Roger Ebert Gave A Near-Perfect Score To Will Smith's Forgotten Fantasy Movie

When discussing the best '90s action movies, Will Smith's output during that decade looms large. But as we entered the new Willennium — and after the high-profile failure of "Wild Wild West" — the actor started mixing in more dramatic, character-driven pieces with his action roles. While many of Will Smith's best movies are well-known dramas, there are also a few that failed to impress critics or audiences, including 2000's "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

Directed by Robert Redford, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" stars Smith as the titular figure, a mysterious caddy who offers to help struggling golfer Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) improve his game. To explain exactly why "The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a fantasy movie and not a mere sports drama is a bit of a spoiler, but it's not the most difficult thing to piece together well before the film officially reveals it.

The late, great film critic Roger Ebert was a huge fan of the movie, giving it 3 and a half stars out of 4 and calling it "a masterpiece of tact." But his view was definitely not the general consensus, and audiences neither showed up for it at the time nor generally remember it at all these days.

"The Legend of Bagger Vance" can be considered one of the best golf movies of all time, but it earns that distinction almost by default since there aren't dozens upon dozens of golf movies to pick from. Roger Ebert was a big fan, but few other critics were. The movie holds an underwhelming score of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the unusually wordy critical consensus reading: "Despite the talent involved in 'The Legend of Bagger Vance,' performances are hindered by an inadequate screenplay full of flat characters and bad dialogue. Also, not much happens, and some critics are offended by how the film glosses over issues of racism."

The audience score is higher, but 65% certainly doesn't suggest a movie with a passionate fanbase. It was also a box office bomb upon release, likely due in part to Will Smith's diminished star power after "Wild Wild West" and the fact that neither of his main co-stars — Matt Damon and Charlize Theron — were at the point where their names alone could open a movie. On top of all that, a golf movie tends to be a tough sell, with all but a select few being relegated to cult hit status at best. According to Guinness, the highest-grossing golf movie of all time is "Tin Cup" at a mere $54 million domestic gross. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" faced an uphill battle from the start, but at least it can boast a near-perfect rating from one of the most respected film critics of all time.