'Serendipity? builds on appeal of romantic comedy genre

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"Serendipity"|ret||ret||tab|

Directed by: Peter Chelsom|ret||ret||tab|

Starring: John Cusack, Kate Beck-insale, Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon|ret||ret||tab|

Rated: PG-13|ret||ret||tab|

Trends come and go in Hollywood remember the year when two films were released about the Lambada dance craze? but one genre has become an industry mainstay. The romantic comedy never seems to fall out of favor and continues to be one of the most broadly appealing types of film. |ret||ret||tab|

Recent movies such as "Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail" and "Notting Hill" attracted not only wide audiences, but talented people working on and in them. From Tracy and Hepburn to Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, audiences seem to really enjoy classic screen pairings and alwayswant more.|ret||ret||tab|

The latest dynamic duo of the genre is John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in the sweet and humorous "Serendipity."|ret||ret||tab|

Cusack is no stranger to the type. Early in his career he starred in Cameron Crowe's "Say Anything," a great little film that should not be missed (any video outlet worth its salt should have at least one copy in stock). He also had leading roles in Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway" and "High Fidelity," a personal favorite from last year. |ret||ret||tab|

Kate Beckinsale, less familiar to audiences than Cusack, is a fetching actress with a natural flair for comedy. The two together have that magic that wins audiences from the first scene and has us rooting for them the entire film.|ret||ret||tab|

Not that there's ever any doubt the two eventually will get together it's a given in this type of movie. The fun lies in watching the circumstances unfold, and director Peter Chelsom shows a deft hand in weaving events in a mostly plausible and entertaining fashion. |ret||ret||tab|

Chelsom is a sometimes actor whose credits as a director make a relatively short list. His best known film, "Hear My Song," was released a decade ago and he's only done three or four other films since. With the more than likely success of "Serendipity," one assumes he will start making more pictures immediately.|ret||ret||tab|

Cusack plays Jonathan Trager, a TV producer for the sports network ESPN. The film opens "a few years ago" and we see Trager doing some last minute Christmas shopping for his girlfriend. |ret||ret||tab|

As he reaches for a pair of cashmere gloves, he finds them also being grabbed by Sara Thomas (Beckinsale) and the two strike up a pleasant conversation. They go for coffee and a chat and while both are involved with other people, we can see the sparks flying. Sara is somewhat superstitious and won't even tell Jonathan her name, much less give him her number. She says if fate wants them to be together, they'll be together. |ret||ret||tab|

They part ways. Jonathan soon realizes he's forgotten his scarf and goes back to the coffee shop to retrieve it. Sara has forgotten the gloves and she's there too. Fate has spoken. For now.|ret||ret||tab|

Jonathan and Sara spend a pleasant evening together ice skating in Central Park, talking and laughing. As they part, Sara once again brings fate into the situation. Rather than tell Jonathan anything, she writes her name and phone number inside a book ("Love in the Time of Cholera," the epic romantic novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez) which she will sell the next day to a random Manhattan used book store. |ret||ret||tab|

She also has Jonathan write down his name and number on a five-dollar bill, which she promptly spends at a news- stand. If Jonathan finds the book, or if the fiver comes back to Sara, then fate has it they should be together. It's a lot to put up with for sure, but then again this woman has a great English accent and looks like Kate Beckinsale, so what's a fella to do?|ret||ret||tab|

Cut to "now." |ret||ret||tab|

Jonathan is still in New York and has an impending wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Halley. Sara is living in San Francisco and has recently consented to marry her boyfriend, a rather stuck-on-himself new-age musician played by John Corbett from "Northern Exposure" and "Sex and the City." While the film belongs to Cusack and Beckinsale, Corbett's portrayal of the pompous musician, with the one-word moniker "Lars" adds a nice bit of satire to the story. |ret||ret||tab|

Also helping out is Jeremy Piven as Jonathan's best buddy (and soon to be best man) Dean, an obituary writer for the "New York Times." Molly Shannon from "Saturday Night Live" plays Sara's best friend and Eugene Levy, who has been so hilarious of late in "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best of Show," does a small but important role as an anal-retentive Bloomingdale's clerk. |ret||ret||tab|

"Serendipity" is not a movie that will change your life, but it's a pleasant diversion in a time when we can all stand to relax and be pleasant for a while.|ret||ret||tab|

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]