Stormy Forecast
Nature Can Be So Predictable

The makers of the new romantic comedy Forces of Nature think that hurricanes make good metaphors. They try very hard to draw a parallel between the weather and the problems that affect relationships. No matter how you dress it up, though, this movie is less entertaining than the Weather Channel.

Ben Affleck plays Ben Holmes, a copywriter on his way from New York to Savannah for his wedding. The fact that Ben hates to fly is complicated when the plane on which he is traveling has an engine malfunction and crashes before leaving the runway. Vowing to travel by land rather than fly the unfriendly skies again, he hooks up with a fellow crash survivor, Sarah (Sandra Bullock), and hits the road.

Despite the fact that Forces of Nature is treated as a buddy movie, the most important thread of the story has nothing to do with Sarah. As he travels, Ben finds himself receiving unsolicited advice about marriage from a host of would-be helpers. The advice, however, is always negative in nature, fueling his doubts about marriage.

Even as Ben is beginning to realize his own doubts, his fiancée, Bridget (Maura Tierney) finds herself surrounded by her family and friends in Georgia. To her dismay, her old boyfriend Steve (David Strickland) is still in love with her. As Ben's continued absence makes her question his love, she begins to soften to Steve's persistent advances.

While Forces of Nature has some good lines, any charm in the film is lost amid a predictable story and a lack of chemistry between the leads. As much as would love to blame it on someone else, I feel that Bullock was wrong for this film. Roles in movies like While You Were Sleeping and Hope Floats seem tailor-made for her. For my money, I like Bullock in roles as the underdog who doesn't have complete control over her fate. Her character Sarah, however, is too brazen, fearless, and free-spirited. Bullock may be trying for a "breakout" performance, but she fails.

Perhaps the worst bit of casting, though, is the choice of Tierney as Bridget, the daughter of a Southern family. With her trademark New York accent (although she's originally from Boston), Tierney seems oddly out of place. Even Strickland, who on television sounds as Middle America as one can get, manages to pull off a Southern drawl. Tierney, doesn't even try, making the audience wonder why she was chosen.

Utilizing state-of-the-art computer effects, Forces of Nature manages to turn hailstorms, rain, and even hurricane winds into a slow-motion visual extravaganza. The world seems to be operating at two speeds. As Ben and Sarah run for shelter, the camera seems to follow the hail falling from the sky. The effect is pretty, but also distracting. I couldn't help but think of the numerous television commercials I have seen employ the same effects.

Die hard fans of Sandra Bullock will probably be disappointed with this movie. Ben Affleck fans may like it, but that's hard for me to judge. Aside from his small role in Shakespeare in Love, I haven't been impressed with him. This movie doesn't have much to offer, and will probably vanish quickly. If you're interested, you'd better see it soon.

MY RATING: 3 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 102 min.