It may not be the next Caddyshack, but based on the trailer I viewed, Seven Days in Utopia has a chance to take its place among one of the better feel-good golf movies. The film follows the story of Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black), a talented young golfer who has his heart set on making the pro tour. After a catastrophic meltdown at a mini-tour event (with his dad on the bag), Luke, broken and bitter, escapes the pressures of the game and finds himself, after crashing his car, unexpectedly stranded in Utopia, Texas, home to grizzled rancher Johnny Crawford (played by Robert Duvall, brilliant as always a la Lonesome Dove). While he comes across like an eccentric cowpoke, there’s more to Johnny than meets the eye. His profound way of looking at life, not to mention his understanding of the game and hobbies (fly fishing, painting, flying planes), force Luke to question his past choices and future direction. There’s a love interest, of course–can any golf movie be without one? The golf scenes were filmed at Boot Ranch, a Hal Sutton-designed course in the Texas Hill Country.
The movie, in theaters Aug. 12, is based on David L. Cook’s book, Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia. Directed by Matthew Dean Russell, Seven Days in Utopia also stars Academy Award winner Melissa Leo and KJ Choi, among others.
