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September 2, 2011

Seven Days in Utopia movie reviews

Today's featured adaptation is "Seven Days in Utopia," which may make you wistful for summer days on the links (or a sermon). The movie, about a struggling golfer who learns about sport -- and life -- is based on "Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia" by David L. Cook, a respected teacher of pro golfers and other athletes. Here are excerpts from reviews:


-- Los Angeles Times: With Golf Channel commentators and players such as K.J. Choi participating, the film bears an official stamp of approval [and] it plays as a "Zen and the Art of the Links" with a Bible Belt persuasion.


-- New York Times: A stultifying hybrid of athletic instruction film and Christian sermon, the movie, directed by Matthew Dean Russell, is ... a kind of Southern-fried, Christian “Tuesdays With Morrie.”


-- Roger Ebert: I would rather eat a golf ball than see this movie again. It tells the dreadful parable of a pro golfer who was abused by his dad, melts down in the Texas Open and stumbles into the clutches of an insufferable geezer in the town of Utopia (pop. 375), who promises him that after seven days in Utopia, he will be playing great golf. He will also find Jesus, but for that, you don't have to play golf, although it might help.


Posted by Dave Rosenthal at 10:38 PM | | Comments (3)
Categories: Books to Movies
        

Comments

As usual, bad reviews from the 'pros' means it's a good movie...it is great. Take your whole family to see the movie...it's good!

The theater audience LOVED the movie and cheered the lead character. A fabulous family movie, beautiful and fun, with a great message. It is certainly no more far-fetched than the movies coming from main stream Hollywood!

This movie was great for anyone and everyone. The true Hollywood critic might find this film extremely offensive because it does not contain murder, pornography, or offensive language..just the basic principals of how to live our lives that we might make a positive difference.. A must see for grade school thru NFL athletic teams.

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About the blogger
Dave Rosenthal came to The Baltimore Sun as a business reporter in 1987 and now is the Maryland Editor. He reads a wide range of books (but never as many as he'd like), usually alternating between non-fiction and fiction. Some all-time favorites: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole; Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery; and anything by Calvin Trillin or John McPhee. He belongs to a book club with a Jewish theme.
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