The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance is a 2000 sports drama film directed by Robert Redford, and stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron. The screenplay by Jeremy Leven is based on the 1995 book The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life by Steven Pressfield. It takes place in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1931. The film served as the final roles of Jack Lemmon before his death the following year and Lane Smith before his death five years later.

On release, the film was a box office bomb, grossing almost $40 million worldwide — only half of its budget — and received mixed reviews; criticism was targeted by several African American commentators and reviewers for employing the "magical negro" stereotype.