Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5124 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-02-11
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 121 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on the bestselling novel by Steven Pressfield, The Legend of Bagger Vance is a beguiling addition to the tiny genre of feel-good mystical sports movies. In Georgia at the height of the Depression, Adele Invergordon (Charlise Theron) organises a golf tournament to publicise her inherited luxury hotel/golf course. Taking part are two genuine golf stars of the period, together with one-time Southern sporting hero, Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon). Shattered by the Great War, Junuh has retreated into a bottle and it is up to a local boy, Hardy Greaves (an excellent J Michael Moncrief making his screen debut, and as an old man Jack Lemmon in his final film) and caddy Bagger Vance (Will Smith) to help him find his lost swing.

Though it is never made explicit, Vance is an angel and the film is really about redemption, the golf scenes being a not exactly subtle metaphor for life itself. Some may find it corny and unoriginal; the movie has much in common with director Robert Redford's own The Natural (1984) as well as Heaven Can Wait (1978) and Field of Dreams (1989). Yet after a clunky opening Bagger Vance finds its swing and proves a delightful light romantic drama, with gorgeous cinematography, fine performances and a wonderful score by Rachel Portman.

On the DVD: The Legend of Bagger Vance on disc has an anamorphic transfer of the original 1.85-1 image, and though a little dark is very sharp and filled with detail and vibrant colours. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound does everything expected, being atmospheric and showcasing the score to good effect. Extras are a four-minute interview with Robert Redford and a three-minute "featurette" which is really an extended trailer to complement the teaser and conventional trailer also included. There are several pages of electronic press kit production notes, and biographies and filmographies of 18 of the film's stars and production personnel. As Redford believes commentaries and in-depth behind the scenes features ruin the magic of the movies this is as extensive a collection as is likely to appear. Finally there is a truly appalling trailer for the DVD of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. --Gary S Dalkin

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Featurette - Insight into the Legend of Bagger Vance
'Making of' Featurette
Robert Redford Film Trailers: The Legend of Bagger Vance, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Production Notes
Cast and Crew Biographies

Language: English, Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing
1.85:1 widescreen 16:9 version

Synopsis
THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, based on the book of the same title by Steve Pressfield, uses golf as the basis for this spiritual tale of friendship, self-discovery, and faith. His incredible prowess at the game of golf makes young Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) the pride of Savannah, Georgia in 1916. When Junuh enlists and is sent overseas to fight in World War I, the reality of war proves too much for him. Rather than return to Savannah a broken man, he simply disappears, much to the dismay of his girlfriend, feisty socialite Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron). When Junuh finally does return to Savannah in 1931, he is coerced into representing his hometown in a golf tournament against legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. But Junuh has lost his swing, and only begins to find it again with the help of Bagger Vance (Will Smith), a mysterious drifter who appears out of the night and offers his services as a caddy. Ultimately, Vance is a spiritual force, teaching Junuh not only about the game, but also about life in this beautifully filmed work directed by Robert Redford (ORDINARY PEOPLE, THE HORSE WHISPERER). Jack Lemmon narrates and makes a brief appearance in the film.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful movie, touching and mysterious.
One of the very many questions asked.... who is Bagger Vance?? A guardian angel, or just some gifted bloke? I love this movie; the story is wonderful, and the starring roles are played by some of the best.
The picture and sound is of a high quality, and I can still watch it over and over again, glued to my chair, as if watching it for the very first time.
Matt Damon plays Mr. Junah, a golfing champion who returns from the first World War a changed man, a man without his swing. When Bagger Vance (Smith) appears from nowhere and helps him find it, Junah also finds his old self, and confronts his fears of the past.
It really is a remarkable and special film, one that should be seen by all.
I'm still asking mysef.......who is Bagger Vance?? I hope you enjoy it; I know I did.

IT DON'T MEAN A THING, IF YOU AIN'T GOT THAT SWING...
This is a feel good movie, about a young World War I veteran and former golf pro, Randolph Junah (Matt Damon), from Savannah, Georgia, who is inveigled by his former girlfriend (Charlize Theron) to come out of obscurity and retirement to participate in a golf tournament with two legendary golfers, so that she can save her now deceased father's beautiful golf resort, from those salivating to buy it out from under her, during the great depression.

Initially, Junah refuses, and the reason for the refusal is that he simply has lost his swing. A Deus Ex Machina now enters in the guise of Bagger Vance, charmingly played by Will Smith. Vance simply appears one night while Junah is out on his lawn trying out his swing. Vance persuades him to enter the tournament and offers to be his caddy. A deal is struck.

Junah enters the golf tournament, and as it progresses he gets better. He delves more deeply into himself under the gentle encouragement of Bagger Vance in order to find his "authentic" swing and, ultimately, finds a lot more. This movie does for golf, what "Field of Dreams" did for baseball.

The movie is narrated by Jack Lemmon who, as a young boy (J. Michael Moncrief) during the tournament, saw Junah transform himself under the guidance of Bagger Vance. It is the on screen Jack Lemmon who is summoned by Bagger Vance into the sunset at the end of the film. Just who was Bagger Vance? I say he was the proverbial guardian angel. Viewers, however, will differ on just who they think Bagger Vance really was.

The flaw in the movie is that it is like a Hallmark Card movie in that it sugarcoats everything and paints the past in a somewhat unrealistic manner. Here, a diverse population is depicted as mingling together in a most collegial fashion. Quite frankly, I doubt that in reality African-Americans found life with Southern Whites to be quite so collegial or congenial as depicted in the film. Then again, this is not a movie about race relations, but rather a movie about that which was lost and is now found. A sort of "Amazing Grace" theme.

Still, this is an entertaining film that is in reality a fable for grownups. It is well worth watching.

One of the best films that has ever been...or ever will be.
I watch a lot of films including things such as The Sixth Sense and The Green Mile. However this film is just as good as any of those two and deserves to be one of the classics. When Bagger Vance (Will Smith) helps a past golf champion (Matt Damon) to find his swing after fighting in the war I was on the edge of my seat. When I first heard that this was a film about golf I almost had second thoughts about watching it. Thank god I did! With an inspirational script and soundtrack this is a film that everyone should watch!