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SERENDIPITY |
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No
matter how stupid the plot, a movie love story
usually works when there’s chemistry between its
two stars. In Serendipity,
which means “fortunate accident,” John Cusack
and Kate Beckinsale seem meant for each other ---
even though the characters they play are kept
apart by a series of incredible missed
connections. It’s a story only the most gullible
of moviegoers will accept. But that doesn’t mean
I didn’t enjoy it.
Cusack
(America’s Sweethearts) and
Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor) ignite the screen in
their opening scenes together. Their flirtatious
eye contact generates enough leftover glow to last
while they are separated from one another during
the major part of the movie. I wanted desperately
to see them reunited, living happily ever after.
Yes, Serendipity
is one of those “soul mate” movies like Sleepless
in Seattle and An
Affair to Remember. And I might as well admit
it. I’m an incurable romantic who needs this
kind of film fix every once in awhile.
I
don’t even mind the predictable “meeting
cute” scenes --- the ones where two strangers
accidentally bump into one another. But there is
a slight variation here. While Christmas
shopping, Cusack and Beckingsale both want to buy
the same pair of black gloves on a counter at
Bloomingdales. Director Peter Chelsom (Hear
My Song) appreciates the importance of first
encounters like this. “I think if two people
ever get together or don’t end up together, all
you need to do is back-track both of those
individual stories. And in doing so, it makes the
initial meeting incredibly fortuitous or
serendipitous or something.”
Which
reminds me of the first time I met my
husband-to-be.
We were sitting across the aisle from each
other in a high school World History class, and he
made me laugh by letting me peek at a silly essay
he wrote at his desk. I wonder how much fate or
destiny was involved in that simple interaction.
What if we hadn’t been assigned to the same
class? What if he didn’t show me his paper?
What if his essay wasn’t funny?
One
thing I do know for certain. I would never have
dropped that class without telling the
irresistible boy I just met my full name. And yet,
after spending an enchanting few hours with Cusack,
Beckinsale does something as unbelievable by
initiating a foolish “who am I?” game. Ten
years later, these two are still trying to find
each other. But time is running out, and both plan
to marry someone else.
If
I were searching for a lost soul mate, I’d want
loyal friends like Jeremy Piven (The Family Man) and Molly Shannon (Superstar) helping me too. Piven plays
Cusack’s best man with a frenetic energy that
practically jumps off the screen, and Shannon
gives a surprisingly subdued performance as
Beckinsale’s tag-along pal.
One
of Cusack’s obstacles comes in the form of a
cranky salesman, played hilariously by Eugene Levy
(American
Pie), who extorts a buying spree from his
victim before divulging any information about
Beckinsale’s account.
Much
to my delight, Serendipity
emerges as a cinematic ode to the New York City of
pre-terrorist days. I might be wrong, but I think
the World Trade Center Towers appear briefly in a
couple of shots. I’m discouraged when I hear
about “digital removing” of those grand
landmarks from movies released after September 11th.
This beautifully filmed romantic comedy features
glorious shots all around New York City
--- from the regal Waldorf Astoria Hotel to
an icy Wollman Rink in Central Park. Maybe it’s
too soon to view the Big Apple again as a perfect
city for lovers, but Serendipity
evoked that fairytale image for me.
(Released by Miramax and rated “PG-13” for a scene of sexuality, and brief language.)
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