bobby jones: stroke of genius

this golf film is about the real life amature golfer from the twenties bobby jones. it follows his life, from a childhood filled with health problems, to his start in golf, and through to his winning the coveted 'grand slam' of golf. the interesting this about this film, though, is that it is not really about golf. rather, it follows bobby's life as he finds a way to do what he loves, struggles with balancing it and a family, as well as his battles with unexpected celebrity and bad health. there are no real golfing showdowns, coming down to the las putt or anything. instead its more of a showdown with himself. he struggles with what others expect of him and what he wants for himself. as far as the golf goes, the film draws a nice theme of his love/hate relationship with the famed st. andrews golf course and how that played out over his career. but more important than that is how bobby comes to peace with what his family, wife, and the golfing world want for him. the interesting this is that the film doesn't try and just show one side of the man, as a hero, but also shows some of his struggles and faults. by the end we understand this humble man and realize that 'there's more to life than winning a championship'.