Watch trailer for The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance

2000, Drama, 2h 6m

130 Reviews 50,000+ Ratings

What to know

Despite the talent involved in The Legend of Bagger Vance, performances are hindered by an inadequate screenplay full of flat characters and bad dialogue. Also, not much happens, and some critics are offended by how the film glosses over issues of racism. Read critic reviews

The Revengers' Comedies poster image

The Revengers' Comedies

The Heart of Christmas poster image

The Heart of Christmas

A Dog of Flanders poster image

A Dog of Flanders

Company Man poster image

Prefontaine poster image

Rent/buy

Rent/buy

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

The Legend of Bagger Vance Videos

The Legend of Bagger Vance: Trailer 1 photo 1

The Legend of Bagger Vance: Trailer 1

View all videos

The Legend of Bagger Vance Photos

Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH, center) and Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON, right) take heart as Junuh's game steadily improves. photo 1

Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH) agrees to hire young Hardy Greaves (J. MICHAEL MONCRIEF) as Rannulph Junuh's forecaddie. photo 2

Director ROBERT REDFORD demonstrates a golf swing for stars (left to right) MATT DAMON, WILL SMITH and J. MICHAEL MONCRIEF on the set. photo 3

Director ROBERT REDFORD (right) confers with star WILL SMITH on the set. photo 4

The mysterious caddie named Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH, left) hands a club to Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON, right) for the shot that will decide more than the match. photo 5

The mysterious caddie named Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH, left) helps golfer Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON, right) decide his next move with the help of his young protégé Hardy (J. MICHAEL MONCRIEF). photo 6

Hardy Greaves (J. MICHAEL MONCRIEF) goes looking for Rannulph Junuh to ask him to represent Savannah in a once-in-a-lifetime golf match. photo 7

Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON) returns to Savannah an unassuming solitary figure who bears little resemblance to the hero who went off to war. photo 8

J. Michael Moncrief as Hardy Greaves in Dreamworks' The Legend of Bagger Vance photo 9

Bagger Vance (Will Smith) offers advice about more than the game to young golfer Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon, right) with the help of his young protege Hardy (J. Michael Moncrief, left). photo 10

Hardy (J. Michael Moncrief) helps Rannulph (Matt Damon) realize that the rhythm of the game is a lot like the rhythm of life. photo 11

Joel Gretsch, Matt Damon and Bruce McGill in Dreamworks' The Legend of Bagger Vance photo 12

Bagger Vance (WILL SMITH, right) advises golfer Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON, left) during a once-in-a-lifetime match against the greatest golfers of the day. photo 13

Director ROBERT REDFORD watches a scene on the set. photo 14

Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON) explains the progression of getting drunk to young Hardy Greaves. photo 15

JOEL GRETSCH stars as legendary golfer Bobby Jones. photo 16

After years of separation, Adele Invergordon (CHARLIZE THERON) and Rannulph Junuh (MATT DAMON) share a bittersweet dance. photo 17

MATT DAMON stars as Rannulph Junuh. photo 18

Adele Invergordon (CHARLIZE THERON) uses all her charms to convince the greatest golfers of the day to compete in a once-in-a-lifetime match to save her late-father's dream resort. photo 19

BRUCE McGILL stars as the great golf champion Walter Hagen. photo 20

View all photos

Movie Info

During the Great Depression, Georgia socialite Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron) announces a publicity-garnering high-stakes match at her struggling family golf course, featuring the greatest golfers of the era. Once-promising local golfer Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), whose career and life were derailed by World War I, is brought in to play alongside the stars, but his game is weak -- until the enigmatic Bagger Vance (Will Smith) offers to coach him back into the great golfer he once was.

Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Director: Robert Redford
Producer: Jake Eberts, Michael Nozik, Robert Redford
Writer: Steven Pressfield, Jeremy Leven
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 2000 wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 7, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.7M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks SKG
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Will Smith

Bagger Vance

Matt Damon

Rannulph Junuh

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron

Adele Invergordon

Bruce McGill

Walter Hagen

Joel Gretsch

Bobby Jones

Lane Smith

Grantland Rice

Critic Reviews for The Legend of Bagger Vance

All Critics (130) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (74)

Full Review… David Ansen Newsweek

Full Review… Nell Minow Common Sense Media

Full Review… Peter Rainer New York Magazine/Vulture

Full Review… Peter Travers Rolling Stone

Full Review… George Perry BBC.com

Full Review… Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News

Full Review… Jim Lane Sacramento News & Review

Full Review… Joe Lozito Big Picture Big Sound

Full Review… Michael Dequina Film Threat

Full Review… Judith Egerton Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

Full Review… Susan Tavernetti Palo Alto Weekly

Full Review… John R. McEwen Film Quips Online

View All Critic Reviews (130)

Audience Reviews for The Legend of Bagger Vance

Jun 13, 2013

This is one of those films where every critic has enjoyed it, but it fails to truly capture your imagination. The film is good and is entertaining, but it falls short of what it could have been a truly engaging experience. The movie is directed by Robert Redford who crafts a film that relies on traditional feel good elements to make a film that work, but falls short of its potential. The cast do what they can with the material and they make it a worthwhile film to watch. The plot is quite good, but at times it just becomes too sentimental. Some may really love it, and relate to the material, but I felt it tried too hard in being something more. With that being said, this is not a masterwork by any means. It's a good film, but one that should have been much better due to the fact that it had an impressive cast of talent, not to mention it was directed by Robert Redford. I expected much more from this film, and though it's entertaining, it becomes a film that should been much more. If the script would have had a few rewrites, then maybe this one would have worked in the way it should have. As it is, it's a film that is too sentimental and tries too hard at making you feel good, while it should do it effortlessly. The film is no different than others in the genre. Average entertainment, but is not a standout and leaves you wanting more out of a film. The Legend of Bagger Vance is worth seeing, but by the times the credit roll, you realize that you want more in a film with this amount of talent involved.

Super Reviewer
Jan 04, 2012

The Zegend of Bagger Vance is not a very good or memorable film.

Super Reviewer
Jul 09, 2011

Boring and terribly long

Super Reviewer
Feb 14, 2010

This movie just touches a nerve about life and how we sometimes get lost and need to find our way back. The three leads (Matt Damon as Junuh, Will Smith as Bagger, and Charlize Theron as the sparkling and feisty genteel Southern Belle) did a god job. A brilliant performance by a man who helps and guides another man through his problems in life in which his only reward is to see the other man better off. Robert Redford uses golf as a metaphor for life and knows how to show the extraordinary in ordinary lives and that touches your very soul leaving you optimistic and happy for the rest of the day! It is an incredible movie and does not require the viewer to be an avid golfer!

Super Reviewer

See All Audience reviews