I went to go see this movie last weekend primarily because I wanted to see Robert Duvall on the big screen; he is a favorite actor of mine. Duvall's character is an old rancher who used to be a former pro golfer, but now lives in the small town of Utopia Texas with his wife (Melissa Leo). The main character of the film though, is a burned-out golfer named Luke (Lucas Black, the young boy from
Sling Blade) who gets stranded in Utopia for seven days while his car is repaired. During that time, Duvall serves as a coach to Luke, helping him with his physical skills and mental focus, and eventually teaching him that there are more important things in life than golf, which is basically what the whole movie - and book that it is based on - is about. In one interesting scene, Duvall compels Luke to dig a hole in a cemetery and literally bury his lies and frustrations (written down on paper).
I learned that the author of the original book - David Cook, a motivational sports coach - based this character on all his own mentors that he had over the years.
The film also features a bit of romance between Luke and a pretty young waitress, and a memorable scene with fireflies.
The end of the film features a lengthy sequence of Luke at a nationally-televised professional tournament featuring some real-life players. (Read about the filming
here) If you think golf is boring to watch on TV, then this film may put you to sleep.
There is no traditional climatic scene you might expect in a sports movie. Rather, you have to return to the "electronic world" (as Gerald would say) to finish the movie experience. Yep, at the end of the film on the big screen, a website address is displayed and encourages the viewer to go online to find out more, a gimmick that may be a foretaste of things to come in this modern movie-going age. I can't help but think that one day we may be seeing a code on the big screen for us to wave our phones and tablets at for a more "connected" experience.
