Can someone explain why this movie didn't do very well?

This movie isn't popular for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that we live in a culture that has a general aversion or shallow capacity for thinking and reflection. This movie is about reconciliation. How many people recognize or care about our deep need for reconciliation? We didn’t value this movie because we can hardly grasp anything that we cannot touch or see or experience in the immediate moment. In order to appreciate this movie, a person would have to be able to both reflect and inflect – how many people do you know is adept or experienced in either? Another reason this movie wasn’t a smash was because its quotability wasn’t appealing to the average viewr – i.e. Napoleon Dynamite, Braveheart, Terminator. It didn’t have glorified sex or violence to sell – you know skin and “sweet moves” and explosions sell (anyone see Transformers 2? Sorry.). This movie didn’t sell simply because we have evolved into a society as a whole that indisputably and clearly values flashes of sex and violence over redemptive and reflective storytelling. It’s the fact that exploitive eye candy has seduced our nation into forgetting about the higher values of truth, beauty, and goodness. To sound less high and mighty – think about any of the messages or even quotes/beliefs of the characters…do they align or appeal with our nation? I think that people could argue that it was a slow movie that wasn’t relatable – and I think there’s truth in that. I think we’re developing into a people can’t relate to themselves – we don’t know ourselves…we like what we like and do what we do because it’s popular or beneficial or convenient. Alas.

Compared to what the average moviegoer wants to see, it was a little too long, too golf-focused, too regional (enough about Savannah!), and too philosophical. It was a period drama with the big name Will Smith playing an atypical supporting role.

For me it had too much melodrama. It was basically one huge movie trope.