the Rules of Golf, it would be very unlikely that a professional golfer would carry two putters in the bag in a round.

---

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.

---

Connections

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

---

Soundtracks

Will This End in Tears
Written by Phoebe Hunt
Performed by The Belleville Outfit

User Reviews

Weak

No surprises in this film. Weak storyline filled with religious overtones. Not enough stars or characters to even advertise properly. Melissa Leo has about 10 minutes on screen and is one of three stars listed as major actor. Robert Duvall did a fine job with mediocre script. Constant reference to "God has a plan", leads me to think that Black had a secondary reason for making film. Also, seeing him listed as executive producer leads me to believe that was the only way for him to get this role! Joseph Lyle Taylor was very bad in role of Luke's overbearing father. Golf scenes were well done, but not enough to save movie.

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