The Legend of Bagger Vance is an unforgettable feel-good movie that will appeal to anyone.
Have you seen The Legend of Bagger Vance? I saw it again recently and loved it. It’s perfect for lifting your spirits and inspiring you to go after your dreams. The movie takes place in Savannah, Georgia during the Great Depression. It’s a tale of hero worship, love, and coming back from adversity. And it’s told by a talented preteen named Hardy Greaves, played by J. Michael Moncrief.
Adele Invergordon, played by the gorgeous Charlize Theron, is in serious financial trouble after her father dies and she inherits a one-of-a kind golf course and resort built before the Depression. With creditors barking at her heels, she dreams up a golf competition to save the course and revitalize Savannah in the process. Using her intelligence, feminine charm, and beauty, she convinces the two best golfers in the country to compete. But the Savannah powers-that-be won’t let the competition take place unless she can find one of their own, a native from Savannah, to also play in the tournament.
Hardy Greaves, listening in at the town meeting, decides he will run to Rannulph Junuh, played by Matt Damon, to try to convince him to compete. Unfortunately, Junah lost most of his platoon of men during the war and returned to Savannah with classic post traumatic stress disorder. It seems he passes the time trying to drink away his memories, wanting nothing to do with golf.
Hardy tries to convince Junah to pick up where he left off and so does Adele—she and Junuh had enjoyed a red hot love affair before the war. After he tries to convince them that he’s lost his “authentic swing” Bagger Vance, played by Will Smith, appears out of the ethers, eventually becoming Junuh’s caddy (with Hardy’s help). Will Smith, is compelling, confounding, and a clever sage in poor man’s clothing. It seems he arrives just in time to help restore Junah’s faith in life, the game of golf, and love.
Robert Redford directed the movie. And although it’s about a golf tournament, the sport is used more as allegory than a literal account of the game. Plus, as they say in the movie, golf is really a game you play against yourself — and that’s a universal theme a lot of us struggle with. Believe me, you can still thoroughly enjoy this movie if you’ve never played or dislike the game of golf. I also suggest you watch Robert Redford’s comments about myth and storytelling—a lyrical practice not often seen in today’s movies.
Plus this movie is beautiful. From the scenery to the gorgeous clothes that Charlize Theron wears, it’s a feast for the eyes and the soul. It’s a timeless story about restoring harmony to your life regardless of your past. All in all, The Legend of Bagger Vance is an unforgettable feel-good movie that will appeal to anyone.
