Bobby Jones, Stroke Of Genius | ||||
Rowdy Herrington Jim Caviezel, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Northam, Malcolm McDowell, Connie Ray, Brett Rice, Aidan Quinn 2004 |
As methodical and deliberate as a leisurely game on the links, "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius" is a solemn, drawn-out biopic about the great amateur golf champion of the Jazz Age. It putters along from putt to putt, with drives, wedges and unmoving emotional turmoil in between. There are serious pronouncements about the soul of a champion, some liberal hailing of the American hero, blah, blah, blah. Although he plays another legendary figure in "The Passion of the Christ," Jim Caviezel can't do as much with the part of Jones as he does with Jesus. Jones had a comfy Georgia upbringing, wowed the sports world by being the only player to win golf's Grand Slam (the U.S. and British Opens and their amateur equivalents), and never went pro. In a surprise, he retired from competition at the age of 28. By all accounts, Jones was a good man and a fierce competitor who had to transcend a bad temper to succeed at the game he loved. Other obstacles? His grandpa, a flourishing businessman and devout Christian, derided Jones' athletic pursuits; Jones' wife (Claire Forlani) hated competing with a bag of clubs and a fairway for her husband's attention; Jones had a nervous disorder tied to the stress of competition. It's more narcolepsy-inducing than inspirational. With Malcolm McDowell as a sportswriter and Jeremy Northam as rival golfer Walter Hagen. | |||
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