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The Rice Thresher
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Kevin Cochrane thresher staff Star Rating: 0.5 out of 5.0 Director Robert Redford attempts to arouse public sentiment in his new feature, The Legend of Bagger Vance, an empty and manipulative basin for the maudlin demands of present-day Hollywood. It's supposedly a movie about finding your "authentic swing," about overcoming whatever hindrance that manages to keep an individual from moving forward. It's a movie about the Great Depression, recreated so exactly that the picture lasts longer than the event itself. The film opens in a vehement maelstrom, hastily switching between periods and primary characters. We see the delineation of the hero of Savannah, Ga., local golfing legend Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), and the awe-struck child (J. Michael Moncrief), raised on the tales of the legendary Junuh, and from whose perspective the movie is seen. The film finally settles on the year 1927, with both the protagonist and the surrounding environment in crisis - the former by the atrocities of the war, and the latter by the economic downturn (which the town mayor, in 1927, affectionately calls the Great Depression) following the said conflict. In times of need, people come together, and fortunately enough, Southern belle Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron acting as cloyingly and naturally repulsive as ever) is just the individual needed to reunite the despondent parties. She's the bridge between the two, not only a native of Savannah but also Junuh's former love interest. Adele's father - before taking his own life - creates Krewe Island, a golf resort that becomes the pride and joy of the southern Georgia city even though the residents are unable to take pleasure in the lavish amenities. Hoping to keep the resort afloat, Adele sets up an exhibition golf tournament between two of the world's greatest golfers, Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones, and local hero, Junuh. The only problem is, since returning from the war, Junuh hasn't been able to locate his one true swing. But nevertheless, while Junuh is driving golf balls the evening before the match's commencement, a stranger comes in from the dark and offers his caddy services for the fee of $5 and a pair of shoes. This, of course, is none other than Bagger Vance (Will Smith), the one person who can help locate the lost swing. The remainder of the movie focuses upon the four rounds of the golf tournament, and upon the four particular relationships Junuh attempts to establish or restore - with his caddy, the child, Adele and, of course, himself. Unfortunately, since the only aspect of the movie given any significant attention is the tournament itself, there is no way to remotely care for any single character, and it never once appears that any form of storytelling is actually taking place. In order to compensate for the lack of a script, Redford decides to embellish and leave his stamp at every given opportunity through the use of a poorly chosen musical score, dreary Depression imagery, repeated and ubiquitous dialogue, and the extremely annoying treatment of the local inhabitants with their Newsies-like responses to everything golf-related. Sentimental movies that work - like The Shawshank Redemption, Field of Dreams and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - play extremely well with audiences because the story earns the sentimental conclusion. Otherwise, the audience feels cheated, because the filmmaker decides to take the easy way out by tacking on an ending that doesn't fit with the rest of the picture. In essence, this is the problem with Bagger Vance. There is no story to begin with, so the entire movie feels like one protracted scheming closing sequence where every action and plot twist is telegraphed and nothing feels genuine or heartfelt. The only redeeming quality of this movie is the fact that 20th Century Fox finally chose a film with an appropriate enough movie title and "plot" to make it impossible for Will Smith to create some new hip-hop dance spectacle. Be appreciative of small things, but also away from this movie.
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