It is the fourth highest-grossing golf film of all time. It ranks seventh on IMDB among the best golf movies. It stars three major Hollywood actors – Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Will Smith – and a renowned director, Robert Redford.
And on November 3, 2024, “The Legend of Bagger Vance” will celebrate its 24th anniversary.
Released in theaters just after Halloween in 2000, the film earned 3 ½ stars from film critic Roger Ebert, who wrote:
Robert Redford’s “The Legend of Bagger Vance” could be a film about prayer, music or math, because it’s really about finding peace with what you do best. Most of the film is about an epic golf tournament, but it’s not a sports film in the conventional sense. It’s the first Zen film about golf.
When and where does the film take place?
The film takes place in Savannah, Georgia, in 1931, two years after the start of the country’s depression. Theron plays Adele, the daughter of a man who builds a golf course but then goes bankrupt and commits suicide. Facing financial difficulties herself, Adele organizes a $10,000 golf tournament and invites Bobby Jones (played by Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (played by Bruce McGill). She also entices local golf legend Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon’s character) to enter the competition. He was the best golfer in the Savannah area before leaving for World War I and coming back broken.
Where was the film filmed?
The Legend of Bagger Vance was filmed at the Colleton River Club in South Carolina. THE golf website notes that “Coleton River was noted for its classic, iconic courses and Lowcountry scenery.” Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course was also used in the film.
Trivia about the Legend of Bagger Vance
Matt Damon had no golf experience; he spent a month with golf pro Tim Moss in Hilton Head, South Carolina, to prepare for the role.
The film’s cast includes four Academy Award winners: Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Jack Lemmon. This was also the last film in which Lemmon appeared. He died on June 27, 2001, approximately eight months after the film’s release.
The last hole is actually not real. At a cost of $200,000, this project was temporary, as the filmmakers tried not to disrupt the club’s activities.
How much money did the legend of Bagger Vance make?
The highest-grossing golf films by box office revenue:
-
Tin Cup (1996) – $54 million
-
Happy Gilmore (1996) – $41 million
-
Caddyshack (1980) – $39 million
-
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) – $30 million
-
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) – $15 million
This article was originally published on Golfweek: Fun Facts About the Golf Movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance”
