SHE’S THE GOLDEN GIRL. HE’S THE LONGSHOT. IT’S A MATCH MADE IN WIMBLEDON.
32-year-old British tennis pro Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is playing his last Wimbledon and falls in love with an American tennis star in-the-making (Kirsten Dunst). A pleasant romantic comedy produced by the people who usually gives us whatever Richard Curtis is doing. Richard Loncraine and his collaborators’ work is not quite up to par; the Wimbledon atmosphere is very nice, but the film is a little too bound by conventions and the jokes only go so far. Sam Neill has a thankless part, but Bettany (giving a decent Hugh Grant-type performance) and Dunst are charming enough as the lovers.
2004-Britain. 97 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Richard Loncraine. Cast: Kirsten Dunst (Lizzie Bradbury), Paul Bettany (Peter Colt), Sam Neill (Dennis Bradbury), Jon Favreau, Bernard Hill, Eleanor Bron… James McAvoy. Cameo: John McEnroe.
Trivia: Hugh Grant and Reese Witherspoon were reportedly offered the leading parts.
Quote: “Shouldn’t he be off discovering masturbation somewhere?” (Bettany spotting a very young tennis rival)
