The Legend of Bagger Vance is a 2000 American sports drama film directed by Robert Redford and produced by Michael Nozik, Jake Eberts and Robert Redford. The screenplay was written by Jeremy Leven and is based on the 1995 novel The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life by Steven Pressfield.
Rated: PG-13 (movie contains some sexual content)
Run Time: 2h 6min
Release Date: November 6, 2000 (USA)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sports
Director: Robert Redford
Studio: Dreamworks Pictures
Budget: $80 Million
Box Office: $39.5 Million
Fool’s Gold stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Bruce McGill, Joel Gretsch, J. Michael Moncrief, Peter Gerety, Lane Smith,Carrie Preston and Jack Lemmon.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is the story of Hardy Greaves (Jack Lemmon), an old man having his sixth heart attack while playing golf contemplates how his wife used to ask him why he insisted on playing “a game that seems destined to kill” him. Explaining his love for the game, he begins the story of his childhood idol, Captain Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon).
During the Great Depression, Georgia socialite Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) announces a publicity-garnering high-stakes match play exhibition at her struggling family golf course, featuring the greatest golfers of the era including Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill) and Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch). The townspeople insist on having “one of their own” compete for the grand prize of $10,000 and nominate Rannulph Junuh to represent Savanah. Junuh was one of the best golfers in Savanah but his career and life were derailed by World War I.
Junuh has not touched a club in years and as he dusts off the old sticks he discovers his game is weak and that he lost touch with his swing. As he hits balls into the dark night, seemingly out of nowhere a man walks into his life and changes it forever. The man introduces himself as Bagger Vance (Will Smith) and asks Junuh if he might have something warm to eat and a place to rest his feet. Bagger asks why he is hitting balls so late and Junuh tells him he was asked to play but has lost his ability. Bagger insists he just need to find his swing and offers to Caddy for him and help him regain his “authentic swing“. Junuh agrees to play in the big match and finds his swing and regains his life.
Movie Quotes
“I hear you lost your swing. I guess we got to go find it.” – Bagger Vance
“Interestin’ match.” – Rannulph Junuh
“I’ve always thought so.” – Adele Invergordon
“”See, the trick is… to find your swing.” – Bagger Vance
“What’d you say?” – Rannulph Junuh
“Well you lost your swing… we got to go find it… no it’s somewhere… in the harmony… of all that is… all that was… all that will be.” – Bagger Vance
“Whose out there?” – Rannulph Junuh
“Just me. Just a man trying to find a place to rest his tired feet, taking in some of God’s glory. My what a night!” – Bagger Vance
“I could have killed you out there!” – Rannulph Junuh
“Oh no sir. See. I set myself directly in front of ya. Judging by the way you’d been hitting them balls I figured that’s where I’d be out of harms way.” – Bagger Vance
Official Movie Trailer
Movie Stars
Will Smith as Bagger Vance
Matt Damon as Rannulph Junuh
Charlize Theron as Adele Invergordon
Bruce McGill as Walter Hagen
Joel Gretsch as Bobby Jones
J. Michael Moncrief as Hardy Greaves
Peter Gerety as Neskaloosa
Lane Smith as Grandland Rice
Carrie Preston as Idalyn Greaves
Jack Lemmon as Narrator / Old Hardy Greaves