Movie Review: Serendipity
Back when all New Yorkers had to do was fall in love, Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor) and John Cusack (America's Sweethearts) shot Serendipity, a star-crossed lovers fairytale in the middle of scorching August and had to pretend it was winter. When we spoke to Kate and John, both said they were sweating bullets and also had to deal with a mosquito invasion in Central Park. We've since seen John participate in the All Star Telethon for America and I'm sure he and all the filmmakers wish that life was again carefree like this fun romantic comedy.
It's Christmastime, 1990 and Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) meets transplanted Brit Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) at Bloomingdale's when both grab for a pair of gift gloves. It's instant attraction and the two spend the evening wandering around, skating, eating fancy desserts at a restaurant called "Serendipity" and falling in love. Both are involved in other relationships and when Jonathan asks for Sara's phone number, she says that if the two are meant to be together, fate will see to it.
After a series of near misses, years later, the two haven't hooked up. Jonathan, now a producer for ESPN, is about to be married to Hally (Bridget Moynahan) and Sara, a shrink, lives in San Francisco and will marry Lars (John Corbett) a wacky TV new age musician/guru. Both are still curious and need closure so, with the help of Sara's pal Eve (Molly Shannon) and Jonathan's buddy Dean (Jeremy Piven), the two start a desperate search that, fate willing, might bring them back together.
Serendipity is a charming, well-written romantic comedy that reminds us of Sleepless in Seattle. Fate or destiny is almost its own character as little moments where the characters nearly miss each other unfold. The dialogue is witty and the cast is excellent. John and Kate seem to have much better chemistry than Kate had with either of her two leading men in Pearl Harbor and supporting actors are terrific. Molly Shannon is both funny and lovable as Sara's best friend. Jeremy Piven is supportive yet paranoid as Jonathan's best bud and John Corbett (Northern Exposure and Sex in the City) is hilarious as Sara's fiance Lars, a clueless, Yanni-style, new age musician. Great comic actor Eugene Levy (who plays Jason Biggs' dad in the American Pie films) is a riot as a snooty Bloomingdale's sales clerk.
The music for the film is great as is the editing and the director's choice of connecting moments that note the passage of time. There was really nothing about this light-hearted romance I didn't like. It's encouraging to see a film celebrating the triumph of a long lasting love. Take a date. You'll both enjoy this one.
***
Interviewer and writer Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
