MovieChat Forums > The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) Discussion > Matt Damon as Bobby Jones

Matt Damon as Bobby Jones

posted 12 years ago by schappe1
3 replies | jump to latest

I've just watched "The Legend of Bagger Vance", "Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius" and "The Greatest Game Every Played" and enjoyed all three. Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen are portrayed in the first two. I liked Jeremy Northam as Hagen better than Bruce McGill but felt that McGill looked the part. Hagen was a bit heavy-set and jowelly, at least by the alter part of his career. Jim Cavezil and Joel Gretsch both did a decent job playing Jones but I really thought the ideal current actor to play Jones is Matt Damon, who played Rannulph Junuh. Not only is he a fine actor but he looked more like Jones than Gretsch did when Gretsch is right next him, pretending to be Jones!

Damon as Junuh: https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/p480x480/263205_4646455136 20629_1910348408_n.jpg

Bobby Jones: http://0.tqn.com/d/golf/1/G/b/O/1/bobby-jones-1928.jpg

The past is a series of presents. The present is living history we are privileged to witness

[–] kingsx_64 11 years ago

Good point. Matt does look more like Jones.
Loved all 3 movies also

Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a little tired of your shirt

[–] ATG6 (3000) a year ago

They wanted Damon to be the star though.

[–] GolfnGuitars (3096) a year ago

Unfortunately, Damon didn't have the golf swing to portray Bobby Jones. Whoever was going to portray Bobby Jones had to have a great, smooth golf swing, because Jones was renowned for having one of the greatest, smoothest golf swings ever. I thought Joel Gretsch did a great job portraying Jones.

One thing I've wondered about over the years is if Matt Damon and Will Smith still play golf. From what I remember reading in "Golf Digest" back in the day, Damon really struggled with the golf swing. I haven't seen any mention of him playing in recent years, so I kind of doubt he does. Smith, on the other hand, got the "golf bug" really bad and had a really nice golf swing. However, I haven't heard any mention of him playing golf in recent years either.