When there are so many obvious choices of wanna–be movies out there where astronauts find aliens (“Apollo 18”) or sharks eat people swimming in a lake (“Shark Night”), it’s nice to find a seemingly unknown gem out there like “Seven Days in Utopia.” It’s a nice break from over–the–top sequels or remakes trying to be better than the last movie with almost the exact same theme.
No stunts, no CGI, no blood and gore (not that those are always bad), just talented acting and a great story based on the novel “Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia” by David L. Cook.
I was initially hesitant to see a G–rated movie. No bad words, no violence, no sex? What fun will that be? But the movie took me by surprise by capturing my attention and holding it throughout. The story is about Luke Chisolm (Lucas Black), a young golfer trained to go pro by his overbearing father. When Luke has a public–broadcasted breakdown on the 18th hole of a golf tournament, he hits the road and literally crashes into the town of Utopia and a meaningful friendship with the rancher whose property he crashed on, Johnny Crawford (Robert Duvall). Luke may think he is stuck in Utopia, but really that’s where he needs to be to find himself.
You don’t have to like golf to love the movie. My experience with the sport is limited to the golf balls I find in my yard every night from the bad swings of the players on the nearby golf course. The movie is for anyone, sports fan or not. It is a moving, faith–filled journey of self discovery and the belief that everything happens for a reason.
So, if you’re a little leery of the movie prospects in theaters this week, give this movie a chance. We could all use a little Utopia in our lives.
