The Legend of Bagger Vance

viewed November 25, 2000 at Lincoln Center Cinemas   Full Details

Ridiculous. Even if one can get past the unbelievable conceit of a black man being allowed to caddy on a Georgian golf course in the 1930s (when even today there are some golf courses that will not permit Tiger Woods to play), there's little to recommend this film. The acting is just there (in the case of Charlize Theron, it's nowhere), the sentiment is sappy, but if these fail to distract, there are some undeniable moments of tranquility, even profundity, to be found on the links, and they are effectively captured by the autumnal cinematography. But even those moments are undercut by the lame attempts by Will Smith's profoundly unprofound voice as he expounds on the zen of the golf ball. For yuppies in mid-life crisis only.

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