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Still regarded as the greatest golfer in the game’s history (Tiger Woods notwithstanding), Bobby Jones was a bona fide superstar of international standing. He appeared in magazine ads, on the radio, and even in movies, demonstrating his skills to such cinematic luminaries as W. C. Fields and Joe E. Brown. And yet he retired from competitive play in 1930, at age 31. This fascinating biographical film, directed -- rather surprisingly -- by Road House auteur Rowdy Herrington, stars Jim Caviezel as the legendary golfer, whom he portrays as a man obsessed, a compulsive competitor tortured by some deeply repressed inadequacy. Caviezel’s naturally intense mien makes him the perfect choice to essay this particular role, and he brings just as much conviction to this part as he did to his star-making turn for Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. Claire Forlani, who has not received especially rewarding parts to date, is genuinely affecting as Bobby’s supportive wife, who understands his need to compete while wishing he’d quit the game and spend more time at home with her and their children. Although there was more to Jones than his preternatural ability, Herrington doesn’t lard Stroke of Genius with trumped-up melodramatics. He conveys Jones’s pain -- which was quite real and not restricted to his emotional makeup -- without making every match a titanic struggle against overwhelming odds. And he succeeds to a surprising extent in making a decidedly non-cinematic game visually appealing, something that the recent Legend of Bagger Vance, for instance, failed to do. This is a family-friendly movie that all can enjoy, but we suspect Stroke will find its most appreciate audience among those who can appreciate a good walk, spoiled. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Based on the real-life story of golf legend Bobby Jones, Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius features Jim Caviezel as the temperamental but highly talented amateur who threw a wrench in the golf world of the mid-'20s. Though Jones would eventually become the founder of the internationally renowned Augusta National Golf Club, which is father to the prestigious annual tournament known as The Masters, the combination of his ambition and tumultuous relationship with the media interfered with his personal life to such an extent that his future in the sport seemed doomed. With the help of his wife, Mary Malone Jones (Claire Forlani), the gifted, oftentimes tortured golfer was forced to balance his family life and the public scrutiny regarding his golf career, lest both of them dissolve entirely. Directed by Rowdy Herrington, the film also stars Jeremy Northam, Aidan Quinn, and Malcolm McDowell. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 043396085107
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Special Edition, Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 2:08:00
• Sales Rank: 3,251

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