I've seen many films about golf. Some exciting and witty (Tin Cup), some goofy and hilarious (Happy Gilmore) and some just sappy and overrated (Legend of Bagger Vance). Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius shows a side of the
sport I've never seen before. The physically and mentally exhausting side of it.

This film is based on the true story of Bobby Jones, an Irish amateur golfer who played for the love of the game, despite a spinal cord disease that made the sport much more of a challenge for him.

Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius was directed by Rowdy Herrington which really took me off guard. This is the same guy that made Roadhouse and Gladiator (I'm speaking of the underground boxing film with Brian Dennehy), so I was quite surprised by the tender, unassuming nature of this well-intentioned movie.

Jim Caviezel (fresh off a star making turn in The Passion of the Christ) plays sickly to a tee, but his performance as a whole is surprisingly dull.
It's just too low key. I would have preferred a more lively approach. Claire Forlani is sweet and pure as the woman of Bobby's affection. Aidan Quinn shows up in a tiny role as a pro golfer, and while this part is minuscule, the actor does a terrific job at making us believe that, in a sense, he's envious of Jones. It's not that he necessarily feels that Jones is a better player, but he admires why he plays the game.

The strongest performance in the film is undoubtedly the one given by Jeremy Northam who excels as Bobby Jones' golfing adversary Walter Hagen. It's a fun, droll turn, and while he is a villain of sorts, he's the best kind. The scenes in which he eggs Jones on are priceless, and it is apparent upon watching the movie that Hagen was instrumental in helping Jones achieve greatness.

Director Herrington has done a decent job here, although there are certainly moments in which the film is overly sentimental and a little slow, and I grew a bit tired of the golf ball P.O.V. shots (which seemed much more effective in Happy Gilmore because that picture was a comedy). And sadly, the movie is not quite as epic as it aspires to be. The film opens with Bobby as a child and spans several years, but somehow, the movie was too fragmented. I couldn't help but feel that important parts of Jones' life were skipped over.

Still, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius is a nice tribute and it manages to inspire without being cheesy and over the top. And I loved the little jabs taken at professional sports which are more relevant now than ever. There used to be a time when professional athletes played for the love of their particular sport (as Bobby did), but nowadays, many athletes are more interested in the almighty dollar. Not all, mind you, but several. When an athlete demands a 100 million dollar contract for two years for something they claim they love doing, there's something seriously wrong. I'm all for anyone being paid well for what they do, but some of these deals are seriously outrageous.

Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius is a good movie but not a great one. I enjoyed much of it, but it didn't leave as much as an impression on
me as other sports pictures. But I do have to admit, nothing Rowdy Herrington had done in the past lead me to believe he was capable of something so sweet. My golf cap goes off to him.