Average, to a fault

Rating: 5/10 (20 September 2004)

To further alienate myself from my target audience, I will admit that I am not much of a 'tennis' guy. Football, baseball, hockey and even golf all take up precious hours not spent watching the latest theatrical release and I don't seem to want to spend the time to get to know the sport that is as rich in tradition as any of the above.
That is not to say that I don't understand or respect the court. Throw me names like Agassi, McEnroe or Sampras and I would be able to pick them out of a line-up. But the sport on a whole just doesn't turn my crank.
Surprising then my anticipation for the new tennis themed film Wimbledon hitting theaters this weekend. Maybe it was the catchy tagline 'Wimbledon Serves Love'. Maybe it was the marketing which promoted the film as 'From the creators of Notting Hill' or maybe I'm so shallow that seeing Kristin Dunst running around a court in a short skirt that had me check my local listings. Who knows?
Wimbledon is story developing around two tennis stars whose careers could not be heading in more opposite directions. Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) was once ranked 11th , but at the ripe old age of thirty-one, now stands at 157th on the players standings. As Wimbledon begins, he announces his retirement to an uninterested room of reporters. However, then Colt meets Lizzie Bradbury (Kristin Dunst).
Lizzie is an up-and-comer American superstar. Her looks and play have the paparazzi following her like a celebrity. She is a favorite to win the tournament and she comes to England with an over-protective father that will try everything within his power to keep his daughters mind focused on the task at hand.
When Lizzie meets Colt sparks fly immediately. Colt has accidentally walked into Lizzie's hotel suite where she is taking a shower. She walks out and smiles with that glow and dimple bearing grin that Dunst should paten. Their awkwardness over the situation is overshadowed by the unmistakable chemistry the two lead actors emit towards each other.
Before the first serve, the two are engaging in couple activities. They are running from the press, hiding from her father and ignoring that they are on the eve of the most prestigious tennis event in any calendar year.
The relationship's effects on the two are also varied. Lizzie falls to some bad luck early, while Colt surprises even himself with his steady play and a win streak that puts him into the finals. Convinced that their relationship is the reason for both of their fates, Dunst runs back to her father's arms while Colt stays in pursuit in an attempt to express his true feelings for the American superstar. The ending is to be left to the paying public, but let's face it, happy endings sell.
If I could use one word to sum up my Wimbledon experience, it would be 'nice'. Wimbledon is a 'nice' film. Never daring or overly interesting, it keeps pace by switching between the excitement of the court action and the heat of the romance on the streets of London. Never offending, but never taking any chances to be different from the hundreds of other films that try to be average either, Wimbledon satisfies the palate but gives us nothing to remember on the way home.
Maybe it is because for every pro there is a con to counter its progression.
For every bit of humor like the brother who likes to bet against his sibling with the local bookies, there is the lack of humor in the agent played by Jon Favreau  a role that was written for its expected humorous output. For every close up angled view of a tennis match that let's you feel like you're truly at the game, there is a love story that continues to spark without setting the screen afire. One minus one plus one minus one equals average. And with a tag line and an opening credit scene that made me chuckle just in its simplicity, I find that a fault indeed.
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