Love, Destiny, and Laughter
Come Together in Serendipity

As long as there have been stories, there have been love stories. The same goes for film. Naturally, in the past hundred years of cinematic history, some classics have arisen. It becomes difficult, therefore, to judge a work without a century of comparisons. Every few years, though, a romantic film makes it to the screen that defines an era. Casablanca, Love Story, Say Anything..., When Harry Met Sally...

When I saw previews for Serendipity, something about it hit me on a gut level. I knew in my heart that this could be the love story for the decade. Maybe it was John Cusack returning to a role as an awkward romantic lead. Perhaps it was the fresh-faced talent of Kate Beckinsale. It could have been the haunting refrain of David Gray's "Babylon." Seeing the preview, I knew I had to see this movie. Fortunately, fate intervened and slipped tickets to a sneak preview into the hands of a friend.

In Serendipity, Cusack plays Jonathan, a young man who meets a young woman, Sara (Beckinsale), and loses her in the same night. Convinced that destiny rules the universe, she leaves their future in the hands of fate, vowing that if they are meant to be together it will happen. As you can imagine, things don't happen as expected and Sara disappears into the New York night.

Years later, it's the week before two weddings, his and hers. Jonathan is preparing to marry Halley (Bridget Moynahan) in New York, while Sara -- now in San Francisco -- accepts a proposal by Lars (John Corbett), her "musician" boyfriend who appears to be the second-coming of Yanni. Naturally, the two nearlyweds begin to have second thoughts about their significant others. These fears escalate into a last ditch effort to strong-arm destiny into helping them find their soul mates.

Despite the flack that director Peter Chelsom has received for Town & Country, he redeems himself with Serendipity. While simple and ultimately predictable (but what good love story isn't?), the screenplay (by Marc Kline) is filled with interesting characters that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh again.

Helping Cusack in his search for the mysterious Sara is his best friend (and best man) played by Jeremy Piven. Together, they're like frat boys out on a kegger run, made all the more funny by Piven's fast-talking style and comedic timing. His counterpart, the one helping Sara in her quest, is Molly Shannon. While Shannon does reasonably well, her timing is a little off here and her comedy stylings are a little too broad for this kind of film. In my humble opinion, she should stay on the small screen.

Another veteran television comedian Eugene Levy pops up as a Bloomingdale's salesman confronted by Jonathan in his search for Sara. Levy plays the fastidious clerk to perfection, providing an obstacle -- albeit a humorous one -- for Cusack.

For his part, Cusack is pure gold. He plays the vulnerable romantic to perfection, and he's so nice you want him to succeed. In my humble opinion, this man can do no wrong right now. With some incredible performances already on his resume, it's nice that he's willing to risk a role in a fluffy mainstream movie. This won't win him an Academy Award, but it will keep his name in the papers.

As for Beckinsale, there's not much to say other than "Wow!" Granted, ever since Olivia Newton-John, I've had a thing for women with English accents. My personal fetish aside, I have to say that she is beautiful, charming, and perfect for this role. It's easy to believe she could make Jonathan fall for her in one night, not to mention bearing a torch for her for years.

For my money, this film is a sure bet. I loved this movie, but I'm a hopeless romantic. Guys, take a date and score big points. You'll actually enjoy it, but you don't have to tell her that.

MY RATING: 8 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 90 min.

Love, Destiny, and Laughter Come Together in Serendipity

Love, Destiny, and Laughter
Come Together in Serendipity