Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (Special Edition)
by Rowdy Herrington
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Actor: Aidan Quinn, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Northam, Jim Caviezel, Malcolm McDowellDirector: Rowdy Herrington
Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
Writer: Rowdy Herrington
Producer: Bob Bagley
Producer: Carol McGregor
Producer: Dave Ross
Writer: Bill Pryor
Writer: Kim Dawson
Writer: Tony De Paul
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.40:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-30
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (Special Edition)
DVD Review: The story of Bobby Jones as the patron saint of golf
Summary: 3 Stars
Bobby Jones was to golf as Babe Ruth was to baseball, but unlike the Bambino his greatest legacy still stands secure three-quarter of a century later. In 1930 he won what would come to be known as the Grand Slam, winning all four of the major golf tournaments in the same year. The feat has never been duplicated, although Tiger Woods did accomplish what is being called the "Tiger Slam," which is to hold all four titles at the same time although not in the same year. But Jones accomplished this feat as an amateur, and as is amply evidenced in this film, an "amateur" in the truest sense of the word, not to mention one that has all but been forgotten in contemporary sports.
Since Jim Caviezel filmed "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius" right after he finished "The Passion of the Christ," it has invited a lot of Jesus Jones/Bobby Christ jokes. Given how the actor presented a very human Jesus in the flashback's in Mel Gibson's movie, it would be rather ironic if his performance as Jones constitutes more of a saintly figure. But what really drives the notion that Bobby Jones is a holy figure in this movie is not Caviezel's performance but the musical score by James Horner, which sanctifies the character before he ever appears in the film and does not let up throughout the rest of the movie. From the time that the young Bobby Jones (Devon Gearhart) first picks up a golf club, to the teenager (Thomas Lewis) who first starts winning golf tournaments, the music makes it clear that he is destined for a greatness that amounts to deification. As such, this is one of the most counterproductive musical scores I have heard in quite some time (to wit, it is sub-par, but not in the good way, like on a golf course).
It is also ironic that this film comes out on DVD at a time when the two biggest stories in the world of sports are baseball players like Barry Bonds taking steroids and other things to enhance performance and the basketbrawl between the Indiana Pacers and the fans in Detroit. We see that Jones was plagued by physical problems as well as having a terrible temper, but he rises above such concerns in ways that seem beyond the capabilities of modern sports icons (the film hints that he might be an alcoholic but at the end we learn that he would eventually be crippled by a degenerative spinal disease). For that matter, the decision of Jones to walk away from competitive golf at the age of 28, having set a mark that has never been equaled, is eminently laudable, even more so when compared to the recent decision of football player Ricky Williams to retire in order to avoid being suspended for drug use.
There are several standard sport biopic subplots in "Bobby Jones" as well. He has an over protective mother (Clara Jones), and while his father (Dan Albright) encourages his love of golf, Bobby's grandfather (Brett Rice) strongly disapproves. Fortunately winning golf tournaments and becoming famous helps to solve such family problems. More important become Bobby's relationships with the woman he marries, Mary Malone (Claire Forlani), the reporter who covers his life, O.B. Keeler (Malcolm McDowell), and the man who is his arch nemesis on the golf course, Walter Hagen (Jeremy Northam). For the most part all of these people sit around and watch Jones work his miracles on the golf course, and the most memorable moments in the film tend to come when Hagen's face articulates what he cannot say, which is that he is neither the golfer that Bobby Jones nor the man.
In comparison to "Seabiscuit," the most successful sports biopic of recent years, "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius" is just too earnest in its depiction of greatness. The title of the film alone indicates they are engaging in overkill and the fact that the film was produced by a company called Bobby Jones Films LLC provides a big clue as to why his life is depicted with a reverence that is usually afforded only to Biblical figures. The final irony is that I watched "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius" the same day that I watched "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," because while both are loaded with sports clichés, the latter embraces them lightheartedly while in the former they become a burdesome cross to bear. However, they did get to film on the Old Course at St. Andrews and we do learn why there are 18 holes on a golf course, which are both good things (especially since they bring Robin William's routine on the origins of golf to mind).
Description of Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (Special Edition)
BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF GOLF ICON BOBBY JONES. JONES OVERCOMES HIS OWN INTENSE PASSION, PERFECTIONIS TENDENCIES &FIERCE TEMPER TO MASTER THE GAME. WHEN JONES REALIZES THAT HISUNPARALLELED SUCCESS IS DESTROYING HIS LOVED ONES, HES PRESENTEDWITH AN ASTOUNDING PROPOSITION, ONE THAT SHOCKS THE WORLD.Bestsellers in DVD
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