Under The Radar Review #6: Seven Days In Utopia

  A hole in one: Lucas Black is a golfer and Robert Duvall is the man who saves him in Seven Days In Utopia
                             I remember being one of the lucky ones who got to see Seven Days In Utopia when it came out. It went to a couple of theaters-including one that was *somewhat* close to me. There was no one in the theater besides me and two other people. I know what you're thinking-"well no one has heard of this film." That is why I am giving my readers yet another Under The Radar Review.

                           The film stars Lucas Black as Luke Chisolm...a professional golfer who stunk up the course in his last tournament. Desperate and angry....Luke drives not knowing where he is going and crashes his car. It turns out he drove into the fence of a local man named Johnny Crawford (Robert Duvall.) Johnny then attempts to help Luke step up his game for the next tournament against a competitive golfer. A romance also blooms between Luke and Maggie Swanson (Sarah Jayne Jensen.)

                         I think everybody should see the film for the reasons that I loved it. For one-it's a G-Rated film and is certainly appropriate for kids of all ages but can be enjoyed by anyone-old, young, or middle aged. Also..the message of the film is great. I am saving the message for the end of this review because it can not be explained without giving away the ending.


                       I also loved the film for the performances. Black and Jensen have excellent chemistry. Duvall and Melissa Leo (as another local) are terrific as always. Duvall here is especially sweet and tender (no pun intended) as a man who wants to give someone another chance in life.


                      Now for the SPOILER. The end of the film follows the tournament in which Luke has to make just one more shot in order to win. At the very last second...we never see the shot because according to the narrator "it doesn't matter." This is a great message for anyone...win, lose, or draw..you should enjoy life no matter what. This is another reason why I loved the film.


                    Seven Days In Utopia is streaming on Netflix and is very easy to find on DVD. It is a bit more expensive on Blu Ray but whomever is reading this review has no excuse not to see it. It is a film that should truly be seen by everybody.