Movie Quotes from The Legend of Bagger Vance

Some folks enjoy slasher movies, some action flicks, dramas, romances, and on and on. Myself, I like movies that have a message – Films that wax philosophical and are thought provoking, and works rich in movie quotes a person can use in life. One of my all-time favorites in that genre’ is “The Legend of Bagger Vance” with Will Smith (as Bagger Vance), Matt Damon (as Rannulph Junuh), Charlize Theron (as Adele Invergordon), and Jack Lemmon (As Old Hardy Greaves). Impeccably directed by Robert Redford.

My son still thinks I like the film so much because it’s about golf. My suggestion that the film is about life rather than golf has been lost on his youth. Ah, to be 20 again! Yes, I golf; and most any golfer will tell you that you can learn a lot about life and about yourself on a golf course. The writers of ‘Bagger Vance’ masterfully explore human nature and self-understanding using the game as their vehicle; and provide plentiful memorable movie quotes in the bargain.

“It’s a game that can’t be won, only played.” Bagger says. How true that is of life! Who of us has not had that feeling that no matter how hard we work no matter what our accomplishments and successes, we just can’t ‘win’? Golfers who stick with the game for any significant amount of time eventually learn that they are only competing with themselves. The same lesson applies to life I think, making that a movie quote worth remembering. “Yeah, I always felt a man’s grip on his club just like a man’s grip on his world”

Junuh declares; “I’ve lost my swing, Adele”. “Really? Where’d it go?” she asks. Now any golfer knows that when your swing is out of whack it’s going to be a long day. But Adele’s question puts it into a different perspective. Your swing isn’t some object that can be misplaced or stolen. Your swing is something that is a part of you; something you can forget or ignore but not something you can lose.

Bagger calls this “Your Authentic Swing.”. “Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing. Somethin’ we was born with. Somethin’ that’s ours and ours alone. Somethin’ that can’t be taught to ya or learned. Somethin’ that’s got to be remembered. Over time the world can rob us of that swing.; it get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas… Some folk even forget what their swing was like.” he says.

I’ve been there and done that, friends! I’ve got the t-shirt! We become engrossed in the problems of the day and the mistakes of the past and the anxieties of regret that we can’t even begin to see a brighter future or even enjoy a pleasant moment now. And all the while our ‘game’ continues to suffer because we have lost our ‘swing’. Movie quotes like these give us tools to use and scenes to recall that help us remember our swing.

Time for you to see the feild.” Bagger tells Junuh “The field?” Junuh asks, “I see the field, Bagger. It’s 445 yards long, it’s got a little red flag at the end of it, it’s 12 strokes ahead of me.” Bagger replies; “That ain’t it. Because if it was the field you was seein’ you wouldn’t be hackin’ at that ball like you was choppin’ weeds up from under your front porch.”. In this movie quote ‘the field’ Bagger is speaking of isn’t the physical details of the fairway or the distance to the flag. It isn’t the crowd milling around or the number of strokes behind. Bagger is telling Junuh that he needs to clear his mind of all of the distractions and baggage and simply visualize the shot. “All we got to do is get ourselves outta it’s way” he says.

“Don’t think about it. Feel it.” Bagger coaches Junuh. Golfers know that when you start thinking too much on the golf course things can begin going horribly wrong in a hurry. Isn’t that true in life at times? Have you ever had an idea or inspiration that you knew was great, only to have it completely unravel because you over-thought it? I’ve had hundreds.

Yes, as movie quotes I use to keep myself thinking straight go, ‘The legend of Bagger Vance’ is replete with them. I’ve covered only a few here my friends. I think this weekend I’ll sit down and watch the film again……. My son will be thrilled.

Meanwhile my friends, golfers and non-golfers alike, “remember your swing” and “play the game”. The greatest game there is.” “The greatest game there will ever be.

As Hardy says “Its the game that cant be won, only played. So I play. I play on. I play for the moments yet to come. Looking for my place in the field.”