The Legend of Bagger Vance
Director: Robert Redford (2000)
Starring Matt Damon,Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Bruce McGill Jack Lemon, Lane Smith
This film is a very memorable 1920’s timepiece superbly acted by Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. The Legend of Bagger Vance takes liberties of true events and golf superstars of that era, but also gives the viewer a realistic feeling of the era and patriotism. This would also be the final performance of the legend that was Oscar winnerJack Lemon. Robert Redford directed the film and The Legend of Bagger Vance is a fan favorite for golf and other sports.
Rannulph Junuh was the golden boy of Savannah Georgia. He's a championship golfer with a perfect swing. He's in love whith Adele Invergordon, the most beautiful girl in Georgia and admired for his patriotism as he leaves to fight in World War 1 in europe. Junuh comes back 15 years later a changed man who hides away in in his family's home getting drunk every night to numb himself from the war. Juhuh had not seen Adele in years when she came back to his home to ask his help in saving her family golf course with a tournament featuring the 2 best golfers in the world Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. He does, and Junuh reluctantly agrees to play in the big match and struggles in training for the tournament until caddy named Bagger Vance shows up to get Junuh's "Authentic Swing" back and in doing so, the heroic Junuh returns to play like the Junuh of old and his ,Adel's and Savannah's redemption is complete The story is through the eyes of Hardy Greaves, a nine-year old school boy who seems to to be in every major moment in the story. An older version Hardy serves a narrator of of the story. At the end Bagger returns to bring the old Hardy home.
Fun Facts: Originally Robert Redford developed the film for himself as Junuh and Morgan Freeman as Bagger Vance. Years and other projects ensued and Redford realized he had aged himself out of the part and was very happy to produce and direct the film.
The film had an $80M production budget, but originally made only $38M domestically and internationally.
