Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius

Bobby Jones: Stroke of Geniusis a 2004biographicalsportsdrama filmdirected and co-written byRowdy Herrington.The film is based on the life of golferBobby Jones,the only player in the sport to win all four of themen's major golf championshipsin a single season (1930, an era when the majors wereThe Amateur Championshipin Britain, theU.S. Amateur,The Open Championship,and theU.S. Open). The film was the first motion picture concerningThe Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrewsthat was given permission to film on location..

Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rowdy Herrington
Written by	Rowdy Herrington Bill Pryor
Based on	LifeofBobby Jones
Produced by	Kim Dawson
Starring	Jim Caviezel Claire Forlani Jeremy Northam Malcolm McDowell Aidan Quinn
Cinematography	Tom Stern
Edited by	Pasquale Buba
Music by	James Horner
Production company	McDongall Films
Distributed by	Film Foundry Releasing
Release date	April 30, 2004(2004-04-30)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$2,707,913

The film is Herrington's most recent film, as of September 2024.

Plot

In 1936, golferBobby Jones,while traveling to theOlympicsinBerlin,makes a stop inScotlandto visit theOld Course at St. Andrews.Anxious about his reception, he is warmly welcomed by many spectators, some of whom have closed their local shops for the day to watch him play.

The scene changes toAtlanta, Georgia,where Jones, a young boy, observes his father "Colonel" Jones playing golf, poorly. The more young Bobby watches, the more he emulates the better players he sees, such asStewart Maiden,a club professional originally from Scotland. By the time he is 14, Jones wins the 1916 Georgia State Amateur Championship and makes the quarterfinals of theU.S. Amateurthat same year. Notable sportswriters of the era such as O.B. Keeler andGrantland Ricetake a keen interest in him.

WithWorld War Icoming to an end, Jones participates in war-relief matches with several famous golfers such as the colorfulWalter Hagen,who eventually becomes Bobby's chief rival on the course. He also attendsGeorgia Tech,where he receives a diploma and meets Mary Malone, whom he ultimately marries. Despite his great skill as a golfer, he also has a hot temper that affects his game and reputation. His first time atSt. Andrews,in1921,Jones walks off the course after 11 holes of the third round, expressing his dislike for the course. His idolHarry Vardon,who would winThe Open Championshipa record six times during his career, cautions Bobby never to quit, particularly at St. Andrews, which he considers the greatest golf course of all.

In 1923, Jones finally overcomes his temper troubles and wins his first major championship at theU.S. Open,defeatingBobby Cruickshankin a playoff. In the following years, great success follows as Bobby wins 2 more U.S. Opens, 4 U.S. Amateurs, and 2 Open Championships through 1929. During that timeframe, Jones attendsHarvard Collegeand laterEmory University School of Law,becoming a lawyer by profession (which was his grandfather's wish), never turning professional as a golfer. By 1930, Jones begins to lose interest in tournament golf. He tells Mary his final goal is to win all 4 majors in the same year and will then retire. That year, Jones accomplishes that goal, becoming the first and still only golfer to win the calendarGrand Slam.Soon after, Bobby keeps his word and he shocks the sports world by retiring from tournament golf at only 28 years old.

A title card reveals that after retirement, Jones would continue to make contributions to the game of golf such as founding theAugusta National Golf ClubandThe Masters.He served in theUnited States Air ForceduringWorld War II.In 1948, Jones was diagnosed withsyringomyeliawhich crippled him for the rest of his life until his death in 1971.

Cast

• Jim Caviezel–Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones, Jr.
  • Devon Gearhart– young Bobby
  • Bubba Lewis– teenage Bobby
• Claire Forlani– Mary Malone Jones
• Jeremy Northam–Walter Hagen
• Malcolm McDowell– O.B. Keeler
• Aidan Quinn–Harry Vardon
• Brett Rice– Big Bob Jones
• Connie Ray– Clara Jones
• Dan Albright – Grandfather Jones
• Paul Freeman– Angus
• Alistair Begg–Stewart Maiden
• Hilton McRae–Jimmy Maiden
• Elizabeth Omilami– Camilla
• Brian F. Durkin– Perry Adair
• John Shepherd – Bob Woodruff
• Happy Lashelle – Nell Woodruff
• Allen O'Reilly –Grantland Rice
• Robert Pralgo– Reporter
• Wilbur Fitzgerald– Megaphone Golf Official
• Matt Lanter– Bobby Jones's Caddy
• Ian Birse – The Monobrow

Production

The film was shot in multiple locations, includingSouthern California,Georgia:Agnes Scott College,Decatur, GA,East Lake Golf Club,Castleberry Hill,Covington,Griffin;andScotlandandSt. Andrews,Fife. This film marks the film debut ofMatt Lanter.

Release

Box office

The film was a commercial failure, with an opening weekend gross of $1.2 million and $2,707,913 overall,against a production cost of $20 million.

Critical response

The film received negative reviews. It has a 26% approval rating on thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,based on 76 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "This earnest, monotonous biopic lacks dramatic tension and simplifies Jones' life."OnMetacritic,which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film has a 45 out of 100 rating, based on 28 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

External links

• Bobby Jones: Stroke of GeniusatIMDb
• Bobby Jones: Stroke of GeniusatAllMovie