Seven Days in Utopia

"Don't preach" is just one of the seven deadly screenwriting sins committed by the script committee of David L. Cook, Rob Levine, Russell, Sandra Thrift for their strictly amateur adaptation of a novel by David L. Cook. Hammy, cheesy, and insufferable from start to finish, "Seven Days in Utopia" works better as a 96 minute commercial for Callaway golf products than it does as a movie. Robert Duvall tarnishes his career as retired golf pro Johnny Crawford. Johnny is a born-again Christian living in a "Stepford Wives"-type small town known as Utopia. Lucas Black plays hot-headed young golf pro Luke Chisholm. After suffering a meltdown in the presence of his dad on the final hole of a golf tournament, Luke has the happy accident of crashing his car into a field. Naturally, Johnny rescues Luke, putting him up for a week during which time he tutors the squeaky clean kid in all things religious and golf related. Painting and fly-fishing are on the agenda. Yawn. Prosaic doesn't begin to describe a Christian propaganda fantasy movie so out of touch with reality and cinema that it comes across as an insult to your intelligence. See the movie, buy some Callaway golf clubs, and get re-born. I’m sure that will work out so well for anyone bored and rich enough to spare the time and money to do it.

Rated G. 99 mins. (D) (One Star - out of five/no halves)