One of my favorite movies of all time is The Legend of Bagger Vance. Directed by Robert Redford based on the novel by Stephen Pressfield and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron. But above all of that, the core of this movie is about redemption and how you have to put some bad experiences behind you to move on and enjoy the future. The Legend of Bagger Vance does this well, and it uses golf as the medium to do it. This movie was never a run away success at the box office, and I admit the first time I saw it, many years ago, I thought it was O.K..
But now when I see it, having my own life colored by the brushes of more life experience, I am moved every time. They did such a great job of capturing the feeling of finding your true self. “your own unique swing”, that if everyone had the depth to truly understand this phrase, our world would be a much better place.
First you have to start with Hardy. The narrater of the story who is just a kid at the time the story starts. He is able to tell the story of Captain Rannulf Junah, the pride of Savannah, Georgia. He was once the greatest golfer in the South, but he volunteered for the army in World War I and tragically every other person in his outfit, all from Savannah, were killed. Junah was the only survivor and his feelings of guilt and remorse haunted him.
“Confused, broken… and unable to face a return to a hero’s welcome… Junuh just disappeared… Hopin to forget… and to be forgotton…”
I have felt like this before and I am sure I am not the only one. When something traumatic happens to you, one of your base instincts is to just hide. That is what Captain Junah was doing.
They haunted him so badly that he even forsook his beautiful fiance’ Adele Invergordon, the daughter of a rich southern gentleman who sank all of his money into Crew Island, the premier golf resort in the south. When the stock market crashed and it appeared like he would lose everything, Adele’s father committed suicide. Leaving Adele to try to save Crew Island and her father’s legacy. She comes up with a scheme to hold a golf match between Bobby Jones and Walter Hagan, at Crew Island for the sum of $10,000. The local officials say there needs to be someone to stand up for Savannah, Hardy suggests Captain Junah, but nobody knows where he is. Hardy does and he sets off to find Junah and drag him out of the past.
Hardy finds Captain Junah drinking and playing cards, and that is where the redemption begins. It starts with the question, “How drunk is drunk enough.” Junah explains: “That’s right Hardy. You see every drink of liquor you take kills a thousand brain cells. Now that doesn’t much matter ‘cos we got billions more. And first the sadness cells die so you smile real big. And then the quiet cells go so you just say everything real loud for no reason at all. That’ok, that’s ok because the stupid cells go next, so everything you say is real smart. And finally, come the memory cells. These are tough sons of bitches to kill. “
Junah is then visited by the townspeople who tell him he is playing in the tournament with Jones and Hagen and then he is visited by Adele herself to try to convince him. He says he isn’t going to play. He swears he has lost his swing. However he gets out his clubs in the middle of the night and starts hitting balls by himself, in the dark, trying to find his swing.
The rest of the story is all about redemption. Junah begins the tournament by getting 12 strokes behind after the first round, but slowly chips away at the lead of Jones and Hagen. Finally in the end it ends up a three way tie. On the way, though, is the part of the story that I like, the meaning of it all. You see, comparing golf to life is pretty simple to do. As Bagger says, “Yeah the rythm of the game just like the rythm of life…” and “What I’m talkin about is a game… A game that can’t be won only played… “
The many ideas of redemption and comebacks allowed this movie to develop into more than it’s parts. There is not great dialogue or character development, if that what you are looking for you need to look somewhere else. What there is here, is a whole lot of meaning and understanding about the game of life.
Many people can and do criticize The Legend of Bagger Vance, but I think it just goes to show their own shortsightedness. If you have been feeling like life has taken a wrong turn for you and you are looking for the road that will lead you back to the light. This movie is for you.
Quotes and thoughts:
This is the climatic conversation between Junah and Bagger where Junah finally faces his demons.
Bagger Vance: What I’m talkin about is a game… A game that can’t be won only played…
Rannulph Junuh: You don’t understand…
Bagger Vance: I don’t need to understand… Ain’t a soul on this entire earth ain’t got a burden to carry he don’t understand, you ain’t alone in that… But you been carryin’ this one long enough… Time to go on… lay it down…
Rannulph Junuh: I don’t know how…
Bagger Vance: You got a choice… You can stop… Or you can start…
Rannulph Junuh: Start?
Bagger Vance: Walkin…
Rannulph Junuh: Where?
Bagger Vance: Right back to wehre you always been… and then stand there… Still… real still… And remember…
Rannulph Junuh: It’s too long ago…
Bagger Vance: Oh no sir it was just a moment ago… Time for you to come on out the shadows Junuh… Time for you to choose…
Rannulph Junuh: I can’t…
Bagger Vance: Yes you can… but you ain’t alone… I”m right here with ya… I’ve been here all along… Now play the game… Your game… The one that only you was meant to play… The one that was given to you when you come into this world… You ready?… Stike that ball Junuh don’t hold nothin back give it everything… Now’s the time… Let yourself remember… Remember YOUR swing… That’s right Junuh, settle yourself… Let’s go… Now is the time, Junuh..
Conversation between Adele and Junah about why he left her.
Adele Invergordon: Ten years and not one single, solitary word from you? You don’t do that to someone you love! I deserve better, I deserve some correspondence of some indication of how you felt! Junuh, I don’t know what happened to you… but whatever it was… it couldn’t have been as unbearable as a woman waitin’ with no end in sight… Wonderin if she’s, remembered or forgotton by the man she loves… You never even said you were sorry… And now I’m supposed to just run into your arms and melt like butter on a hot muffin?
Rannulph Junuh: I’m sorry Adele… I am, truly sorry…
Adele Invergordon: It’s too late for ‘I’m sorry’ Junuh!
Rannulph Junuh: But – Then – Well, tell me what to say… It was too long ago…
Adele Invergordon: No it wasn’t… It was just a moment ago…
When Bagger and Junah met:
Rannulph Junuh: What were you doing out there? I could have killed you.
Bagger Vance: Nah, actually, I positioned myself right in front of you, ’cause from the way your swings were goin’, I figured that was the safest place.
Junah and Bagger during the first round of the tournament:
Rannulph Junuh: This is getting embarassing.
Bagger Vance: Oh no sir, this has been embarassing for quite some time.
